Stromness (South Georgia)
Stromness is a former whaling station in Stromness Bay on the north coast of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. The station gained historical significance when Ernest Shackleton's voyage in an open boat across the Scotia Sea came to a happy end here in 1916.
Stromness is the middle of the three harbors on the west side of Stromness Bay. The name Fridtjof Nansen or Nansen appeared on old maps for the station, but the name Stromness has been used constantly since around 1920.
About 2.5 kilometers from the harbor is the uninhabited Grass Island .
history
In 1907 the Norwegian Sandefjord Hvalfangerselskab set up a "floating factory" for whale processing in Stromness, and in 1912 the land station was built, which also had a narrow-gauge railway (plus railways on South Georgia ). The station operated as a whaling base from 1913 to 1931, when it was converted into a ship repair yard with workshops and a foundry by the South Georgia Company . In 1961 the place was abandoned.
In 1916 Ernest Shackleton landed with a small crew after a strenuous journey from Elephant Island in the 7.5 meter long dinghy James Caird in King Haakon Bay on the uninhabited south coast of South Georgia. Shackleton then crossed the mountainous and icy inland with Tom Crean and Frank Worsley to reach the inhabited north coast of the island and seek help for the crew left behind. After 36 hours of trekking, they reached the Stromness administrative center, where the Norwegian whaling station manager lived. This building was jokingly referred to as the "Villa in Stromness" because it was relatively luxurious compared to its surroundings. Incidentally, Shackleton's mission was a success; all men were rescued from Elephant Island.
In the decades after its closure, Stromness slowly deteriorated; only ruins remain of many buildings. Like the whaling stations in Leith , Husvik and Prince Olav Harbor , Stromness has been closed to tourists for security reasons. The danger comes from dilapidated and asbestos-contaminated buildings. Visitors are not allowed to be more than 200 meters away from the buildings and facilities. In the years 2012 to 2014, the "villa" was examined and measures were taken to stop the decay of this historically significant building.
Outside Stromness is a small whaling cemetery with 14 tombstones.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Whaling Stations on South Georgia Island , from the Fundación Histarmar website , accessed June 18, 2016.
- ^ Prohibited Areas and Whaling Station Access , official website of South Georgia, accessed June 18, 2016.
- ↑ Heritage Projects: Stromness Villa , official website of South Georgia, accessed June 18, 2016.
Coordinates: 54 ° 10 ′ 0 ″ S , 36 ° 43 ′ 0 ″ W.