WRECKS - SS CARPATHIA Home
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The SS Carpathia was a luxury passenger steamer of 8660 tonnes for a total length of 164.5m, 19.6m at the beam and a draught of 11.4m. She was motorized by Eight Quadruple expansion engines driving twin screws, 1,341 HP propelling her to an average of 15 knots.
HISTORY
Laid down at the Wallsend Swan Hunter works in 1901, SS Carpathia was launched on 6 August 1902 and completed in 1903. On 5th May 1903, The Carpathia left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Boston via Queenstown. The Carpathia served the Liverpool to New York or Boston route in the Summer and, between November and May, she carried immigrants (mainly Hungarian) from Trieste and Fiume to America. In addition to her immigrant traffic, Carpathia also carried wealthy Americans on holiday with additional stops being made at the ports of Gibraltar, Genoa and Naples.
In 1905, the Carpathia was refitted to provide accommodation for 100 first class, 200 second class and 2,250 third class passengers.
On 15th April 1912, aboard the Titanic lookouts Fleet and Lee note a slight haze appearing directly ahead. At 11:40 pm with the Titanic steaming at over 22 knots, Fleet sees a large iceberg dead ahead and signals the bridge. "Hard-a-starboard" is called and the engine room is ordered to stop all engines, followed by full astern. The watertight doors are closed. Titanic slowly begins to veer to port, but an underwater spar from the passing berg scraps and bumps along the starboard side forward for a 300-foot distance fully opening five forward compartments to the sea, as well as flooding the coal bunker servicing the No. 9 stokehold. 15 minutes after the collision, the post office on "G" Deck forward is already flooding. After a quick inspection of the damage the crew realise the worst...that Titanic is sinking and more than 2,200 people on board are in extreme peril. Captain Smith takes the Titanic's position, worked out by 4th Officer Boxhall, to the wireless room. Handing the paper to Phillips he ordered a call for assistance. Phillips taps out the regulation distress signal CQD...MGY...CQD...MGY... (MGY was Titanics' call sign).
Harold Cottam, wireless operator on the Carpathia, is preparing to close down for the night, but then at 12:25 a.m he hears a CQD call is received from the Titanic. Titanic said "Come at once. We have struck a berg. It's a CQD OM Position 41.46 N. 50.14 W."
Cottam immediately wakes Captain Rostrom, who with great courage and decisive action, orders the Carpathia to put on full steam and heads straight through the ice field for the Titanic, 58 miles away and travelling in the opposite direction, risking their lives and their vessel to come to the aid of so many others. Normally the Carpathia has a top speed of 14 knots, but that night she averaged 17½ knots, at the same time keeping a close watch for icebergs. The Carpathia rescues all 705 survivors.
Meanwhile, a Norwegian whaler that is within sight of the Titanic's flares, chooses to steam on by, embarrassed by its illegal slaughter, now extending to people as well as whales.
At the beginning of World War One, on 5 September 1914, the Carpathia was fined by the Italian government for transporting emigrants without a licence. In 1915, she is converted into a troopship designed to carry up 3000 officers and troops with 1000 tons of stores, or 1000 officers and men when transporting cavalry.
On the 17th of July 1918, Carpathia was travelling in a convoy from Liverpool to Boston, when she was struck by two torpedoes some 120 miles west of Fastnet. A third torpedo hit the ship as the lifeboats were being manned, killing five of her crew. The remainder of the crew and the 57 passengers on board were picked up by the British warship H.M.S. Snowdrop and safely brought to Liverpool. The Carpathia sank at 12.40am that day.
DIVE SITE
Site : the Carpathia lies 120 miles off Southern Irland.
Co-ordinates :
Depth : the hull lies at 161m.
THE DIVE
The wreck of the lies straight on her hull in 161m of water.
DIFFICULTY
The main difficulty is the access and the extrem depth in which she lies. Their is in general current and the visibility is good. This definitly an extrem technical dive, requiring multiple gas switching and extended deco time.
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