.
This was the day, a Wednesday, in 1956 that the westbound luxury Italian Line vessel Andrea Doria capsized and sank after a collision with the eastbound Swedish American liner Stockholm. Forty-six people on the Italian ship and five on the Swedish ship were killed in the incident.
The collision occurred at night just off the coast of Nantucket when the Andrea Doria was coming out of a fog bank. Despite working radar and lookouts, the officers on both ships failed take sufficient action in enough time to avoid a collision.
Struck in the side by Stockholm’s bows, Andrea Doria took an immediate twenty-degree list to starboard and those on board took to the boats and liferafts. 1,660 passengers and crew were recovered in the rescue effort that then took place.
Andrea Doria finally capsized and sank next morning. Initially, the blame fell on the Italian ship and the arguments about it were never satisfied since both companies made an out-of-court settlement. Recent investigations, however, show that a misreading of radar on the Swedish ship may have initiated the collision course, leading to some errors on both ships and the resultant disaster.
At the time, the story made headlines around the world as the stricken ship was within easy reach of aircraft from New York carrying photographers and reporters. Newspapers were subsequently filled not only with the survivors’ stories but of the hearings that then took place to try to discover what had gone wrong.
Perhaps the most startling story was that of the amazing escape of a 14-year-old girl who was asleep in her bed in Andrea Doria when the collision occurred and who was catapulted out of her shattered cabin onto the bows of the Stockholm.
The collision sealed the fate of the Andrea Doria but Stockholm still sails the seas to this day after a number of change of owners, names (eight in all), refits and refurbishments. In 2006 she was acquired by a Lisbon-based company, renamed Athena and has since become a very popular cruise ship.
Despite being known as the ‘Death Ship’ for some time, Stockholm has nonetheless had a remarkable career considering that she was built in 1948.
.
This was the day, a Wednesday, in 1956 that the westbound luxury Italian Line vessel Andrea Doria capsized and sank after a collision with the eastbound Swedish American liner Stockholm. Forty-six people on the Italian ship and five on the Swedish ship were killed in the incident.
The collision occurred at night just off the coast of Nantucket when the Andrea Doria was coming out of a fog bank. Despite working radar and lookouts, the officers on both ships failed take sufficient action in enough time to avoid a collision.
Struck in the side by Stockholm’s bows, Andrea Doria took an immediate twenty-degree list to starboard and those on board took to the boats and liferafts. 1,660 passengers and crew were recovered in the rescue effort that then took place.
Andrea Doria finally capsized and sank next morning. Initially, the blame fell on the Italian ship and the arguments about it were never satisfied since both companies made an out-of-court settlement. Recent investigations, however, show that a misreading of radar on the Swedish ship may have initiated the collision course, leading to some errors on both ships and the resultant disaster.
At the time, the story made headlines around the world as the stricken ship was within easy reach of aircraft from New York carrying photographers and reporters. Newspapers were subsequently filled not only with the survivors’ stories but of the hearings that then took place to try to discover what had gone wrong.
Perhaps the most startling story was that of the amazing escape of a 14-year-old girl who was asleep in her bed in Andrea Doria when the collision occurred and who was catapulted out of her shattered cabin onto the bows of the Stockholm.
The collision sealed the fate of the Andrea Doria but Stockholm still sails the seas to this day after a number of change of owners, names (eight in all), refits and refurbishments. In 2006 she was acquired by a Lisbon-based company, renamed Athena and has since become a very popular cruise ship.
Despite being known as the ‘Death Ship’ for some time, Stockholm has nonetheless had a remarkable career considering that she was built in 1948.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment