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#1
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More shameless self promotion
The "Points East" story about my late October cruise last year is out in the
Last Words section of the current issue for those of you in New England. Also in the magazine is a review of the book "Titanic's Last Secrets" by Brad Matsen which is now available atmost book stores. Long sections on my reseach and theories; even a brief bio on my childhood. -- Roger Long (Just felt like annoying Bob this morning |
#2
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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More shameless self promotion
On Oct 8, 5:55*am, "Roger Long" wrote:
The "Points East" story about my late October cruise last year is out in the Last Words section of the current issue for those of you in New England. Also in the magazine is a review of the book "Titanic's Last Secrets" by Brad Matsen which is now available atmost book stores. *Long sections on my reseach and theories; even a brief bio on my childhood. -- Roger Long (Just felt like annoying Bob this morning Wow, I just got rid of a bunch of 'Titanic' books (reluctantly), now I have to go get another? Can't you just give a bit of a preview... is it the rivets? Annoying 'Bob' ?... guess I'm in... although reality itself is what annoys him. Fresh Breezes- Doug King |
#3
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More shameless self promotion
"Roger Long" wrote in message ... The "Points East" story about my late October cruise last year is out in the Last Words section of the current issue for those of you in New England. Also in the magazine is a review of the book "Titanic's Last Secrets" by Brad Matsen which is now available atmost book stores. Long sections on my reseach and theories; even a brief bio on my childhood. -- Roger Long (Just felt like annoying Bob this morning ==== Roger, The wreck of the SS Portland .. did you see the article? These divers went down over 400'! That is nuts. The S.S. Portland sank during a blizzard in 1898 and had not been viewed until this year. By JOHN RICHARDSON, Staff Writer October 7, 2008 The SS Portland was built in 1889 by the New England Shipbuilding Co. of Bath. It was one of the last of the luxury coastal steamers. Members of the dive team, five Massachusetts men who were the first to see the remains of the SS Portland with their own eyes, are, from left, Don Morse, Dave Faye, Paul Blanchette, Slav Mlch and Bob Foster. Paul Blanchette is one of the five divers who went down 460 feet and became the first to view the SS Portland, which sank in 1898. Five recreational scuba divers from Massachusetts have become the first people to lay eyes on the wreckage of the S.S. Portland, which sank 110 years ago north of Cape Cod in what is considered New England's worst maritime disaster. "There are more artifacts than I've ever seen on any wreck. They're everywhere - plates and dishes and mugs and sinks all over the bottom," said Bob Foster, a leader of the three dive expeditions to the wreck in August and September. "You realize what a violent storm this thing must have gone through. All the upper decks were gone." Foster, who has visited numerous other New England wrecks, announced the dives this month and posted new photos of the wreck site at www.bostondeepwrecks.com. Officials with the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, which contains the artifacts, said the divers' photographs and descriptions match information gathered by remote-controlled video cameras sent to the ship since its location was confirmed in 2002. The Portland is the Mount Everest of New England shipwrecks, according to sanctuary officials, because of its historical significance and the technical and physical challenges of reaching such an extreme depth - 460 feet. "It's putting your life at risk to some extent. It's a very, very difficult dive," said Matthew Lawrence, an archaeologist for the sanctuary. Divers who do reach the wreck are not allowed to remove or disturb any artifacts because of the historical value, as well as its status as a grave site. Nearly 200 people perished when the ship sank on Nov. 27, 1898, in an intense blizzard that would become known as the Portland Gale. Many of them were Mainers, either employed as members of the Portland-based crew or travelers on their way home from Boston after the Thanksgiving holiday. The Portland was one of the last of the luxury coastal steamers and was furnished with chandeliers, red-velvet carpets and fine china. It was propelled by paddle wheels on its sides and stuck to calm coastal waters. The steamer left Boston Harbor and headed north as two major storms were about to collide over New England. Though no one predicted 100 mph winds or 60-foot waves, other vessels were returning to port to avoid the weather, so why the captain decided to make the voyage remains a mystery. Based on the ship's location north of Cape Cod, and the amount of damage witnessed by the divers and via remote-controlled cameras, experts believe that the ship tried but was unable to return to Boston, and then struggled for hours to ride out the waves and wind, getting battered to the point that it likely lost its power or ability to steer. The above-deck structures either were swept away by the storm or broke off as the ship sank. The sight of dishes and furnishings strewn around the ship as far as he could see was clear evidence of that struggle, Foster said. There also was obvious damage to the paddle wheels, one of which is now enshrouded in a fishing net. Around the staterooms, the divers saw a scalloped sink and a soap dish, among other artifacts. "There are personal effects laying all over the place," he said. "They're all reminders of the people who were on the ship." No human remains were visible, and the divers did not try to go inside the fragile wooden ship, Foster said. "The wreck is covered with and is full of silt," he said. "If there are remains still in the ship, they are buried." The five men who dove to the Portland this summer are friends who get together to explore various wrecks, sometimes identifying sunken ships for the first time. "We like to explore. We like to figure out what these things were," Foster said. In this case, they planned and prepared for what was by far their deepest dive, Foster said. "Most of the preparation is really... pages: 1 | 2 | next page |
#4
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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More shameless self promotion
wrote
Wow, I just got rid of a bunch of 'Titanic' books (reluctantly), now I have to go get another? Can't you just give a bit of a preview... is it the rivets? If you are interested enough in the Titanic to have had all those books, you should enjoy this one. It is the background story of the expedition and research that led to the History Channel shows mixed with historical accounts that fill in a lot of the history of how the ship came to be built with insight into the personalities involved and the market conditions that influenced her design. It's written in a somewhat historical novel style that makes it a very easy read. I was right there for most of the contemporary events discussed and I was just as enthralled as if I'd known nothing about the subject. Who here couldn't pass up the chance to read about my childhood? No, it wasn't the rivits. -- Roger Long |
#5
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"Clyde Henpecker" wrote
Roger, The wreck of the SS Portland .. did you see the article? These divers went down over 400'! That is nuts. I've heard about it but not that article. I'll have to confess that I don't follow the shipwreck and diving world very closely except when people come to pay me for my analysis. One reason I was selected for the Titanic project is that I don't have a dog in the fight other than the best interpretation of the data I can offer. -- Roger Long |
#6
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.... is
it the rivets? I heard it was the really big ice cube. Merlin in Florida |
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