SS Carolina
Encyclopedia
The SS Carolina was a 380 feet (115.8 m) passenger liner; it was one of six vessels sunk on a single day during World War I
by the German submarine, U-151 on "Black Sunday". The wreck was rediscovered in 1995 by wreck divers
John Chatterton
and John Yurga.
originally contracted for the building of the vessel in 1895 with The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The original contract was for $500,000, but the vessel ended up being delivered 3 years late and costing $536,000 over budget, and represented the greatest loss (in percentage terms) of any ship built by The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.
After such an inconspicuous start, things scarcely improved for the vessel. She was christened on 30 January 1896 as La Grande Duchesse, and following her sea trials was delivered to The Plant Investment Co in November 1896. She was refused because of boiler and propeller problems, after which she was subjected to a refit, but was refused again in September 1897, and further modifications were made.
She successfully completed further sea trials in June 1898. She was finally accepted by The Plant Investment Co. on 9 April 1899 and the US government chartered her for a transport in the Spanish-American War
.
In November 1901 she was passed to the Ocean Steamship Co. (and renamed City of Savannah), for whom she ran a service between New York City
and Charleston, South Carolina
.
She was then sold to the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co. in January 1906, and renamed the Carolina.
Throughout her working life, she had continual problems with her machinery. She seemed to suffer from vibration problems, and the twin-screw design of the stern causing steering and handling problems. She was further damaged by a far on 21 November 1907 which in drydock.
In 1913, she had a considerable refit which resolved many of her mechanical problems. Ironically, the work was done by her original building yard, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. However, less than two months later she collided with the liner Cleveland in New York harbor.
and John Yurga. Chatterton lodged a salvage claim
in the New Jersey Federal district court, arresting the ship. The salvage case was heard by Federal District Court Judge Joseph Rodriguez, whose father, ironically, had been a passenger on the Carolina. However, Chatterton subsequently wrote an open letter (at the bottom of the linked page, which is a long treatise on the maritime law issues surrounding salvage) to the diving community saying they were free to take items off the ship, he was simply protecting his position from insurance companies.
In the event, Chatteron would eventually salvage the purser's safe from the Carolina with renowned wreck diver Gary Gentile
, which was found to contain gold coin and jewelry. After relations between the two men broke down, Gentile would later write in his book, Shadow Divers Exposed, that despite the assistance he lent to Chatterton, Chatteron only gave him a token share of the salvage claim.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
by the German submarine, U-151 on "Black Sunday". The wreck was rediscovered in 1995 by wreck divers
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
John Chatterton
John Chatterton
John Chatterton is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known wreck divers. Together with Richie Kohler, he was one of the co-hosts for the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives where they have completed work on 57 episodes of this successful series...
and John Yurga.
History
The Plant Investment Co.Plant System
The Plant System was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system, named after its owner, Henry B...
originally contracted for the building of the vessel in 1895 with The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The original contract was for $500,000, but the vessel ended up being delivered 3 years late and costing $536,000 over budget, and represented the greatest loss (in percentage terms) of any ship built by The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.
After such an inconspicuous start, things scarcely improved for the vessel. She was christened on 30 January 1896 as La Grande Duchesse, and following her sea trials was delivered to The Plant Investment Co in November 1896. She was refused because of boiler and propeller problems, after which she was subjected to a refit, but was refused again in September 1897, and further modifications were made.
She successfully completed further sea trials in June 1898. She was finally accepted by The Plant Investment Co. on 9 April 1899 and the US government chartered her for a transport in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
.
In November 1901 she was passed to the Ocean Steamship Co. (and renamed City of Savannah), for whom she ran a service between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
She was then sold to the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co. in January 1906, and renamed the Carolina.
Throughout her working life, she had continual problems with her machinery. She seemed to suffer from vibration problems, and the twin-screw design of the stern causing steering and handling problems. She was further damaged by a far on 21 November 1907 which in drydock.
In 1913, she had a considerable refit which resolved many of her mechanical problems. Ironically, the work was done by her original building yard, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. However, less than two months later she collided with the liner Cleveland in New York harbor.
Sinking
Eventually however her run of bad luck came to an end on 2 June 1918 when she was sunk by the U-151 on what became known as "Black Sunday" when the German submarine sank 6 vessels on the same day. Thirteen men lost their lives on the Carolina.Rediscovery
The wreck was rediscovered by divers John ChattertonJohn Chatterton
John Chatterton is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known wreck divers. Together with Richie Kohler, he was one of the co-hosts for the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives where they have completed work on 57 episodes of this successful series...
and John Yurga. Chatterton lodged a salvage claim
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
in the New Jersey Federal district court, arresting the ship. The salvage case was heard by Federal District Court Judge Joseph Rodriguez, whose father, ironically, had been a passenger on the Carolina. However, Chatterton subsequently wrote an open letter (at the bottom of the linked page, which is a long treatise on the maritime law issues surrounding salvage) to the diving community saying they were free to take items off the ship, he was simply protecting his position from insurance companies.
In the event, Chatteron would eventually salvage the purser's safe from the Carolina with renowned wreck diver Gary Gentile
Gary Gentile
Gary Gentile is an American author and pioneering technical diver.-Diving:Gary Gentile is a wreck diver. It has been suggested that Gary Gentile may be the most experienced wreck diver in the world...
, which was found to contain gold coin and jewelry. After relations between the two men broke down, Gentile would later write in his book, Shadow Divers Exposed, that despite the assistance he lent to Chatterton, Chatteron only gave him a token share of the salvage claim.