MALTA - S.S. SARDINIA TRAGEDY OFF RICASOLI MALTA MUSLIM PILGRIMS DIE 1908

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PLEASE READ : I ONLY SHIP ' SIGNED FOR' WITH A TRACKING NUMBER TO ALL COUNTRIES WHICH IS MANDATORY AS PER EBAY & PAYPAL REGULATIONS. VINTAGE POSTCARD - " THE SS SARDINIA ON FIRE ASHORE 1908 " - CASSAR PHOTO MALTA ( Also signed S.L . Cassar). The sinking of the SS Sardinia in 1908 just beyond the Grand Harbour of Valletta , attracted world wide attention. "The SS Sardinia belonged to the Ellerman and Papayanni Line . It weighed 1,514 tons (a minuscule proportion compared to the Titanic’s vast 46,328 gross tons). On her last voyage, which ended on 25th November 1908, the Sardinia was carrying 39 crewmembers , 12 saloon (i.e. first class) passengers and 142 steerage , who were all Moslem Moroccans travelling to the city of Mecca. The Sardinia was travelling from Liverpool carrying a small handful of passengers and general cargo; it was due to set sail from Malta, then reach the Egyptian port of Alexandria and thence continue to Mecca , thus completing her journey.The ship set sail from Malta’s Grand Harbour minutes before 10 a.m. on that chilly Wednesday morning; everything seemed to be going normally, when at about 200 metres from the breakwater thick black smoke started to seep out of the vessel’s starboard side. Within seconds, several explosions were heard though out the ship, and not long after huge flames started to engulf the ship’s keel. The wind was blowing strongly at the time, and with it the fire grew higher, the flames gushing up into the air and onto the top deck, burning everything it touched.The ship changed its course and started to turn as if trying to re-enter the Harbour, which was still within sight. Several witnesses, however, saw that the ship started to go round in circles, implying that her crew had lost control of her rudder. When the Sardinia started to turn a fifth time, it ran aground on some rocks off Fort Ricasoli. Then, a large explosion rocked the vessel, shooting flames upward and spitting burning debris across the water and the nearby shore.Boats of all kinds packed with local fishermen and seamen departed the port in order to try and help any possible survivors. Reaching the Sardinia itself would prove catastrophic, as it was still ablaze, and anyone who might still be alive was complelled to jump into the cold November water of the Mediterranean in order to escape the flames.In all, only ten passengers and twenty-three members of the ship’s crew were saved , but most of the Arabs below deck had either perished because of the explosion or drowned in the ensuing sinking. Their sad loss would tragically resemble the sad fate of most of the 3rd class passengers of the Titanic less than four years later . Only the bodies of 23 Moslems were recovered ; they were transported to the Central Civil Hospital, and the following day they were buried in the Turkish cemetery in Marsa . The funeral for 45 year-old Captain Charles Litter and Scottish-born 2nd Engineer Douglas Hislop too place on the 27th at Ta’Braxia cemtery , in the outskirts of Floriana. The funeral was also celebrated in honour of a small child, Donald Grant , aged 3, who was travelling with his parents, Jessie and James Gordon Grant, of the Eastern Telegraph Company (ETC), who were both saved. As they were both still recovering in hospital when the funeral took place, the Superintendent of the ETC and his wife acted as chief mourners. The infant’s coffin was carried by four colleagues of the ETC. Captain Littler’s body was later reburied in England, where his widow and son from a previous marriage lived. " T HE POSTCARD HAS AN MINOR CREASE AT THE LOWER RIGHT OTHERWISE IT IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION (SEE ILLUSTRATION) . PLEASE SEE THE ILLUSTRATION TO VIEW THE POSTCARD AND THE CONDITION KINDLY NOTE THAT I MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO DESCRIBE ITEMS AS BEST I CAN. HOWEVER COLOURS MAY VARY AND THE DESCRIPTION OF USED ITEMS CAN BE SUBJECTIVE. THEREFORE PLEASE EXAMINE THE ITEM BEFORE BIDDING SO YOU CAN ALSO MAKE YOUR OWN ASSESSMENT . SHIPPING : 'SIGNED FOR ' WITH A TRACKING NUMB... read more

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