Category: Ship Disasters
Born of Death: The Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff
By late January 1945, Nazi Germany was on the verge of losing World War II. On the Western Front, its offensive in the Ardennes faile. The Battle of the Bulge was a major Allied victory that saw German forces on the defensive for the rest of the war. On the Eastern Front, the Soviet Union’s…
The Wrecks of November: Gordon Lightfoot’s Shipwreck Songs
The old ship, tried and true, set sail on a routine voyage. Nothing seemed amiss that November day. But no one could have imagined the horror that was to come. The ship went down, and the events leading up to its demise still remain a mystery. The press covered the sinking with its usual zeal….
Forgotten Hero Ship: The Wreck of La Jenelle
The coast of Oxnard, California was stormy on April 13, 1970. Gale-force winds blew about and rocked the nearly 500-foot cruise ship until her starboard anchor began dragging. There was little that the two crew members aboard could do to stop it. Less than 30 minutes later, the ship grounded itself on nearby Silver Strand…
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas
As I mentioned in my last post, we recently visited Las Vegas for a quick little getaway. We stayed at the Virgin Hotel and planned to spend a lot of time at the pool. However, cool and windy weather forced us to change plans. One of the things we ended up doing was revisiting the…
Haunting Reminders of the Night: Titanic Artifacts and the Paranormal
Earlier this week, my wife and I were in Las Vegas for a quick little vacation. We decided to visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. We first went in September 2022, and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since. I’ll write about this recent visit in a future blog…
Postcards & Penny Presses: How One New Jersey City Profited from the Morro Castle Disaster
The SS Morro Castle, flagship of the Ward Line, caught fire on September 8, 1934. The Coast Guard attempted to tow the stricken liner but was unsuccessful. The Morro Castle broke free. Onlookers ashore reportedly cheered when the tow line snapped, and the smoldering ship started drifting. She ultimately came to rest on the Jersey…
Tragedy, Mystery, and Exploitation: The Morro Castle Disaster
A disaster was unfolding along the New Jersey coast in the early morning hours of September 8, 1934. The SS Morro Castle, flagship of the Ward Line, was burning out of control in the middle of a fierce storm. Spectators on land could see the orange glow clear as day. Only one SOS call had…
Ship of Secrets: The Titanic’s LGBTQ+ History
The Titanic is arguably the most famous ship in history. It seems that just about everyone knows the tragic story of the ship and her ill-fated maiden voyage. Books like Walter Lord’s A Night to Remember and the blockbuster film Titanic (1997) have certainly helped with this. But as Bill Paxton’s Brock Lovett said in…
The Four Chaplains and the Sinking of USAT Dorchester
During World War II, scores of ocean liners were converted into troop transports for the Allied war effort. Mighty ships like Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Aquitania were pressed into service along with more humble liners like Evangeline, Yarmouth, and Borinquen. These ships collectively transported millions of Allied servicemen and women to all theaters of…
Vanished Without a Trace: The Disappearance of the Antonia Graza
For as long as people have sailed the high seas, ships have sunk and gone to the bottom. But some have disappeared without a trace. This happens despite continual improvements in shipbuilding and marine engineering. There are no distress calls, wreckage, or survivors ever found. The USS Cyclops is arguably one of the most famous…