Civil Engineering Failure: Sultana Disaster (1865) Matthew Oxley Honors Introduction to Engineering Design Severna Park High School Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………3 Death on the Dark River: The Story of the Sultana Disaster……………………………………...4 The Ship…………………………………………………………………………………………...6 Ethics & Cause (with further explanation)………………………………………………………..6 Policy/Regulation Change………………………………………………………………………...7 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...8 References…………………………………………………………………………………………9 Abstract The following paper is about the Sultana Disaster in 1865. It describes the story of the disaster, includes a description of the ship, as well as ethics, the cause, results, and conclusion of the tragedy. Research includes online sources as well as a newspaper entry. Future work may include research of the aftermath and cleanup procedures of the disaster, as well as publicism throughout the U.S. Furthermore, research questions may address the structure of the ship’s boilers and other possible causes for the incident. Keywords: Sultana, disaster, steamboat, boilers Death on the Dark River: The Story of the Sultana Disaster It was April of 1865. Lincoln had been dead 11 days. This was due to diseases, bad housing, and malnutrition in the prison camps. They had a feverish desire to get North to their Midwestern homes where they would see family, have rest, and good food again. Most of these men would go by river. Following the end of the war, many men were slated to travel on the Sultana, from Vicksburg. This ship was a typical side-wheeler built in Cincinnati in 1863 for the lower Mississippi cotton trade. By law, she had a maximum capacity of 376 passengers (rootsweb.ancestry, 1996), and you’ll see that this was soon broken. The captain was J.C. Mason, who had a reputation as a good, careful
To the prisoners in the camp the newcomers were opportunities. Borowshi complains about “what if there aren’t any more ‘cremo’ transports?’ This is not a hopeful statement about people escaping the gas chamber, but he need for transports to gain a new pair of shoes
The Andersonville Prison was occupied by innumerable soldiers, much more than the camp was designed for, and because of that many men had inadequate shelter. The prison was built to only house ten thousand people, but ended up holding more than three times that amount (Turner 162). Nonetheless, four hundred new prisoners arrived daily, and by the time summer ended, the camp contained thirty-three thousand citizens, which made Andersonville the fifth largest city in the Confederacy (Davis 351; Savage 43). Forty-nine thousand and five hundred Union troops had passed through the camp’s gates by the time the war ended (Hyde 131). At any
On the fateful and unforgettable afternoon of June 17, 1972 Hotel Vendome experienced yet another fire. Actually it experienced several fires in different locations on this date. Electricians working on the first floor reported smoke coming from the upper floors, and a bartender reported smoke in the basement. All occupants in the basement café were safely escorted out, and 3 engine companies, 2 ladder companies, and 1 District Chief arrived on scene noticing ...
The purpose of the first few trips to Roanoke was to contact and establish friendly relations with native tribes in the area, fortify of the island, and search for an appropriate place for a permanent settlement. Another task included an attempt to leave a small force of men behind, while the ships returned to England for supplies, which were needed to finish fortifying the island, to continue the search for a permanent settlement sight, and to keep an English hold on the island. The effort failed due to the lack of supplies, weather conditions, and the strained relations with the native tribes, both violent and non-violent. Just when the situation was becoming dire, a ship came to their rescue and took many of the men back to England.
This document contains excerpts from the Journal of Occurrences on the route of a party of Cherokee emigrants by Lieutenant Edwards Deas. Deas is the commander of the Cherokees during the first forced removal in June of 1838 (p.98-99). Deas describes the Indians being brought onto the boat and says they are “somewhat crowded” (p.101). This statement makes it sound like the Indians aren’t in too terrible of a situation. One of the main aspects that Deas mentions in his journal is about the transportation of the Cherokees down the Tennessee River (p.102). Deas lists the names given to certain large rapids down the river. The rapids in the river made this experience more dangerous (p.102). Deas focuses more on the boats and transportation of the trip, rather than the condition of the Cherokee people. He mentions the diet of the people on the trip which consisted of, “flour, corn-meal and bacon,” and he briefly discusses the health of the Cherokees (p.103). The Cherokees stayed fairly healthy throughout this trip but there were a couple sicknesses. When the group got to their destination, the Cherokees were greeted with friends and acquaintances from back home. Deas thought the Cherokees looked very happy and pleased
The fire, which began on October 8, 1871, spread so quickly it was unmanageable. One of the reasons the fire became so irrepressible is that the firefighters were already exhausted from having fought a fire the day before. The firemen underestimated the potential of this fire when they first responded to it. As a result of the fire the previous day, the firefighters’ equipment, including the fire hose, was not in the best condition. Furthermore, the hose that was available was in short supply (Murphy 30).
conditions aboard ship were dreadful. The maximum number of slaves was jammed into the hull, chained to forestall revolts or suicides by drowning. Food, ventilation, light, and sanitatio...
In the bright, clear, spring morning of April 16, 1947, an event occurred in the Texas City Harbor in Texas City. To the survivors of this disaster, what happened on that Sunday morning was like the end of the world. Sadly, to those who did not make it, this indeed became the end of their world. This event that brings unforgettable painful memories from 50 years ago is referred to as the Texas City disaster.
The Lusitania was a British ocean liner in the early twentieth century that often ferried people and goods between the United States and Great Britain. During this time the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific were very dangerous due to World War I. Many people were warned that if they continued to make passage through the oceans they were at risk for being attacked, so they were told to be vigilant and take precautionary measures to ensure their safety. The most frightening of all became true for those aboard the Lusitania, “On May 7, 1915 the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk, (History.com Staff).” Throughout this paper I will provide you with background on the Lusitania, what took place on May 7 prior to the sinking and the effects the sinking had international and political relations and how it shaped the rest of the war.
Even though there were many factors contributing to the Challenger disaster, the most important issue was the lack of an effective risk management plan. The factors leading to the Challenger disaster are:
The archaeology of shipwrecks is an academic field that focuses on studying and exploring shipwrecks of the past. The shipwrecks discovered all around the world serves as a bridge to understanding the past and the lost cultural heritage, and teaching lessons on “how the environment and human error can damage each other.” One of the most famous and historic shipwrecks that helped shape the United States’ maritime warfare is the USS Monitor. Through the help of modern underwater technology, the shipwreck of the USS Monitor is an incredible discovery because of its historical impact in America’s bloodiest conflict. The USS Monitor’s shipwreck is very significant because of its innovative design, its historic role in the Civil War, and its artifacts
On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost due to structural failure in the left wing. On take-off, it was reported that a piece of foam insulation surrounding the shuttle fleet's 15-story external fuel tanks fell off of Columbia's tank and struck the shuttle's left wing. Extremely hot gas entered the front of Columbia's left wing just 16 seconds after the orbiter penetrated the hottest part of Earth's atmosphere on re-entry. The shuttle was equipped with hundreds of temperature sensors positioned at strategic locations. The salvaged flight recorded revealed that temperatures started to rise in the left wing leading edge a full minute before any trouble on the shuttle was noted. With a damaged left wing, Columbia started to drag left. The ships' flight control computers fought a losing battle trying to keep Columbia's nose pointed forward.
To this day, the 1900 storm remains the most deadly natural disaster in the history of the United States. Once a major shipping port, Galveston is now forever changed. The storm took with it millions of dollars’ worth of structures, priceless personal possessions, and thousands of innocent lives. Galveston would never regain its wealth to the full extent after the beautiful structures and bustling ports became worthless wreckage scattered across the island and demolished by the ocean. The horrors and heartbreaks that the 1900 storm caused are almost unmeasurable.
During the 1600’s the English decided to have people colonize in the Americas for the potential resources and wealth that they may find. During this time Spain, France, Portugal, and the Dutch have already began trade and exploration in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. England hearing of their riches, didn’t want to miss out of the opportunity. However, during these expeditions, there has been various news beforehand of the strong oceanic storms that would sometimes destroy ships or mislead them from their destinations Such news was not uncommon but due to the storms, many of the people knew the dangers of the journey and would often doubt the success of these explorations.
Just after midnight on 3 December 1984, a dense gas cloud formed and rolled through the city of Bhopal and its surrounding villages. The people that inhaled the gas immediately started feeling its affect. They coughed uncontrollably, the gas burning their eyes, noses, and throats. The gas then attacked their central nervous system and, if they were unable to escape the cloud, they fell dead.