Dark Descent: Diving and the Deadly Allure of the Empress of Ireland
- ISBN-10
- 007141634X
- ISBN-13
- 9780071416344
- Series
- Dark Descent
- Category
- History (General)
- Pages
- 270
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2004
- Publisher
- International Marine
- Author
- Kevin F. McMurray
Description
On May 29th, 1914, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Empress of Ireland sank in just 14 minutes taking with her all but 465 of her 1,477 passengers and crew, many of them women and children. The sinking of the Empress and the consequent huge loss of life made headlines around the world. The Titanic disaster, just two years prior, was still fresh in people's minds. Aboard the Empress, 1,012 lost their lives, including 840 passengers, eight more than had perished on the Titanic. In some respects the tragedy of the Empress was more poignant than that of the White Star liner. The tragic sinking, however, was soon forgotten with the outbreak of World War I and the sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-Boat a year later. The horrors of trench warfare and the cataclysmic loss of life made the public quickly forget the story of one of the 20th century's biggest sea disasters. Today the Empress decays quietly under 140 feet of water - a tomb to more than 600 victims. But her story is anything but quiet. Dark Descent will not only explore the fatal accident and its place in history, it will also be an inside look into the failed salvage attempts, from the first hard-hat diver sent down to recover bodies to the most recent adrenaline junkies. McMurray will also delve into the stormy debates and politics surrounding eminent domain and artifact recovery from the ship. Finally, he'll explain how the greatest wreck you never heard of has become the destination du jour for thrill-seekers. is still claiming the lives of envelope-pushing divers wanting to bag a pinnacle descent. The spectacle of seeing this massive hull first-hand is a lure that is hard to resist, but there has been a price to pay. This book will tell those stories.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
By Kiersten WhiteJustine's eyes widened as she looked in at the dark hallway leading to the darker room. Mary and I traded a look of understanding, and I spoke again. "Actually, yes. I think it would be best if Justine went with you.
-
The Dark Descent
By Clive BarkerTraces the evolution of the horror story by presenting an anthology of works from the past and from current writers, with contributions from Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison, Charles L. Grant, and Clive Barker
-
The Dark Descent
By David G. HartwellThe Dark Descent
-
This Dark Descent
By Kalyn JosephsonSteeped in Jewish folklore, The Scorpio Races meets Peaky Blinders in this dual-POV YA fantasy where the daughter of a famous horse breeder, a black-market enchanter, and an ambitious heir must work together to win a cutthroat magical ...
-
This Dark Descent
By Kalyn JosephsonSteeped in Jewish folklore, The Scorpio Races meets Peaky Blinders in this dual-POV YA fantasy where the daughter of a famous horse breeder, a black-market enchanter, and an ambitious heir must work together to win a cutthroat magical ...
-
A Fiery Friendship
By Lisa Fiedler, Gabriel GaleLions, and tigers, and bears, not quite! This “fast-paced series opener” (Kirkus Reviews) tells the origin story of the world’s most iconic Good Witch, Glinda, as she embarks on a brave adventure in Oz against the Wicked Witches.
-
A Dark Descent
By Lisa Fiedler, Gabriel GaleAfter the defeat of one Wicked, the other Witches of Oz prepare for vengeance in this second book of the Ages of Oz series!
-
A Dark Descent
By Lisa Fiedler, Gabriel GaleAfter the defeat of one Wicked, the other Witches of Oz prepare for vengeance in this second book of the Ages of Oz series!
-
Descent into Darkness: Pearl Harbor, 1941 A Navy Diver's Memoir
By Edward C. RaymerDescent into Darkness is the only book available that describes the raising and salvage operations of sunken battleships following the December 7th attack.
-
Dark Nights
By Christine FeehanDark Nights is a special gift to her many loyal fans: a newly expanded and reimagined version of her classic novella, Dark Descent—100 pages longer than the original—combined with her breathtaking and unforgettable short story, Dark ...