Remembering the General Slocum Disaster of June 15, 1904

Posted on by June 15, 2020

genslocumOne hundred and twelve years ago today, the disaster on the General Slocum resulted in one of the largest loss of life in New York City prior to the attacks of 9/11/01.

At around 9AM on June 15, 1904, approximately 1,350 passengers, mostly women and children from the German-American community of New York’s Lower East Side, boarded the Knickerbocker Steamship Company paddle steamer General Slocum for an annual end-of-school outing to Locust Grove Picnic Ground at Eatons Neck on Long Island.  The trip was sponsored by the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Instead of a fun-filled day away from the city, the trip shortly turned into a nightmare. Continue reading →

Return to the Gowanus Canal on the Gowanus Bay Hidden Harbor Tour

Posted on by June 16, 2016
Sunset at Gowanus Bay in the Bay New York (1851) by Henry Gritten

Sunset at Gowanus Bay in the Bay New York (1851) by Henry Gritten

I am looking forward to going the Working Harbor Committee’s Hidden Harbor Tour of Gowanus Bay.  It will be lead by Captain Margaret Flanagan, Maritime Operations, Waterfront Alliance & Joseph Alexiou, tour guide and author of “Gowanus Brooklyn’s Curious Canal”  and will include the Erie Basin, Red Hook and Sunset Park.  It should be a great tour. Click here for tickets.

There are many interesting things to check out in Gowanus Bay, but what I am especially looking forward to is passing the Gowanus Canal.  When I first came to the New York area to work for Moore McCormack Lines, their terminal was at 23rd St, Brooklyn on the Gowanus Canal.  I recall reading somewhere in a company history that the terminal location was near where Brooklyn born Emmet J. McCormack, one of the two founders of the line, liked to swim as a child.  The story is likely to be apocryphal as Gowanus Creek had been dredged into a canal and was heavily industrialized by the 1890s, when young Emmet would have chosen to take a dip.

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The Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg for Sale

Posted on by June 13, 2016

Götheborg1Sad news. The Götheborg, a replica of an 18th-century Swedish East Indiaman, is for sale. The Ostindiefararen Götheborg Foundation which owns the ship says it can no longer afford to run the replica, which is one of the world’s largest operational wooden sailing vessels. The Götheborg made her maiden voyage in 2005 and is modeled after the East Indiaman of the same name which sank on September 12, 1745, while approaching Götheborg harbor on her return from a third voyage to China.

From the foundation press release: “This is a tough decision that we’ve been forced to make,” says Lars G Malmer, Chairman of the owning Foundation. “We’ve done our utmost to find a solution that would enable the ship to continue sailing and to serve as the amazing platform for marketing Sweden and Gothenburg that it is.”

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Invasive Lionfish for Sale at Whole Foods – If You Can’t Beat ’em, Eat ’em

Posted on by June 13, 2017

lionfishThe upscale supermarket, Whole Foods, is taking an innovative approach to countering the spread of an invasive species of fish in Florida. They offering lionfish for sale. It is sort of a “if you can’t beat’em, eat’em” approach to managing an invasive species.  A Whole Foods spokesman says that the fish’s “white, buttery meat lends itself to a number of different recipes.” The supermarket’s workers will remove the venomous spines before consumers purchase the fish, according to the statement.

Lionfish are a stripped feathery-finned invasive species with venomous spines that have been spreading rapidly since the 1990s along the southeast coast of the U.S., the Caribbean, and in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. The fish were introduced to the region area after aquarium collectors released them in the waters of South Florida. Native to the Indo-Pacific, the lionfish lack natural predators and have been laying waste to local fish and shrimp populations.

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SSV Oliver Hazard Perry: America’s Newest Tall Ship Looking for Deckhands

Posted on by June 11, 2016
Photo: Onne van der Wal

Photo: Onne van der Wal

This sounds like a great opportunity for licensed deckhands.  The Sailing School Vessel (SSV) Oliver Hazard Perry is looking for crew.  From their recent announcement:

Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island (OHPRI) is seeking to hire licensed deckhands for its brand new 200-foot SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, which is based in Newport, R.I. and scheduled to sail throughout New England this summer. The Tall Ship is the first full-rigged ocean-going ship to be built in the United States in over 100 years and requires that crew applying hold an Able Seaman license or Masters license (any tonnage) with auxiliary sail endorsement or international equivalent.

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Bom Jesus — More Gold From Shipwreck on a Beach of Diamonds

Posted on by June 10, 2016

goldbomjesusOnce again, the media is reporting a story of the discovery of a shipwreck which sounds very familiar. Recently, the Independent reported: “The wreckage of a 500-year-old Portuguese ship filled with gold coins has been unearthed by miners in a Namibian desert. The haul was discovered by diggers from diamond company De Beers and is believed to be worth upwards of £9m.” The ship was quickly identified as the Portuguese trader Bom Jesus, which vanished in 1533.

Bom Jesus? That name sounds very familiar. In fact, the Bom Jesus was discovered at that location in 2008.  We wrote about it in 2009 in “Gold and Ivory Shipwreck on a Beach of Diamonds.” Continue reading →

UK Frigates & Russian Submarines — Increasing Challenges & Too Few Ships

Posted on by June 9, 2016

hmskentNaval ships are very expensive to build and operate and in the best of all possible worlds would never be used.  Nevertheless, they exist for a purpose.  Recently, while taking part in commemorations for the Battle of Jutland centenary, HMS Kent intercepted a Russian submarine as it cruised towards the English Channel. It was reported that the Stary Oskol, a Kilo-class submarine capable of carrying cruise missiles and torpedoes, was first detected by NATO forces in the North Sea. HMS Kent escorted the submarine past the Strait of Dover on Wednesday morning.

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Headstone To Honor Legendary Naval Architect John W. Griffiths

Posted on by June 7, 2016

griffithsOn Saturday, July 23rd, the National Maritime Historical Society will unveil a headstone at the previously unmarked grave of legendary naval architect John W. Griffiths. The ceremony will take place in Queens at the Linden Hill United Methodist Cemetery at 10:30 am.

John W. Griffiths was born in New York City in 1809 and died in 1882. He was one of the greatest of all American naval architects and a yet he died largely forgotten. Griffiths was a pioneer in both sail and steam, a designer, a shipbuilder, a hydrodynamicist, a writer and an editor. The historian William Brown Meloney wrote of Griffiths, “Ocean conqueror by sail and by steam, he sleeps as he died, unhonored and unsung — forgotten by a heedless people . . . ”  With the unveiling of the new headstone, he will be at least somewhat less forgotten.

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Hōkūleʻa in North Cove — Palm Trees and Stormy Skies

Posted on by June 6, 2016

hoksternThe Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa was officially welcomed to New York yesterday morning in ceremonies in North Cove on the Hudson River. The voyaging canoe and her crew, in the third year of an epic voyage around the world, were greeted warmly by a large crowd under stormy skies and intermittent showers. The location was fitting as it is literally steps from the Winter Garden Atrium, a ten story glass enclosed pavilion which is the home of sixteen 40′ tall Washingtonia robusta palm trees. If New York could not provide blue Hawaiian skies, at least we can offer palm trees.

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The Death of Lord Kitchener & the Sinking of HMS Hampshire

Posted on by June 5, 2016

krecruitingposterOne hundred years today, on June 5, 1916, Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, drowned when the HMS Hampshire sank in the North Sea off the Orkneys. Of the 655 crewmen and 7 passengers, including Lord Kitchener, aboard the cruiser, only 12 crewmen survived. His death, just days after the ambiguous outcome of the Battle of Jutland, came as great shock to the British populace. Lord Kitchener’s death would also spawn a myriad of conspiracy theories.

Lord Kitchener was famous for his imperial campaigns in Khartoum and the Boer War and had played a central, if not always a successful role in shaping British military strategy during the First Word War. His image on recruiting posters is considered to be one of the most enduring and iconic images of the war. Despite his fame and ubiquitous image on recruiting posters, Kitchener was facing increased criticism from within the British government. Lord Kitchener had been convinced to support the Gallipoli campaign which was a costly defeat and also became caught up in the Shell Crisis of 1915 when the British forces faced a shortage of artillery shells on the front lines of World War I.

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University of Strathclyde Wins First Place for Safe Affordable Ferry Design

Posted on by June 15, 2016

safeaddordableferryThe UK’s University of Strathclyde won the top prize in the third Worldwide Ferry Safety Association’s Student Design Competition for a Safe Affordable Ferry. The $5,0000 USD award for the design was presented by Bekir Sitki Ustaoglu, Asia Pacific chief of the IMO Technical Cooperation Division, at the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference in New York. The presentation was made at the at the Ferry Safety and Technology Conference in New York on June 2.

Teams from Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences in Germany won the two second prizes. Two third prizes were awarded to India’s Tolani Maritime Institute and the United States Naval Academy.

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World Oceans Day on Historic Lighthouse Tender Lilac June 8

Posted on by June 3, 2016

lilacbowThe historic lighthouse tender Lilac is hosting a literary salon to celebrate World Oceans Day. From their press release:

One Grand Books has organized a literary evening on board the museum ship Lilac to mark World Oceans Day, a global day of ocean celebration, on June 8, 2016.  This event opens the ship’s 2016 season.

The literary salon opens at 6:30 PM with wine provided by the event sponsor Bedell Cellars of Long Island. Readings begin at 7:00 and will include presentations by Radiolab host Robert Krulwich and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Cunningham.  A musical interlude will be offered by Angela McCluskey and Paul Cantelon with Linked Dance Theater performing excerpts from their site-specific work The Soul of the Sea based on The Fisherman And His Soul, a short story by Oscar Wilde.  Book sales and signings follow.

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Hōkūleʻa — the Big Canoe in the Big Apple

Posted on by June 2, 2016

hokieastcoastContinuing her epic voyage around the globe, the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa will officially make her arrival in New York harbor on Sunday, June 5th. She will dock at North Cove Marina in Manhattan on the Hudson River at 9:00 a.m., followed by an Arrival Ceremony with Native Americans and local officials. The event will feature cultural performances by Native American tribes and hula hālau (troupes) from New York. Events will continue throughout the following week.   Continue reading →

Soul of the Sea: Immersive Dance at Historic Lighthouse Tender Lilac

Posted on by June 1, 2016

sotsA very interesting program coming up on the historic lighthouse tender ex-USCGC Lilac at Pier 25 on the Hudson River in Manhattan. From their press release:

Linked Dance Theatre will stage “Soul of the Sea,” a site-specific immersive dance performance on board the museum ship Lilac from June 7 to 11, 2016.

“Soul of the Sea” is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s “The Fisherman and his Soul.” Wilde’s short story tells of a fisherman who falls in love with a mermaid after catching her in his net, but discovers he must give up his soul in order to marry her.

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On the 100th Anniversary — Jellicoe & the Battle of Jutland

Posted on by May 31, 2016
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe

Admiral John Jellicoe

The Battle of Jutland, which was fought 100 years ago today, was one of the greatest modern sea battles and arguably, changed the course of World War I.  In the battle, 250 ships, manned by 10,000 sailors fought for 12 hours. The battle was fought between the British Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, against the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer in the North Sea, near the coast of Denmark’s Jutland Peninsula. After the battle, both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships and men than the Germans, who claimed a tactical victory. The battle was, however, a clear strategic defeat for Germany, proving that the Imperial German Navy could not defeat the Royal Navy nor lift the naval blockade that was slowly starving Germany.

While the British are generally acknowledged as victors of the battle, there remains considerable controversy over the naval commanders, particularly the role played by Admiral Jellicoe. Some have claimed that if Admiral Jellicoe had acted more aggressively that he might have cut off the German navy before it could flee back to port. Others argue that Jellicoe acted prudently from a position of strength.

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On Memorial Day — Remembering the US Merchant Mariners of WWII

Posted on by May 26, 2018

mmsailorposterWhat was the most dangerous service in World War II? The Army, the Navy, the Marines?  In fact, it was the Merchant Marine. 1 in 26 mariners serving aboard merchant ships in World WW II died in the line of duty, suffering a greater percentage of war-related deaths on average than all other U.S. services. Officially, a total of 1,554 ships were sunk due to war conditions, including 733 ships of over 1,000 gross tons.  An estimated 243,000 sailors served in the Merchant Marine during the war and roughly 9,500 died either at sea, as the result of wounds ashore or as POWs. During the early years of the war, the loss of merchant ships and sailors to submarine attacks was so great there was a real concern that Germany might succeed in winning the war by starving the Allies of supplies. The mass production of merchant ships in the United States and the parallel rapid training of hundreds of thousands of merchant sailors kept the necessary supplies flowing across the Atlantic.

Despite the important of the merchant marine to the war effort and extreme dangers, merchant sailors were civilians who did not receive military benefits. Merchant mariners from World War II finally received full benefits only in 1988.

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Welcome Back, Donna Lange: Solo Sailor Finishes Second Circumnavigation

Posted on by May 29, 2016

A few days ago, Donna Lange returned home to Narragansett Bay after completing her second solo circumnavigation on Inspired Insanity, her Southern Cross 28.  An event was held in her honor at the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol, RI for family and friends to welcome her home. Lange had set off from Bristol on July 31, 2105 in an attempt to sail single-handed non-stop around the world. As she neared Cape Horn, however, her boat suffered rigging damage and Lange decided to divert to the Panama Canal for repairs.

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New Chatham “Command of the Oceans” Exhibit Features Timbers From HMS Namur

Posted on by May 28, 2016
Timbers from HMS Namur

Timbers from HMS Namur

On Thursday, the Chatham Historic Dockyard opened its new exhibit “Command of the Oceans” to the public. The centerpiece of the display are timbers from the 90-gun second-rate ship of the line, HMS Namur.  The ship was built in the Chatham dockyard in 1756 and perhaps more importantly, also scrapped in the dockyard in 1833. At some point, some of her timbers were covered by the floorboards of a wheelwright’s workshop. In 1995, roughly 10% of the timbers of a ship were found beneath six layers of floorboards. After more than a decade of investigation, the frames were identified in 2012 as belonging to HMS Namur.  The discovery of the timbers from the Namur is described on the dockyard website as “the single most important warship discovery in Northern Europe since that of the MARY ROSE.”

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World War II Combat Footage – Sinking of the Bismarck

Posted on by May 28, 2020

Seventy-five years today, the Royal Navy sank the German battleship Bismark in a three-day running battle in which the Bismark sunk the British battle cruiser HMS Hood.  Ultimately, the German battleship was disabled when her rudder was damaged in a torpedo attack by obsolescent Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.   Here is a British newsreel of the events.  Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.

World War II Combat Footage – Sinking of the Bismarck