The Chaotic Collision of the City of Chester (1888)

In a somewhat fiery interview with the chief officer of the Oceanic to a reporter from the Daily Alta on the 23rd of August, 1888 he issued the following statement to the press: “The men of the Chester,” he said, “say they lowered our boats. Do you think it at all likely that a true sailorman will leave his own vessel, clamber up into a strange ship, and proceed to lower her boats? The men who say they did that also claim it was fully twenty-five minutes before the Chester sunk. If that was so why did they not stay on their own vessel and lower their own boats?”
Ship Name: City of Chester
Year Built: 1875
Tonnage: 1106 tons
Nationality: United States of America
Ship Type: Iron Hulled Steamship
Year Wrecked: 1888
Location Wrecked: Near Fort Point San Francisco
Reason for Wreck: Collision with the Oceanic
Lives Lost: 16
Sources:
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#disaster #history #educational #vesselsinks #lostships #historypodcast #shiphistory #unitedstateshistory #americanhistory #podcast #rescue

[@DaveSCameron]

Much appreciated for this upload and as a Wirralian I have never heard of this before. ☘️👍📚

[@DaveSCameron]

Oh cmon now, I was thinking about The Chester, erstwhile Roman walled cathedral City in the North West of England 🇬🇧☘️📚🇺🇸

[@MowingMichaelA]

Thanks for another great story.

[@Tal-q3r]

good timing,eh. tyvm for another upload 🙃

[@DardanellesBy108]

Very interesting. I live in the SF Francisco Bay Area and had never heard of this. (Or perhaps I’ve forgotten). I did a YT search and there are several videos about the discovery of THE CITY of CHESTER near the Golden Gate Bridge. -- The channel into the SF Bay is no joke. It’s significantly narrower than what one sees above water and the underwater typography makes the current through there quite turbulent and therefore dangerous. I think the first mistake was not waiting for the fog to lift before proceeding.

[@theshipwreckarchives]

We did find ourselves wondering if the fast voyage from Yokohama by the Oceanic had not factored in the decision to proceed in spite of the conditions. They were set to make a record and perhaps they were worried that waiting might taint it. It wasn't something mentioned in the papers as having been asked the crew so who knows, but it had crossed our minds.

[@DardanellesBy108]

@@theshipwreckarchives Very good observation. Most likely it was a factor.

[@kellyschram5486]

Growing up in the bay area it's very understandable that you can some times see one way throw the fog but not the other. The scientific reason why i dont understand but i know it exists. You can look in one direction and see nothing at the same time the person in that direction could see you much farther away. You ask anyone that grow up there. At time in the fog.you can see people or objects that people or those on those object can't see you

[@FinnishLapphund]

I suppose it's yet another reminder of that wanting to get to their destination regardless of things like visibility is not a new phenomenon, they sounded their foghorns, and assumed the other ship/boat was doing what their foghorn said they were doing. At the same time I don't completely blame them for thinking the others out there would do what their foghorn said.

[@martcon6757]

Getthereitis, as its called in the aviation industry.

[@captainsensiblejr.]

Throw - to propel an object through the air Through - passage in a medium from one lovation to another

[@justinpino8115]

Location

[@bothewolf3466]

The crew was NOT paying attention on the smaller ship; the crew was playing a "big unit" contest with the smaller ship demanding THEY move, not the mighty Olympic. #SimultFail

[@captainsensiblejr.]

Topography = three dimensional surface Typography= the study of typefaces

[@Tal-q3r]

when i was younger, i read a 'series' of : nichilast monserrat naval fiction novellas.(dont start w : 'the master mariner"😄)some here may enjoy them 😃

[@captainsensiblejr.]

Nicholas Monserrat

[@JLMatterer1761]

[@joshuaryan1946]

Fine--except for the s l o w, annoying, robotic, worse-than-AI narrative voice.