Sinking of SS Santísima Trinidad

Sinking of the SS Santísima Trinidad

SS Santísima Trinidad on January 1900
Date	7 July 1900 (1900-07-07)
Time	15:43 - 17:20 p.m.
Duration	1 hour and 37 minutes
Location	Barnesian Sea, 100 miles (160 km) south of Chalatenango, Atitlan.
Cause	Striking a off-course Bergenarian mine set.
Participants	Santísima Trinidad crew and passengers
Outcome	1,298 of the 1,970 people aboard killed, leaving 672 survivors. Outbreak of the First Bergenarian–Atitlanese War New legislation on local ship building.

The SS Santísima Trinidad was a Atitlanese-registered ocean liner that sank by an explosion caused by a naval mine of the Royal Bergenarian Navy near 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the coast of Chalatenango, in the Barnesian Sea. The sinking ocurred in the context of tensions and skirmishes between Atitlan and Bergenaria, and World War I, making it the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Atitlanese history.

The Maritima Nacional ship struck a off-course Bergenarian mine that was intended to be placed on the maritime border between the two countries. Faulty anchor chains caused many of the mines laid to drift from the oceanic corridor, spreading to other places in the Bernesian Sea. Research showed that ocean currents caused mines to reach as far as the coasts of Triania Minor. At the time of her sinking, Santísima Trinidad was returning from her tenth Barnesian cruising voyage to Mava, and was carrying an approximate 1,371 passengers and 597 crew members. 672 survived. The sinking turned public opinion in Atitlán against Bergenaria. It also contributed to the outbreak of the First Bergenarian–Atitlanese War a couple months later; images of the stricken liner were used heavily in propaganda and military recruiting campaigns.

Although the loss of Santísima Trinidad did not attract the same level of attention as that of RMS Achilleus fifteen years later, the disaster did lead to major redesigns of Atitlanese ships, and more regulation for local shipyards to follow. For example, naval designers were forced to add watertight doors to the stern of ships, as the lack of watertight doors on the area contributed to a faster sinking.

Background

At the time of her entry to service in 1896, SS Santísima Trinidad was the lead ship of the Santísima-class liners (the other three being SS Santísimo Redentor, SS Santísmo Sacramento and SS Santísima Concepción). Named after religious elements, the Santísima Trinidad and her sisters were concieved to consolidate Atitlanese influence on Triania. Marítima Nacional, the state-owned shipping line, planned the Santísima Trinidad to be a modern ship with berths for 800 passengers in first class, 600 in second and 2,030 in third, with a crew of 600.

SS Santísima Trinidad wearing dazzle camouflage. This was removed on April 1900.

Despite not being involved in World War I, fears for the safety of Santísima Trinidad and other great liners ran high. During the ship's first eastbound cruise two years after the war, she was painted in a drab grey colour scheme in an attempt to mask her identity and make her more difficult to detect visually. When it turned out that the no hostile navy was on the area, it very soon seemed that the Barnesian was safe for ships like Santísima Trinidad, if the bookings justified the expense of keeping them in service. However, as tensions with neighboring Bergenaria increased, fears of the safety of Atitlanese ships were not considered, as it was assumed Bergenaria did not have a sufficient navy to threat the Atitlanese civilian navy.

With apparent dangers evaporating, the ship's disguised paint scheme was also dropped and she was returned to civilian colours. Her name was picked out in gilt, her funnels were repainted in their usual livery, and her superstructure was painted white again. One alteration was the addition of a bronze/gold coloured band around the base of the superstructure just above the black paint.

Final voyage

After completing ten successful cruises to the colony of Mava and back to Atitlán transporting tourists and resources, Santísima Trinidad departed Chalatenango for Pa'as at 14:23 on 28 June 1900, her eleventh voyage to the Barnesian Sea. The ship docked on Pa'as on 3 June, delivering consumer goods and tourists for the colony. A delay on her usual coaling and water-refuelling stop, prompted the ship to remain another day on Mava. Santísima Trinidad left port on 5 June. By the evening of 7 June, Santísima Trinidad was steaming at full speed into the Barnesian Sea, 100 km south of Chalatenango, with expectations to dock on the early hours of June 8.

There were 1,970 people on board: 1,371 passengers and 597 crew members, including the captain, Heriberto Reyes.

Explosion

At 15:43 on 7 June 1900, a loud explosion shook the ship. The cause, whether it was a torpedo or a mine, was not apparent at the time. It was later revealed that mines planted on the Cortés Corridor by the Royal Bergenarian Navy went off-route, and faulty anchors sent maby adrift. The reaction was slow, as the further fore, the power of the explosion was less felt and many thought the ship had hit a smaller boat. Captain Reyes and Chief Officer Gilberto Gamez were on the poop deck at the time and the gravity of the situation was soon evident. The explosion was on the starboard side, between the last two holds. The force of the explosion, combined with the heavy flooding in the engine rooms caused the ship's engines to fail, causing a full stop of the ship.

Acknowledging the situation, Reyes immediately ordered the watertight doors closed, sent a distress signal, and ordered the crew to prepare the lifeboats. Around 10-15 minutes after the explosion, the ship's lights flickered once and then permanently went out. Most watertight doors were able to close properly before power went out. As the stern lacked watertight doors, or failed to close properly, water was flowing further aft into third-class rooms. As water moved to other bulkheads, it was clear that Santísima Trinidad could not stay afloat for much longer. Santísima Trinidad was designed to stay afloat (motionless) with her first four watertight compartments flooded. With more than four watertight compartments flooded, the fate of the ship was sealed.