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Tag: maritime

  • 1888 Shipwreck Found in San Francisco Bay

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released images Wednesday of the wreckage of a ship that sank in San Francisco Bay in 1888, which killed 16 people. The iron and wood steamship called City of Chester went down on August 22, after being hit by a larger ship named the Oceanic, in conditions of dense fog and low visibility.

    City of Chester was carrying 106 travelers en route to Eureka, California and Portland, Oregon. Thirteen passengers and three crewmen perished when the ship sank.

    The NOAA inadvertently discovered the wreckage while mapping shipping lanes in the bay, and City of Chester was located 217 feet down, just inside the Golden Gate Bridge. The NOAA team utilized a multi-beam sonic imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the wreckage.

    James Delgado, an NOAA shipwreck researcher, archaeologist and Titanic expert, combed through San Francisco newspapers from the era when City of Chester went down, which leaned toward putting the blame on the relatively unscathed Oceanic, which was an immigrant vessel. “The papers initially reacted, talking about the tragedy and accusations that the Chinese crew stood by and let people drown,” Delgado said. “But what happens is you start to see things also come out countering that. Some leapt in water to save a drowning child.” The initial investigation faulted the skipper of the City of Chester.

    Robert Schwemmer, NOAA’s West Coast regional maritime heritage coordinator added, “The Oceanic crew was up on the bow reaching down to survivors on the Chester, lifting them on the deck. After the collision, in five or six minutes, the Oceanic crew went on to save a lot of people.”

    In 1888, San Francisco Bay was one of the world’s busiest and most crucial shipping ports. The City of Chester sinking was the second worst maritime disaster regarding casualties San Francisco Bay had ever seen. The most catastrophic occurred when a steamer called the SS City of Rio de Janeiro hit a reef in 1901, killing over 120.

    Image via NOAA

  • Turks and Caicos Capsizing Leaves 18 Dead

    On Christmas Day, a 28-foot boat transporting Haitian migrants capsized roughly 100 meters from Providenciales, an island located within the Turks and Caicos Islands. The ship was in the process of being escorted to shore by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force around 3 a.m. EST. Tragically, eighteen of the passengers have been killed. However, 32 passengers were rescued including a 12-year-old boy. Officials are still in the process of searching for missing individuals, which includes a 10-year-old child.

    Though the exact cause behind the accident has not been officially declared, some have speculated on the chain of events that influenced the outcome. Some claim that the behavior of the migrants themselves ultimately caused the capsizing. Karlo Pelissier, who is the Haitian consul to the Turks and Caicos, said that passengers jumped from the boat in an effort to reach land, which caused the boat to ultimately turn. Pelissier spoke about the health condition of the individuals who were fortunate to be recovered safely from the water. “They are tired, but they are OK,” he said.

    Salim Succar, who is an adviser to Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, spoke about the devastating incident. “We are saddened by such tragedy and present our condolences and prayers to the families and friends of those affected by this accident.”

    According to an official statement, “Police are still searching for the handful of people who reached shore and fled the scene, and their investigations into the incident continue.”

    U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Sabrina Laberbesque reported that the U.S. Coast Guard sent two helicopters to the scene in order to aid in the rescue efforts. In addition, two emergency-response vessels were sent to the area of the accident by the Florida Coast Guard.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons