Large steam vessels made the crossing from England and met smaller ships at the St. Thomas harbor for transshipping mail, passengers and freight to other locations in the West Indies, Gulf of Mexico and Central America, or returning to England.

In the early 1850's, the dreaded yellow fever struck St. Thomas, affecting many of the passengers and crews of RMSPC. In 1860 the cutting of a channel to separate Hassel Island from the mainland was made in order to improve circulation and the cleanliness of the harbor. Late in 1866, the fever again reached epidemic proportions and so RMSPC temporarily moved its operations to Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands, a small island approximately 15 miles east of St. Thomas.

On October 29, 1867, the Rhone, the newest and finest steam ship in the fleet, together with the inter-island steamers, were at Peter Island when a hurricane struck. The Rhone was sunk with the loss of 108 crew members, and 15 out of 16 passengers. In St. Thomas harbor, fifty-eight out of sixty vessels were sunk. This was followed in less than a month by a tsunami.

In 1872 RMSPC moved its main transfer point to Barbados, out of the hurricane belt, and less fever ridden than St. Thomas. The only traces left of this once important commerce are some ruins on Hassel Island, the occasional artifact from the harbor, and the wreck the Rhone along with some of the other steamships sunken in the hurricane.