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62-677: The ship was the second of two identical ships built by the William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company for the Eastern Steamship Lines for service on the New York City – Yarmouth, Nova Scotia route, operating in practice out of Boston as well. During World War II, Evangeline was turned over to the War Shipping Administration , which operated all oceangoing vessels for

124-489: A great power . In 1896 Cramps united their artillery arm, the Driggs-Schroeder Ordnance Company, with its main competitor Hotchkiss Gun Company and a projectile manufacturer from Massachusetts into American Ordnance Company . The American Shipping and Commercial Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed it in 1927 as fewer ships were ordered by the U.S. Navy after the adoption of

186-483: A city, Nova Jerusalem, and appointed municipal officers. In early June, with provisions running low, they left the bay to explore the neighbouring coastline. Queirós' lead ship became separated, and, whether through adverse weather or mutiny, was unable to make anchor in the bay. The almirante (second-in-command, and captain of the second ship), Luis Váez de Torres , searched the coast for signs of shipwreck but found none. He remained until late June, then sailed to

248-411: A fire. When they discovered it in room 610 and the toilet above, it had already begun to spread and attempts to fight the fire with fire extinguishers were not effective. Attempts to activate a fire alarm box were also unsuccessful. The bridge was unaware of the fire until about 1:10 a.m. By this time, Yarmouth Castle was 120 miles east of Miami and 60 miles northwest of Nassau. At 1:00 a.m.

310-822: A general WSA agreement with Eastern Steamship on March 25. On August 1, 1942, the ship was delivered at Norfolk, Virginia , for operation under bareboat charter by the War Department (Army) for operation as a United States Army Transport. The transport operated during the first half of 1942 out of New Orleans to Curaçao , Trinidad , Jamaica , Haiti , Panama and San Juan, Puerto Rico . After repair and conversion in Galveston, Texas , during September and October 1942, Evangeline began operations out of New York in November to Oran , Casablanca , Algiers , Bizerte and other North African ports, supporting operations after

372-431: A large part in their lives, regardless of their religion. The chief system continues strongly in most areas. The people of Santo face some health problems, especially malaria and tuberculosis . Although there is a hospital, most local people consult either their own witch doctor or medical clinics set up by western missionaries. Kava is the popular drug of the island, although alcohol is becoming more prevalent. With

434-464: A subgroup of the North Vanuatu languages . Espiritu Santo, with many wrecks and reefs to be explored, is a very popular tourist destination for divers. Champagne Beach draws tourists with its white sand and clear waters. The "Western Side" of the island contains many caves which can be explored, and cruise ships often stop in at Luganville . The local people make their living by supporting

496-465: A total of 552 people. The ship was due to arrive in Nassau the next day. The captain on the voyage was 35-year-old Byron Voutsinas. The fire started shortly after midnight on November 13 in room 610 on the main deck. At the time of the fire, the room was being used as a storage space and contained mattresses, chairs and other combustible materials. No sprinkler head was installed in the room. The source of

558-467: Is about five km east of the center of Luganville . Numerous rivers run to the coastline from the mountains of the island. The Sarakata River is the largest one, and it runs through Luganville . Many people on Espiritu Santo still rely on subsistence farming for their food. The villages on the island are mostly self-sufficient with their own vegetable gardens, chickens, and pigs. Taros and yams are commonly grown in these gardens, and these are mainstays of

620-653: Is home to all of Vanuatu's endemic birds , including the Santo mountain starling , a species restricted entirely to Espiritu Santo. Two protected areas have been established to safeguard the island's biodiversity; the Loru Conservation Area on the east coast and the Vatthe Conservation area near Big Bay in the north. The Loru Rainforest Protected Area is situated in the lowland rainforests of Espiritu Santo. Established in 1993 by Chief Caleb Ser,

682-503: Is the 1,879 metre (6,165 foot) Mount Tabwemasana in west-central Espiritu Santo. A Spanish expedition of three ships, led by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , landed in 1606 at Big Bay on the north side of the island. Queirós named the land La Austrialia [ sic ] del Espíritu Santo in acknowledgment of the Spanish king's descent from the royal House of Austria , and believing he had arrived in

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744-601: Is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu , with an area of 3,955.5 km (1,527.2 sq mi) and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia . It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu. The town of Luganville , on Espiritu Santo's southeast coast, is Vanuatu's second-largest settlement and

806-650: The Bethlehem Steel Corporation 's shipyards at a cost of US$ 1.5 million, she returned to passenger service in May 1947. Fire safety was considered during the refit. Since an upgrade of the ship to the then-current construction standards was not viable, the United States Coast Guard allowed the wooden construction to remain but mandated several improvements, including the installation of a ship-wide sprinkler system . She operated on

868-630: The Finnpulp successfully contacted the Coast Guard in Miami. It was the first distress call sent out. The passenger liner Bahama Star was following Yarmouth Castle at about twelve miles distance. At 2:15 a.m., Captain Carl Brown noticed rising smoke and a red glow on the water. Realizing that this was Yarmouth Castle , he ordered the ship ahead at full speed. Bahama Star radioed

930-523: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , the island was used by American naval and air forces as a large military supply and support base, naval harbor, and airfield. Luganville Airfield , also called Bomber Field #3, was a large airfield built by the Seabees of the 40th Naval Construction Battalion in 1943. Also built on the island was Bomber Field No.2 which became Santo-Pekoa International Airport after

992-536: The Naval Limitations Treaty in 1923. In 1940, the Navy spent $ 22 million to reopen the yard as Cramp Shipbuilding to build cruisers and submarines . Cramp used the long slipways to construct two submarines at a time, with the intention of launching them simultaneously. However, the shipyard's submarine construction program was not especially successful, as poor management hindered the delivery of

1054-619: The New York City – Bahamas run for less than a year, and was then laid up from 1948 to 1953, save for a two-month period in 1950. The ship was sold to a Liberian company called the Volusia Steamship Company in 1954. She was given an overnight run from Boston to Nova Scotia, and resumed service to the Caribbean in 1955. The ship was sold in 1963 to the Chadade Steamship Company, and her name

1116-732: The Seventh-day Adventist Church , and others. However, in many villages, particularly in Big Bay and South Santo, the people are " heathen ", a term that in Vanuatu has no pejorative connotation — it simply denotes someone who has not embraced Christianity. Customary beliefs of a more modern sort are found among followers of the Nagriamel movement based in Fanafo . For almost all of Espiritu Santo's people, custom plays

1178-545: The Americans contributed later to the island's tourism in scuba diving , as the Americans dumped most of their used military and naval equipment, and their refuse, at what is now known as "Million Dollar Point". In highly fictionalized form, this was the locale of James Michener 's Tales of the South Pacific , and of the following Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific . Between May and August 1980

1240-642: The Espiritu Santo was not visited again by Europeans until 160 years later, by Louis de Bougainville in 1768 and James Cook in 1774. During the time of the British–French Condominium , Hog Harbour , on the northeast coast, was the site of the British district administration, while Segond, near Luganville, was the French district administration. During World War II , particularly after

1302-621: The Great Southern Continent, Terra Australis . They entered the bay on the 1st and 2 May: the latter being the day of Saints Philip and James, Queirós named it Bahía de San Felipe y Santiago . The local chief tried to chase the Spanish explorers back to their ships, which led to an exchange of arrows and musket-fire, in which the chief was killed. The ships remained for a month at their anchorage " Puerto de la Vera Cruz ", with armed sailors making incursions inland for provisions. Queirós announced his intention to found

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1364-512: The Nassau boat docks. 25°55′00″N 78°06′00″W  /  25.9167°N 78.1000°W  / 25.9167; -78.1000 William Cramp %26 Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company ) was an American shipbuilding company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , founded in 1830 by William Cramp . During its heyday in late 19th century, it

1426-463: The U.S. Coast Guard at 2:20 a.m. Finnpulp was the first ship on the scene, aiding the first lifeboat, which carried the Yarmouth Castle 's captain. After picking up the passengers and some crew from that boat, the freighter turned to rescue further passengers from the burning ship. Finnpulp also launched its own boats to rescue passengers. By this time, Bahama Star had arrived on

1488-531: The United States, and was used primarily as an army troop transport. Eastern Steamship Lines resumed control of the ship on July 1, 1946. After a short period in service, the ship was laid up, and then sold in 1954 and put under Liberian registry, operating from Boston to Nova Scotia, then to the Caribbean. In 1963 Evangeline was sold again, put under Panamanian registry and renamed Yarmouth Castle ;

1550-991: The boats. The first delivery was made two years after keel laying, and fitting out was then done by Portsmouth Navy Yard . The best construction time for a submarine was 644 days. Cramp closed in 1947 and the site, on the Delaware River in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood, was turned into a residential estate in early 2020s. Vessels built by the firm that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places include: 39°58′18″N 75°7′6″W  /  39.97167°N 75.11833°W  / 39.97167; -75.11833 [REDACTED] Media related to William Cramp & Sons at Wikimedia Commons Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo ( UK : / ɛ ˌ s p ɪ r ɪ t uː ˈ s æ n t oʊ / , US : /- ˈ s ɑː n t uː , - ˈ s ɑː n t oʊ / ; French: [ɛspiʁity sɑ̃to] )

1612-550: The bow could not reach the lifeboats, but some were later picked up by boats from rescue vessels. The Finnish freighter Finnpulp was just eight miles ahead of Yarmouth Castle , also headed east. At 1:30 a.m., the ship's mate noticed that Yarmouth Castle had slowed significantly on the radar screen. Looking astern, he saw the glowing flames and notified the captain, John Lehto, who had been asleep. Lehto immediately ordered Finnpulp turned around. The freighter radioed Nassau three times but got no reply. At 1:36 a.m.,

1674-408: The captain's abandonment of the ship as "negligent" and an "overall failure to approach and cope with the difficulties." The board noted that while the ship's firefighting procedures were adequate, they were not properly implemented by the crew. The report determined that Yarmouth Castle sank because the doors between the watertight compartments had not been sealed, allowing water to flow freely from

1736-622: The complete "abandon ship" signal using the ship's whistle. The captain proceeded to the lifeboat containing the emergency radio, but could not reach it. He and several crew members launched another lifeboat and abandoned ship at about 1:45 a.m. The captain later testified that he wanted to reach one of the rescue vessels to make an emergency call. The remaining crew proceeded to alert passengers and attempted to help them escape their cabins. Some passengers tried to escape through cabin windows but found them difficult or impossible to open due to improper maintenance. The sprinkler system activated but

1798-432: The emergency stations. After about five minutes, the captain returned to the bridge and at 1:20 a.m. ordered the ship stopped. The radio officer could not send a distress call because of flames and smoke in the radio room. The fire forced the crew to leave the bridge, and the captain gave order to abandon ship at about 1:25 a.m. At this point the general alarm could no longer be sounded and they were unable to issue

1860-467: The engine room alerted the bridge that smoke was coming through the ventilation system. The captain was summoned to the bridge, instructed the crew to sound the alarm, and departed to locate the fire. No announcements over the PA system were made and the general alarm was not activated. The general alarm would have sounded alarm bells throughout the ship, alerted the passengers, and summoned off-duty personnel to

1922-415: The fire could not be determined; it may have been caused by jury-rigged wiring, sparks entering through the ventilation or by carelessness. A watchman did a security patrol between 12:30 and 12:50 a.m. but failed to systematically check all areas of the ship and detect the fire. At some point between midnight and 1:00 a.m. crew and passengers began noticing smoke and heat and started searching for

SS Yarmouth Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-519: The firefighting and sprinkler systems. This caused Yarmouth Castle to list and allowed more water to enter through open bulkheads. Yarmouth Castle had passed a safety check and fire drill three weeks before the sinking. Although it did not need to conform to American safety regulations since it was registered under the Panamanian flag, it had to conform to the Safety of Life at Sea or SOLAS, and

2046-510: The island was the site of a rebellion during the transfer of power over the colonial New Hebrides from the condominium to the independent Vanuatu. Jimmy Stevens ' Nagriamel movement, in alliance with private French interests and backed by the Phoenix Foundation and American libertarians hoping to establish a tax-free haven, declared the island of Espiritu Santo to be independent of the new government. The " Republic of Vemerana "

2108-829: The landings in North Africa on November 8, 1942. The transport made one trip to the United Kingdom after return to New York in August 1943, and in January 1944 departed for service in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) for operations. Evangeline called at Bora Bora , Milne Bay and Noumea before a voyage repair period in Honolulu and then extensive repairs at San Francisco from April to June 1944. The ship went from San Francisco to Seattle from which

2170-535: The local diet. Espiritu Santo is home to a number of cattle farms (including the famous Belmol Cattle Project, originally established by French settlers), and the island exports much of its beef to Japan, Australia, and other Pacific countries. Besides beef, tinned fish, and rice bought in town, Espiritu Santo has many foods that locals take for granted, and that tourists enjoy as delicacies. Among these are sweet pineapples, mangoes, island cabbage, flying foxes, and coconut crab , as well as local nuts such as natapoa and

2232-461: The loss of up to 139 lives in 1949. An investigation into the sinking was launched by the U.S. Coast Guard, which issued a 27-page report on the disaster in March 1966. The board of inquiry found that the proximate cause of the disaster was the failure to detect the fire early on. Contributing to this were the inadequate security patrol and the lack of a sprinkler head in room 610. The construction of

2294-413: The provincial capital. Roads run north and west from Luganville, but most of the island is far from the limited road network. Around Espiritu Santo lie a number of small islands and islets; among them are: Dany Island , Araki , Elephant Island , Sakao , Lataroa , Lataro , Thion , Malohu, Malwepe , Malvapevu , Malparavu , Maltinerava , Oyster Island, Tangoa , and Bokissa . Vanuatu's highest peak

2356-698: The rescue. The airborne operations would continue throughout the following day. All survivors had been pulled aboard Finnpulp and Bahama Star by 4:00 a.m. Yarmouth Castle capsized onto her port side just before 6:00 a.m., and sank at 6:03 a.m. The wreck has not been located but is thought to rest 10,800 feet below the Atlantic. Fourteen critically injured people were taken by helicopter from Bahama Star to Nassau hospitals. Bahama Star rescued 240 passengers and 133 crew. Finnpulp rescued 51 passengers and 41 crew. Both ships arrived in Nassau on November 13. Eighty-seven people went down with

2418-517: The rising number of adults using alcohol, there is a rising crime rate, especially involving violence toward women, and tribal warfare. In September 1998, Espiritu Santo hosted the Melanesia Cup soccer tournament. Luganville is the only true town on the island; the rest of the island is dotted with small villages. From Luganville , three "main roads" emerge. Main Street leaves the town to

2480-447: The scene. The ship stopped 100 yards from Yarmouth Castle and launched lifeboats, which lined up against the starboard side of the burning ship. Some people jumped into the water and climbed aboard the lifeboats. Others descended ropes and rope ladders. Finnpulp lowered a motorboat, which towed some of the boats to Bahama Star . Starting about 2:30 a.m. the U.S. Coast Guard began sending planes and later helicopters to assist in

2542-492: The ship returned to SWPA and Espiritu Santo , Milne Bay, Oro Bay , Finschhafen , Townsville , and Brisbane . The Army assigned Evangeline the local fleet number X-18 for those operations and the ship was shown as part of the SWPA fleet until July 1945. The ship returned on December 25, 1944, to Honolulu, and in January 1945 to San Francisco, where the Navy took over jurisdiction briefly until April. On April 20, 1945, Evangeline

SS Yarmouth Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-404: The ship was operated by Yarmouth Cruise Lines between Miami and Nassau, Bahamas , from 1964 until the disaster on November 12, 1965. Evangeline was built for a new service between New York City and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia . The ship was laid down at William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company in Philadelphia as hull number 524 on May 1, 1926. On February 12, 1927, the ship

2666-611: The ship, and three of the rescued passengers later died at hospitals, bringing the final death toll to 90. Of the dead, only two were crew members: stewardess Phyllis Hall and ship's physician Lisardo Diaz-Toorens. While some bodies were recovered, most were lost with the ship. The Yarmouth Castle fire was the worst disaster in North American waters since the SS Noronic burned and sank in Toronto Harbour with

2728-502: The ship, which contained excessive flammable material, allowed the fire to quickly spread out of control. The high death toll was attributed to the fact that the general alarm and PA system were not immediately used to alert passengers and crew. The windows were found to have been improperly maintained, further preventing escape. The report blames the captain and officers on the scene for not taking "firm and positive" action to organize firefighting and evacuation of passengers. It describes

2790-467: The soon-to-be government had hoped. The troops were recalled shortly before independence. Following independence on 31 July 1980, Vanuatu, now governed by the Vanuaku Party with Father Walter Lini as Prime Minister, requested assistance from Papua New Guinea , whose army suppressed the rebellion, keeping Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Over 30 different local languages are spoken on Espiritu Santo ,

2852-614: The sweet fleshy-fruit called naos in Bislama, or great hog plum in English (a type of Spondias dulcis ). There is a market in Luganville where local food such as yams, sweet potatoes, manioc, taro, cabbage, and other freshly grown island staples are sold. Some local handicrafts are also sold there. Several small supermarkets such as LCM, Unity Shell, and Au bon Marche sell groceries and many packaged goods. The island of Espiritu Santo

2914-675: The tourist trade, by cash-crop farming, mostly copra , but also some cocoa beans and kava , as well as peanuts , or by subsistence farming and fishing. Most of the people are Christians. The largest church groups on the island are the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu , the Roman Catholic Church , and the Church of Melanesia ( Anglican ). Also active are the Apostolic Church , the Church of Christ ,

2976-535: The upper three devoted to passengers with one cargo deck specially designed for automobiles. The ship had a glassed-in promenade deck, two social halls, a library, a dancing saloon and a verandah cafe. Six boilers provided steam to two Parsons turbines developing 7,500 shaft horsepower for a speed of 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h). In actual operation Evangeline served on both the Boston and New York routes with seasonal variation. On January 6, 1942, Evangeline

3038-436: The war. Palikulo Bay Airfield , also called Bomber Field #1, became part of the main road after the war. Luganville Seaplane Base served the seaplane and Turtle Bay Airfield also called Fighter Field #1 served the fighter planes. The SS President Coolidge was a converted luxury liner that hit a sea mine during the war and was sunk. The shipwreck off Espiritu Santo later became a popular diving spot. The presence of

3100-447: The west and winds along the south coast of the island for about 40 km ending at the village of Tasiriki on the southwest coast. Canal Road runs along the southern and eastern coasts of the island, north through Hog Harbor and Golden Beach, ending at Port Olry . Big Bay Highway splits off from Canal Road near Turtle Bay on the east coast, runs generally west to the mountains, and then it leads north to Big Bay. The international airport

3162-423: The west coast with the intention of circumnavigating what he considered to be an island, not a continent. The wind and current were against this aim, so he left the island sailing west, eventually encountering the previously unexplored southern coast of New Guinea . Torres then discovered the strait that bears his name between northern Australia and southern New Guinea. After the departure of Queirós and Torres,

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3224-513: Was again under the Army and returned to SWPA until returning to Los Angeles in December 1945. In January 1946, Evangeline sailed in ballast to arrive at Boston on February 7, 1946, for delivery to WSA for disposition. On February 19, 1946, the ship was returned to Eastern Steamship Lines for operation under WSA agreement until permanent return on July 1, 1946. After being refitted and refinished at

3286-576: Was built by the Cramp shipyard in 1870 for the Delaware Bay & River pilots . She was one of the Philadelphia port's fastest pilot boats. In 1890 the company built the battleships USS Indiana and USS Massachusetts , armored cruiser USS New York , and protected cruiser USS Columbia . Three of these ships took a part in the defeat of the Spanish fleet in 1898 at Santiago de Cuba . The victory in this battle heralded America's emergence as

3348-533: Was changed to Yarmouth Castle that year. She offered service from New York City to the Bahamas for Caribbean Cruise Lines , which went bankrupt that same year. By the end of 1964, Yarmouth Castle was operated by Yarmouth Cruise Lines . The ship ran pleasure cruises on the 186-mile stretch between Miami and Nassau . She was under Panamanian registry. Yarmouth Castle departed Miami for Nassau on November 12, 1965, with 376 passengers and 176 crew members aboard,

3410-517: Was delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) at New Orleans for wartime service. The ship had been evaluated for use as an Army hospital ship, and considered better than several actually converted, but was never converted nor used as a hospital ship. The ship was allocated to Army transportation requirements and operated by Alooa Steamship Company under an Army Transportation Corps time charter agreement until placed under

3472-429: Was found to be the main cause of the fire's rapid spread. Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song based on the tragedy. Called "Ballad of Yarmouth Castle," it was released on his fifth United Artists album, Sunday Concert , in 1969. That album, along with Lightfoot's other UA releases, was re-released in a three-CD compilation, The Original Lightfoot: The United Artists Years, in 1992. The ballad

3534-399: Was largely ineffective due to the severity of the fire. Crew members attempted to battle the flames with hoses, but were hampered by low hydrant pressure. The investigation later determined that more valves were open than the pumps could handle. While some lifeboats burned and others could not be launched due to mechanical problems, half of the ship's boats made it safely away. Passengers near

3596-539: Was launched and christened Evangeline , with completion in September and delivery on October 4, 1927. The ship was a twin-screw, steam-turbine-driven vessel of 5,043  GRT , 378 ft (115.2 m) on waterline, 365.5 ft (111.4 m) registered length , 55.7 ft (17.0 m) beam and 26.7 ft (8.1 m) depth, with a crew of 141. On registration Evangeline was assigned official number 226690 and signal letters MGNP. Evangeline had five decks,

3658-584: Was not Lightfoot's only shipwreck-themed song; in 1976, he released his album Summertime Dream , which included the song " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ," based on the sinking of the American-flagged Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in an early November gale in 1975. The Evangeline appears in the 1962 James Bond movie Dr. No . It can be seen in the background during a scene where Bond meets Quarrel at

3720-717: Was proclaimed on May 28. France recognized the independence on June 3. On June 5, the tribal chiefs of Santo named the French Ambassador Philippe Allonneau the "King of Vemerana", and Jimmy Stevens became the Prime Minister. Luganville was renamed Allonneaupolis. Next, negotiations with Port-Vila failed, and from July 27 to August 18, British Royal Marines and a unit of the French Garde Mobile were deployed to Vanuatu's capital island, but they did not enter Espiritu Santo as

3782-469: Was regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Yarmouth Castle disaster prompted updates to the Safety of Life at Sea law, or SOLAS. The updated law brought new maritime safety rules, requiring fire drills, safety inspections, and structural changes to new ships. Under SOLAS, any vessel carrying more than 50 overnight passengers is required to be built entirely of non-combustible materials such as steel. Yarmouth Castle 's largely wooden superstructure

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3844-515: Was the preeminent American iron shipbuilder. William Cramp was born in the Kensington district of Philadelphia in 1807. In 1855, his sons Charles Henry (born 1828) and William C., became partners with their father. In 1872, his other sons Samuel H., Jacob C., and Theodore were taken into the firm. The company was incorporated under the name "The William Cramp and Sons' Iron Shipbuilding and Engineering Company." The pilot boat Thomas Howard

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