Not sure why the steamer would go down that fast since the explosion was well above the water line. It would have given the people on board, most of them anyway, time to do an orderly abandoning of the ship.
OCSL: consider in peace time an old open welled cargo ship would be adverse to securing the water tight hatches. An explosion deep within a cargo well would snap the ship’s keel; the topside blow out is the result of a decktop hatch usually wooden and sometimes used as a life raft on the old ships being blown off the deck by the compressive gases of the explosion. look again at where the main stack is located. Rushing seawater entering through open hatches has very little yardage to go before hitting the hard hot reality of the engine room, if no secondary explosion occurs then, well the ship has lost all power, no pumps, no steerage, no electrical…unless you cut the lifeboats loose they cannot be lowered.
AKHenderson Premium Member about 7 years ago
I think we can rule out torpedo.
J Short about 7 years ago
It was a Wilson volleyball.
Polsixe about 7 years ago
Jane Porter?
Espoc about 7 years ago
Maybe the steamer Devonshire
Old Comic Strip Lover about 7 years ago
Not sure why the steamer would go down that fast since the explosion was well above the water line. It would have given the people on board, most of them anyway, time to do an orderly abandoning of the ship.
RonnieAThompson Premium Member about 7 years ago
It’s a yellow rubber duck.
Russell Bedford about 7 years ago
OCSL: consider in peace time an old open welled cargo ship would be adverse to securing the water tight hatches. An explosion deep within a cargo well would snap the ship’s keel; the topside blow out is the result of a decktop hatch usually wooden and sometimes used as a life raft on the old ships being blown off the deck by the compressive gases of the explosion. look again at where the main stack is located. Rushing seawater entering through open hatches has very little yardage to go before hitting the hard hot reality of the engine room, if no secondary explosion occurs then, well the ship has lost all power, no pumps, no steerage, no electrical…unless you cut the lifeboats loose they cannot be lowered.