Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
With apologies to my fellow Homo-Sepians, I am preparing
for a big trip and will be gone for several weeks, so my participation in Sepia
Saturday will be minimal at best. I just hope I remember to link my post!
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt depicts a ship
launching sideways. My photo likewise depicts a ship in a precarious position: run
aground.
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| USS Swallow Ketchikan, Alaska 12 Sep 1920 |
The photo was in the collection of photos belonging to my
grandmother’s brother Ray Rucker from when he was in the Navy.
On the back of the photo he wrote: U.S.S.
Swallow Ship wrecked and dashed high and dry on the rocks near Ketchikan Alaska
Sept 12 – 1920.
News of the Swallow’s troubles reached newspapers across
the country. Here is just one:
 |
| from the Santa Ana Register 15 Sep 1920 Newspaperarchive.com |
Don’t be left high and dry - make your way to SepiaSaturday to see what other great stories have been launched.
Wendy
© 2019, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
Must say, my ex-husband was stationed at one of those radio stations (which by the 1960s also had LORAN status) for the Coast Guard. It had to be part of our Cold War efforts. It was considered isolated duty, since there were just the men on the station, and no other people living nearby. Someone would bring supplies regularly.
ReplyDeleteShips run aground couldn't be much fun! And it must have taken a special group of fellows to man a lonely isolated station like the one you mention!
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience! I'll have to look up mine sweepers. I don't know anything about them.
ReplyDeleteOuch...
ReplyDeleteIt was good he recorded what the picture was from; thankfully it wasn't Alaska in the middle of their winters.
ReplyDeletebetty
What a super match for a difficult theme! Our Alaska cruise two summers ago was in a small ship about the same size as the navy ship in your photo. I was astonished to learn that the seaways around the islands near Juneau were 600-1000 feet deep. But when we got closer to land the hidden rocks were a real danger. It's interesting how ship accidents were once reported in newspapers far removed from the ocean. Today such things hardly merit a link to a YouTube video.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Wendy, on giving us such a good match to the prompt photograph. The story of “The Swallow”. It Illustrates how powerful one image can be. Also I always enjoy the way you write the link to other Blogger posts. Enjoy your trip!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed that you have these posts ready to go in your absence! I think you get the super blogger award. And such good matches too!
ReplyDeleteYou always have the best photos - and most creativity - when it comes to these prompts.
ReplyDelete