Sardinia (ship, 1888)
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The Sardinia was a British cargo and passenger ship that caught fire on November 25, 1908 off the coast of Malta and ran aground. At least 118 people were killed. Most of the passengers on the Sardinia were Moroccan pilgrims on their way to Mecca . It is believed that a fire lit by the passengers for boiling set the ship's cargo ablaze, resulting in several explosions.
The ship was in 1888 under the name Gulf of Corcovado been put into service and later bore the name of Paolo V .
description
The Sardinia had a tonnage of 2361 GRT or 1482 NRT . She was 94.5 m long, 12.3 m wide and had a maximum draft of 6.9 m. The propulsion system consisted of a three cylinder triple expansion steam engine built by Blair & Co Ltd and propelled it by a propeller.
history
The ship was built as the Gulf of Corcovado by the British shipyard Hawthorn, Leslie & Company in Hebburn ( England ). The launch took place on June 25, 1888, the commissioning in August of the same year. The owner was the Greenock Steam Ship Co Ltd in Greenock ( Scotland ).
The Gulf Line Ltd bought the ship in 1899 and sold it that year to the Italian shipping company P Viale di GB in Genoa , which renamed it Paolo V. In 1902 the Ellerman Lines finally acquired the ship and renamed it after Sardinia .
Shipwreck
Fire
On the morning of November 25, 1908, the Sardinia left the Grand Harbor of Malta at 9:45 a.m. to continue to Alexandria . On board were 39 crew members, 12 first class passengers and 142 passengers on the tween decks . These were Moroccan Muslims on the Hajj to Mecca. The ship also carried various types of cargo, including nitrate and naphtha . The captain of the Sardinia was Charles Litter from Birkenhead .
Shortly after leaving the port, the Sardinia was still about 200 meters from the breakwater, smoke was observed from a ventilation shaft on the starboard side of the ship. The team first tried to fight the fire with extinguishing water, but after a few minutes flames broke out from other ventilation openings. In less than ten minutes, the Sardinia was completely in flames amidships.
The ship changed course, presumably to return to port. Immediately afterwards, however, it went in circles after the helmsmen had lost control of the rudder and the crew in the engine room had been killed by the fire. In Fort Ricasoli ran Sardinia aground. ( ' "56 35 ° 53 N , 14 ° 31' 34" O ) Several explosions shook the ship and swept the hatch covers away, which probably cost many lives. The strong wind fanned the fire further so that it reached the upper deck and destroyed the lifeboats.
Captain Litter stayed on board the ship and was among the first to die. The crew handed out life jackets to the passengers, with the chief steward among the first to jump overboard wearing a life jacket. Many of the Moroccan passengers, including women and children, were below deck and died in the fire, while other Moroccans panicked and refused to leave the ship. Some of the people on board managed to jump into the water, they could be rescued.
A number of Maltese fishing boats and smaller sailing ships tried to assist the survivors, but were unable to reach the burning ship because of the intensity of the flames. Admiralty tugs were also sent out to provide assistance. The Sardinia burned down completely on the rocks in front of Fort Ricasoli, while thousands of onlookers gathered on the port fortifications to watch the accident.
Victim
Different numbers of victims are mentioned in contemporary reports. Some say that 23 crew members and 10 passengers survived, while others report that 21 crew members, 9 Europeans and 40 Moroccans were rescued. Up to 4 p.m. on the day of the accident, 18 team members, 2 Europeans and more than 100 Moroccans were missing. The final number of victims is also given as 16 crew members, 2 Europeans and more than 100 Moroccans. In any case, the accident killed at least 118 people.
At least 40 bodies were recovered on the day of the accident, including that of the captain. Research showed that all of the fatalities were either burned or drowned. Only 23 dead Moroccans could be recovered. They were buried the next day in the Turkish Military Cemetery in Marsa . The captain and some other crew members were buried in Ta 'Braxia Cemetery , and bodies discovered later. At least one crew member was buried in the Addolorata Cemetery in Paola . Captain Litter's remains were later transferred to England at the request of his family.
Aftermath
An investigation into the incident revealed that the fire was likely caused by sparks from a cooking fire that Moroccan tween deck passengers had lit to cook food on. These sparks ignited the nitrate in hold no. 2. According to the investigation report, there were no provisions whatsoever in the event of a fire on board the ship.
The Sardinia disaster is believed to be the worst peacetime shipwreck in Malta and is considered the Maltese counterpart to the sinking of the Titanic . Although the Sardinia was much smaller than the Titanic and also carried far fewer passengers, the comparison refers to the high proportion of tween deck passengers who were killed in both ship accidents.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Gulf of Corcovado. In: Tyne Built Ships. Accessed April 10, 2020 (English).
- ^ Gulf of Corcovado SS (1888 ~ 1899) Sardinia SS (+1908). In: wrecksite.eu. Accessed April 10, 2020 (English).
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r The SS. Sardinia Disaster. The Malta Independent , August 8, 2013, accessed April 12, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o The Tragic end of the 'Maltese Titanic'. The Malta Independent , October 7, 2012, accessed April 12, 2020 .
literature
- Carmen Lia: SS Sardinia: Traġedja Kbira fl-Ibħra Maltin . Malta 2008, ISBN 978-99932-0-714-6 (Maltese).