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N0KFQ > TODAY 19.01.15 16:00l 43 Lines 1742 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 45158_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Jan 19
Path: IZ3LSV<IK6ZDE<IR4U<CX2SA<VK2DOT<9Y4PJ<N9PMO<N0KFQ
Sent: 150119/1455Z 45158@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ1.4.62
Jan 19, 1883:
Fog leads to deadly collision in North Sea
Heavy fog in the North Sea causes the collision of two steamers
and the death of 357 people on this day in 1883.
The Cimbria was a 330-foot, 3,000-ton steamship built in 1867 and
operated by the Hamburg-Amerika Line. It left Hamburg, Germany,
on January 18 with 302 passengers and 120 crew members. Among the
passengers were eastern Europeans heading to America, French
sailors on their way to Le Havre and a touring group of Native
Americans who were exhibiting Wild West paraphernalia.
The Sultan, a smaller Hull and Hamburg Line steamer traveling
with only a crew, was also moving through the North Sea on
January 19. Although there was heavy fog early that morning,
neither boat took any precautionary measures, like reducing their
speed, and the Sultan smashed straight into the Cimbria on the
port side.
Both steamers were badly damaged and the Cimbria's lifeboats were
launched. Seven were inflated, but in the confusion, they weren't
filled anywhere near capacity. In addition, three lifeboats
quickly disappeared in the heavy fog and were never seen again.
For those people who did not make it onto a lifeboat, the cold
water was deadly. Hypothermia and drowning claimed hundreds of
lives within minutes.
A few nearby ships picked up a couple of lifeboats soon after but
the bulk of the 65 survivors from the Cimbria were not picked up
until two days later. The captain of the Sultan, which had
managed to stay afloat, was widely criticized for his failure to
provide any assistance to the passengers and crew of the Cimbria.
In total, 357 people lost their lives.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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