The wreck of ships ... Such an incident is always shrouded in a halo of secrets, myths and legends. Famous shipwrecks are black pages of history that can only be read by looking into the depths of the sea. Sadly, the magnificent giant liners very often fall victim to the raging waters of the seas and oceans.
The most famous shipwrecks became public. To date, there are many unspoken lists that name the most impressive ship disasters in the history of mankind. Below are just a few of those that have entered world history.
Wrecked ships
For many, a story first comes to mind, which shocked the whole world with its tragedy. She eclipsed any other ship wreck. This is the story of the Titanic ... Although this story has overgrown with many guesses and speculations, everyone is still interested in learning about what really happened. The crew was so blinded by the grandeur of their ship and its superiority over other ships that for a time everyone became too self-confident.
Possible causes of the tragedy
At that time, many said that the ship was finally built, which is impossible to sink. But reality turned out to be unpredictable. One night the ship was sailing at full speed along its route, and only at the very last moment the sailors were able to notice the tip of a huge block of ice rising above the surface of the water. Urgent attempts were made to divert the ship to the side, but it was too late: the ship was wrecked. Almost at full speed, the Titanic hit the starboard iceberg.
The ship breaks in half
Gradually, the lower tiers begin to flood in the bow compartment of the ship. Almost half of the ship is filled with cold water from the Atlantic Ocean. A counterweight is created on the ship, as a result of which it is half immersed in water. The case does not withstand a monstrous load and breaks in half. Both parts of the broken ship lose their electricity and sink. Witnesses of the tragedy recall that terrible day with trembling, but still some facts remain in the background. For example, class discrimination of passengers.
Could more have been saved?
Some witnesses claim that individual boats were only half full by passengers. Only a few people landed in them, who set sail as soon as possible, in fear that the boat would overflow and sink. As a result, far fewer passengers were saved than they could. However, do not forget that heroic acts took place that night. Many, risking their lives, helped others escape. Be that as it may, this catastrophe has become a symbol of arrogance.
Admiral Nakhimov: a complicated story
Another, no less tragic collision occurred with the Admiral Nakhimov steamboat. This became a loud twentieth-century sensation. The warm day of August began with the arrival of a cruise ship at the port. The city of Novorossiysk said goodbye to passengers who were soon to go on an exciting trip. Around the same time, a ship under the name "Peter Vasev" planned to call at the port. The crews of both ships were warned about each other and had to act carefully, no one knew that the ships would soon crash.
Who is guilty and does it make sense to find out now?
As a result of short negotiations, it was decided to disperse on the right sides at the port exit. However, something went wrong, namely the automatic heading system failed. The technique is imperfect, this should never be forgotten. The wreck of the ships is a vivid evidence of this. When it was noticed that the ship was moving at full speed straight towards "Admiral Nakhimov," the situation was almost completely out of control.
The cargo ship "Peter Vasev" crashed into a passenger liner and made a hole eight by ten meters in it. The ship sank in eight minutes. Some circumstances in which the ship crashed caused many questions. Why did a passenger ship sink to the bottom if, according to the rules, it should have sufficient buoyancy to hold on the water surface for at least an hour after a wreck? In addition, information was received that the captain complied with the order of the port dispatcher and changed the route of the sailing vessel. There will be many gaps and blank spots in this story.
However, the most inconsolable fact is the death of almost five hundred people. Perhaps the scale of the disaster would not have been so terrible if it had been possible to launch lifeboats. But what could be done in just eight minutes? To arrange the landing of people in one boat, it takes at least half an hour. And this is even under favorable conditions.
In the case when there was a wreck of the Nakhimov ship, there was neither time, nor factors allowing people to escape in boats. Time after the disaster, it becomes increasingly difficult to find out the true circumstances of the crash. Surely the true facts rest in the depths of the water, so there is no point in speculating, because time, like human lives, can not be returned.
These are just two stories, but they are not the only ones. The following list of the most famous shipwrecks will show that the wrecks of the largest ships are far from uncommon.
- Costa Concordia.
- SS America.
- "The discoverer of the world."
- "Mediterranean sky."
- MB Captayannis.
- BOS 400.
- "Fort Shevchenko."
- The Gospel.
- "SS Maheno."
- "Santa Maria."
- "Dimitrios."
- "Olympia".
Ships were built over the years, triumphantly left their native ports in the direction of the wind, and as a result they sank, sank aground, leaving only fragments and piles of iron in their memory.