Miscellaneous Blogs
Book Review: The Explosion of the SS Sultana
If you were asked to list two or three major maritime disasters, where many lost their life, I guess you would mention the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the RMS Lusitania in 1915 or even the RMS Empress of Ireland in 1914. I suspect you wouldn’t mention the loss of the SS Sultana on 27th April 1865 – even though it remains the deadliest maritime disaster in American history.
Whilst a total of 1,517 died when the Titanic sank, 1,198 on the Lusitania and 1,012 on the Empress of Ireland it is estimated that over 1,800 people died when the Sultana exploded and sank in the Mississippi River. The death toll was an estimate due to the chaotic circumstances at the time. General Robert E Lee had surrendered to General Ulysses Grant on 9th April 1865 and though the American civil war wasn’t over, it was drawing to an end. These were tumultuous times as thousands of Union soldiers were being repatriated from Confederate prison camps to the north. There was both euphoria and resentment in the air. Less than a week later, on 15th April, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The news and aftermath was all consuming. Whilst the death of almost two thousand people wasn’t ignored it was overshadowed by the carnage of the American Civil War where an estimated 750,000 perished.
The Explosion of the SS Sultana is not a record of any formal investigation or official report. It is essentially an account from a collection of eye witnesses and previously published sources of the events surrounding the loss of the steam ship and those on board. What is clear is that all the ingredients for a disaster were present. What is equally clear is that whilst most of the eye witness accounts are consistent the booklet contains numerous assertions and statements for which no evidence is given nor corroboration provided. In particular, the suggestion that the explosion was due to sabotage by Confederate forces still battling against the Union Army.
There is no doubt that Union soldiers, who had endured terrible conditions in Confederate prison camps, were only too keen to travel north and towards home – regardless of the condition of the ship and facilities provided. It is claimed that a Union Quartermaster, previously judged “totally unfit” to continue his duties and suspected of graft and corruption, was charged with the task of negotiating the price of passage for returning soldiers. It is also claimed that greedy ship owners were only too willing to transport as many passengers as possible – even if it overloaded the ship. What is known is that the Sultana was designed to carry only 400 passengers. On 26th April, when it began the journey north towards Memphis, it was estimated there were over 2,400 on board; over five times the number it was designed to carry. Indeed, the cover picture of the booklet illustrates vividly the overcrowding. What’s more the Sultana, excessively loaded, would be battling against the current all the way north – putting immense strain on the ship.
What those on board didn’t know was that two years previously the ship had been hastily refurbished and put back into service with experimental boilers. One of these boilers had failed prior to the ill-fated journey and was hastily repaired. After the disaster these experimental boilers were later removed from other ships.
In the account Charles River Editors assert that other ships were available, alongside the Sultana, at the time of loading but were not used. They also assert those responsible for the overloading of soldiers on board were reprimanded but no evidence is offered. The account, whilst vivid in places, remains an unsatisfactory epitaph to those who died.
Included in The Explosion of the SS Sultana are several black and white photographs of the ship, together with other sketches and illustrations. They do capture the moment of departure and the aftermath.
The Explosion of the SS Sultana (undated)
- Publisher: Charles River Editors
- 28pp
- ISBN 9781500857660
Charles River Editors provide a variety of services to those who wish to publish both print based and digital material. This includes the republication of previously published material. Search on www.amazon.co.uk for more.
Find out more about the reviewer, Professor Fred Lockwood, who is also a published author at www.fredlockwood.co.uk.
Blogs
The BiG Scuba Podcast Episode 173: DEEP – Making Humans Aquatic
Gemma and Ian visited DEEP and were hosted by Phil Short, Research Diving, Training Lead, and were given a tour of the facility at Avonmouth and then over to the Campus at Tidenham.
DEEP is evolving how humans access, explore and inhabit underwater environments. Through flexible, modular and mobile subsea habitats that allow humans to live undersea up to 200m for up to 28 days, work-class submarines, and advanced human performance research, DEEP completely transforms what we are capable of underwater and how we conduct undersea science and research.
You can listen to Episode 173 of the BiG Scuba Podcast here.
We hope you have enjoyed this episode of The BiG Scuba Podcast. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Contact Gemma and Ian with your messages, ideas and feedback via The BiG Scuba Bat Phone +44 7810 005924 or use our social media platforms. To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:
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Blogs
The BiG Scuba Podcast Episode 172: Dr. Joseph Dituri
Gemma and Ian chat to Dr. Joseph Dituri. Dr. Jospeh Dituri lived undersea for 100 Days in a mission combining education, ocean conservation research, and the study of the physiological and psychological effects of compression on the human body.
Dituri enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1985. He served continuously on active service upon various ships and shore stations where he was involved in every aspect of diving and special operations work from saturation diving and deep submergence to submersible design and clearance diving. Now that he is retired from 28 years of active service to the United States, he is the president of the International Board of Undersea Medicine. He also volunteers his time as the CEO of the Association for Marine Exploration. He is an invited speaker on motivational, sea and space related topics.
Fuelled by his passion for exploration, discovery, adventure, and making the greatest possible positive contribution to the world, he is fighting for change in a big way and with great enthusiasm.
You can listen to Episode 172 of the BiG Scuba Podcast here.
We hope you have enjoyed this episode of The BiG Scuba Podcast. Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference. Contact Gemma and Ian with your messages, ideas and feedback via The BiG Scuba Bat Phone +44 7810 005924 or use our social media platforms. To keep up to date with the latest news, follow us:
We are on Instagram @thebigscuba
We are on Facebook @thebigscuba
We are in LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian%F0%9F%A6%88-last-325b101b7/
The BiG Scuba Website www.thebigscuba.com
Amazon Store : https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/thebigscuba
Visit https://www.patreon.com/thebigscubapodcast and subscribe – Super quick and easy to do and it makes a massive difference. Thank you.
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