The Truth Behind SS Marine Sulphur Queen Disappearance

The SS Marine Sulphur Queen was a tanker ship that disappeared on February 2, 1963, while carrying a cargo of molten sulphur from Beaumont, Texas to Norfolk, Virginia. The ship was last seen by a passing aircraft, but no wreckage or debris were ever found.

The ship was approximately 570 feet long and 75 feet wide, with a gross tonnage of 17,600 tons. It was owned and operated by the Marine Transport Lines, a shipping company with a reputation for safety and efficiency.

The disappearance of the SS Marine Sulphur Queen remains one of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time, with many theories and speculations about what might have caused the ship to vanish.

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The SS Marine Sulphur Queen was originally built as a T2 tanker in March 1944 by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was one of many tankers built to carry and transport oil during World War II.

The ship was later converted to carry molten sulphur in 1960 by Bethlehem Steel Company in Maryland. This involved installing a huge tank inside the ship, surrounded by a void space and heated by steam pipes.

The conversion required the removal of all transverse bulkheads in the original centerline tanks and modifying the internal structure. The tank was divided into four smaller tanks, each holding about 3,800 tons of sulphur at a temperature of 255 °F (124 °C).

The ship's last voyage began on 2 February 1963 out of Beaumont, Texas, with a cargo of sulphur weighing 15,260 tons. It was bound for Norfolk, Virginia, but was never seen again after sending a routine radio message on 4 February.

The ship's crew consisted of 39 men, mostly from Texas and Louisiana, under the command of Captain Francis X. Callahan, a veteran mariner with 25 years of experience.

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The search for the SS Marine Sulphur Queen was a massive operation that covered a vast area of 100,000 square miles.

It involved a range of aircraft, including planes and helicopters, as well as ships and submarines. This level of coordination was a testament to the seriousness with which the Coast Guard took the situation.

The only signs of the ship that were found were some life jackets, life rings, and rafts, which were scattered across the search area. These items were a poignant reminder of the people who were on board.

Some of the debris found had traces of sulphur on them, which was a significant clue in the investigation.

The Marine Sulphur Queen's sinking was not an isolated incident. Nearly 20 years prior, the US General Accounting Office published a report expressing concern over the design and construction of welded steel merchant vessels, specifically T2 tankers, which were prone to fracturing amidships at the keel.

This concern was not limited to wartime, as the federal government investigated merchant ship casualties not resulting from combat. The investigation centered on possible shoddy construction.

A sister ship, the SS Sylvia L. Ossa, met a similar fate in 1976, sinking in heavy seas east of Bermuda with only debris and a lifeboat recovered.

The SS Marine Sulphur Queen's legacy is a reminder of the importance of honoring the memories of those who have lost their lives at sea. A memorial plaque at the Beaumont Maritime Museum in Texas pays tribute to the crew and their families.

The ship's mysterious disappearance has sparked numerous theories, including the possibility of paranormal or supernatural forces. However, there is no evidence to support this theory.

The families of the lost crew members received a settlement of $325,000 each in 1971, after years of litigation.

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The concept of precedent is crucial in understanding the legacy of maritime disasters. Nearly 20 years prior to the loss of the Marine Sulphur Queen, the US General Accounting Office published a report expressing concern over civilian merchant ships fracturing amidships at the keel.

The report, published on July 15, 1946, highlighted the issue of shoddy construction in T2 tankers. During World War II, the federal government was already concerned about the high number of merchant ship casualties not caused by combat.

A sister ship, SS Sylvia L. Ossa, met a similar fate on October 15, 1976, when it sank in heavy seas east of Bermuda.

The investigation into the Marine Sulphur Queen's tragic fate revealed some disturbing facts about the ship's condition. The Coast Guard found that fires beneath and along the sides of the four large sulphur tanks were a common occurrence, with former crewmen even stating that ship's officers had given up sounding the fire alarm.

These fires were so frequent that they would sometimes still be burning when the ship sailed into a New Jersey harbor to offload cargo. On one occasion, the ship sailed out with a fire still burning, highlighting the lack of attention to safety protocols.

Caked sulphur was also found in spaces below the tanks, due to many cracks in the structure, which made it difficult to clean and inspect. This was a result of the ship's age and the corrosive nature of sulphur.

The Coast Guard also noted that the T2 tanker class, to which the Marine Sulphur Queen belonged, had a characteristic "weak back", meaning the keel would split at a point weakened by corrosion, usually around midships. This was a known issue with the class, with several T2 tankers having already experienced keel splitting.

The investigation found that the ship's owners had been aware of the keel's weakened state, with the Coast Guard having ordered companies to pay attention to it during inspections. However, the owners had postponed a scheduled drydock inspection in January 1963, citing cargo deliveries as a priority.

As one new crewman so aptly put it, the Marine Sulphur Queen was "a floating garbage can" on its final voyage. This stark assessment highlights the ship's poor condition and the lack of maintenance that had been allowed to accumulate over time.