1973 biggest Maritime incident in NYC?

[calhobs 110]

This happened on May 30 1973, . I was 5 years old at the time. I remember hearing the explosion and then my house shook for about 3 minutes, and I was about 3 miles away from it. The SS Esso Brussels & SS Sea Witch collided Just North of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge then drifted under the bridge while still on fire. I remember one of the boats was pushed to the shore line after the fire was "put out" it sat there for weeks smoldering about 25 feet from land.

The lower level of the bridge was closed for weeks, and then opened and closed for repairs for a few years due to this.

This is possibly the biggest Maritime Incident in NYC history. Here is a link with some info

http://wikimapia.org/10471086/SS-Esso-Brussels-SS-Sea-Witch-Collision-Site and a pic of that night. Does anyone remember this or any other major Maritime Incident in NY

.

Edited August 9, 2014 by calhobs

[Bnechis 3,961]

While that was a massive fire, the General Slocum was the "biggest" maritime disaster in NYC history

On June 15, 1904, the General Slocum caught fire and sank in the East River. At the time of the accident she was on a chartered run carrying members of a church group. An estimated 1,021 of the 1,342 people on board died. The General Slocum disaster was the New York area's worst disaster in terms of loss of life until the September 11, 2001 attacks and remains the worst maritime disaster in the city's history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_General_Slocum

[Stench60 29]

The Black Tom explosion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tom_explosion

As a younger member in the firehouse there were still a few old timers who could recall being woken by the sound and shaking in Port Chester

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

One could argue the "biggest Maritime Incident in NYC history" would be the PS General Slocum with 1000+ deaths.

[fdnyhistorian 7]

You are all "missing the boat." NYC has seen MANY maritime disasters. In fact, the colony of New Amsterdam was formed because of a maritime disaster when the ship Tyger burned to the waterline while moored in lower Manhattan. Capt Adrien Block (ie, Block Island) and his crew built the first European structures on the island and inhabited them until they built a new ship (Onrust). The hull of the ship was found in 1916 during work on the subway system at Greenwich and Dey Streets; now under the WTC site. Two firefighters were killed in maritime fires; Thomas Cooney in 1902 (fire on the British Queen started near Hoboken but drifted to Governors Island) and John Harvey in 1930 (fire at Pier 42, aboard the Muenchen). Lt. Francis Blessing of Rescue 1 was awarded the James Gordon Bennett Medal for rescuing two men from a submarine fire at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1918. 1941, the SS Panuco at Pier 27 in Brooklyn - 41 dead. In 1942 the SS Normandie burned at Pier 88 where it rolled on its side and got stuck in the mud because of the instabilty caused by the massive amounts of water pumped in to battle the blaze. Fifty workers died aboard the SS Constellation at a fire in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1960. In 1966 the SS Alva Cape and SS Massahusetts collided and exploded, killing 33. Other fires occurred along the riverfronts that did not include ships, only the piers such as the Lukenbach pier in 1956 where 10 civlians died and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal fire in 1946 where FDNY Telegraph Bureau Lineman Harold Clandening made the Supreme Sacrifice. The most recent maritime disaster was the SI Ferry Andrew Barberi crash that killed 10 civilians; no fire but a maritime disaster responded to by FDNY. And of course, there are the ones already mentioned by the group.

Just one other note...I guess it depends how you define "biggest."

[wraftery 1,275]

Not to comment on what is the biggest, etc, but this one applies to Westchester Departments. When the USS (not SS) Constellation burned in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1960, SCBA's were just starting to be used by the fire service. Most commonly used at the time were things like OBA's, Chemox, and the like

FDNY had some Scott SCBA's and departments in Westchester had maybe one or two in their inventory.

FDNY put out a request for as many SCBA's as could be mustered. Southern Westchester departments gathered as many as they could and loaded them on Eastchester Rescue 5. I don't know who else was involved, but I know that my father responded to Brooklyn on R-5.

Just a historocal tidbit

[calhobs 110]

Think if this happened today. With the size of the tankers and cargo ships now. But now with technogly the way it is, how preventable is an incident like this? Pushing terrorism aside. Is thier a high chance for it to happen again. I don't know if Maritime incidents back then did lessons learned. But I would love to see this report.

[10512 214]

Could this happen today?

Yes of course.

All the technology today:GPS monitoring, computer assistance, radar, redundant systems and other "fail safes" can all be rendered useless when one incompetent person, or careless person gets thrown into the mix.

The chances of an "oh-sh*t" incident, over the long haul, is likely in the "probable" category.

Anyone recall the Costa Concordia, the Ocean Liner from Italy?

That was a modern ship with modern navigation aids and see what happened to that ship.

Edited August 11, 2014 by 10512

[SOUSGT 357]

Could this happen today?

Yes of course.

All the technology today:GPS monitoring, computer assistance, radar, redundant systems and other "fail safes" can all be rendered useless when one incompetent person, or careless person gets thrown into the mix.

The chances of an "oh-sh*t" incident, over the long haul, is likely in the "probable" category.

Anyone recall the Costa Concordia, the Ocean Liner from Italy?

That was a modern ship with modern navigation aids and see what happened to that ship.

Remember the Exxon Valdez.

[Jybehofd 85]

It could but there are more fail safes now. New York VTS (vessel traffic system/control) keeps a very close eye on the traffic and now with the help of AIS (automated Identification system) maritime traffic is closely watch by ALL. Then on board are other safeties in place. Such as watch alarms, watch standards ( who and how manny officers are on the bridge). Usually in heavy traffic everyone is in the bridge. Besides the chief mate/first officer. Typically he/she is standing by the anchor at the ready for emergency release on the anchor brake The second officer is usually navigating or over looking the helmsman and working the throttles. Depending in the vessel and captain the two can switch do vice versa. And of course the captain will be up on the bridge with the pilot The Exxon Valdez. Well that's not practiced anymore but tankers used to have permission by VTS to cut the corner to save time and fuel.

[capt2102 64]

Not to comment on what is the biggest, etc, but this one applies to Westchester Departments. When the USS (not SS) Constellation burned in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1960, SCBA's were just starting to be used by the fire service. Most commonly used at the time were things like OBA's, Chemox, and the like

FDNY had some Scott SCBA's and departments in Westchester had maybe one or two in their inventory.

FDNY put out a request for as many SCBA's as could be mustered. Southern Westchester departments gathered as many as they could and loaded them on Eastchester Rescue 5. I don't know who else was involved, but I know that my father responded to Brooklyn on R-5.

Just a historocal tidbit

Bill... what a great historical note. I'm on the job in Eastchester 33+ years and never heard that story before.

Edited August 13, 2014 by capt2102

[kinkchaser 352]

Bill Raftery is right this did occur on a USN aircraft carrier under repair. Fire broke out and scores of workers were trapped and the fire became so fierce that firefighter(firemen then) boots melted on the deck plates. Lower Westchester departments did loan FDNY Scott paks and bottles to help control the fire and account for shipyard workers A few days later the same FDNY companies and the same members caught a major mid air collision over Brooklyn which crashed into a neighborhood in Brooklyn not too far from the Navy yard as the "crow flies".

About 15 years later again not too far from both events Westchester Departments again responded to Brooklyn to supply foam to the FDNY for a large prolonged oil tank fire near the Gowanus Canal. Mount Vernon actually sent down it's foam truck.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Port Chester Patrol 4 1948 Ward La France [now Rescue 40] responded with 6 packs half of the inventory of the dept.