The ship, carrying a hundred passengers, ran aground in fog and heavy seas and her lifeboats were smashed. The grounding occurred at 1 a.m. on 13 December 1911 two miles south of Cape Spartel. In addition to the full list of passengers the ship carried cargo valued at approximately one million sterling. Three warships, the French cruiser and later the British battleship and cruiser responded to the Delhi's distress calls, made by wireless. The British ships were late in responding due to an order that the naval station at Gibraltar was not to take notice of commercial message traffic with Friant being first to respond. The Gibraltar lifeboat also assisted, with the Captain of the Port, Commander William Niles as volunteer coxswain (Niles had had previous experience as coxswain on Cardigan lifeboat).
