The General Slocum was a steamship that set sail in 1891. She caught fire wile traveling down New York’s East River on June 15, 1904. The Captain of the General Slocum, Captain Van Schaick, made a number of critical mistakes that led to the tragic loss of more than 1,000 lives. Up until the events […]
Entries Tagged as 'History'
The Failure Of A Captain - Maritime History
June 25th, 2008 · 2 Comments
Tags: History
Fastest Ship - The SS United States Faces Uncertain Future
June 24th, 2008 · 3 Comments
Popular Mechanics updates us on the the World’s Fastest Ship, or at least the vessel currently holding the transatlantic speed record the mighty SS United States. They write:
Though I didn’t know it then, at age 4, that wake, sharp and narrow, was a clue to what made the SS United States one of the greatest—if […]
Tags: Cruise Ship · History · Video
Great Lakes British Warship HMS Ontario Found
June 14th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Shipwreck World tells us:
The HMS Ontario, a British warship built in1780 has been discovered in deep water off the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville located the ship utilizing sophisticated side scanning sonar and an underwater remote operated vehicle. The HMS Ontario is the oldest confirmed shipwreck and the […]
Tags: History
Remembering The Edmund Fitzgerald
June 7th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Model by Wood Wings
50 Years ago today the most infamous vessel of the Great Lakes was launched. Farlane writes:
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 7th, 1958, as more than 10,000 people lined the banks of the Detroit River. They had come to witness the launching of Hull 301 at the Great Lakes Engineering […]
Tags: History
75th Annual National Maritime Day
May 22nd, 2008 · No Comments
Today marks the 75th annual National Maritime Day. In 1933 the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America officially declared May 22 as National Maritime Day. May 22 was chosen in tribute to one of Americas many great feats. The first transoceanic voyage by a steam-powered vessel. The ship was The […]
Tags: Events · History · Maritime · Uncategorized
A Forgotten Tragedy: America’s Worst Maritime Disaster
May 21st, 2008 · No Comments
On April 27, 1865 the Mississippi River paddlewheeler, Sultana, was utterly destroyed when a boiler explosion ripped through the ship. The legal capacity of the ship was 376 persons but on this faithful night the ship was loaded with an estimated 2,400 passengers. The vast majority of passengers on board the Sultana were newly released […]
Tags: Fire Incidents · History · Incidents · Maritime · Uncategorized
Nuclear Ship Savannah Underway
May 14th, 2008 · 1 Comment
WVEC brings us news of the world’s first commercial nuclear ship, N/S Savannah.
The Savannah, a historic landmark and the world’s first nuclear-powered cargo and passenger ship, is leaving Virginia waters after 14 years.
Its government caretaker, the U.S. Maritime Administration, announced a contract Tuesday worth at least $588,380 to relocate the famous dinosaur from Norfolk […]
Tags: History
World’s Largest Non-Nuclear Explosion
May 13th, 2008 · 3 Comments
Ernie’s Place brings us the world’s largest Non-Nuclear explosion:
Alaska along the coast of British Columbia, there is what is known as the inland passage to Alaska. The surge through the passage is one of the strongest ocean currents in the world. In the middle of this passage is a place called “Seymour Narrows” where the […]
The Painted Hall: Greenwich, 300 years of maritime history
May 4th, 2008 · No Comments
The Old Royal Naval College was designed by artist Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1751. It started life as the Greenwich Hospital for Seamen, which provided a home for retired and injured sailors.
It became the Royal Naval College in 1873, until the departure of the Royal Navy in 1998, and the […]
Tags: History
It’s Scurvy Awareness Day
May 2nd, 2008 · No Comments
Apparently it’s scurvy awareness day. Limestrong, the “official” website of the event tells us a little about this once common affliction:
Scurvy is a condition caused by a lack of vitamin C
(ascorbic acid) in the diet. Signs of scurvy include tiredness, muscle
weakness, joint and muscle aches, a rash on the legs, and bleeding gums.
In the past, […]
Tags: History
































