The SS Titanic went down in early hours of 15 April 1912 with the loss of 1517 lives, although 706 survived. Only one of that number is left alive today - a lady now aged 97, then aged only 9 weeks. In remembering those who drowned in Titanic, I would like to point to other maritime disasters in peacetime which claimed large numbers of lives as well.
SS Norge was holed on Rockall in June 1904 and sank in minutes, taking 635 emigrants to the bottom with her. Lifeboats did manage to take 160 to safety, but there were nowhere near enough lifeboats on the Norge to take all. Nine casualties made it ashore at Stornoway, but did not survive. They lie buried at Sandwick Cemetery, 20 minutes' walk from the town. The lessons that should have been learned from her sinking (which was to provide sufficient lifeboats and rafts for all on board) could have saved hundreds of lives on Titanic. But false economies meant that the recommendations, drawn up by the Danish maritime authorities in the wake of the tragedy, were never implemented.
HMY Iolaire went down on rocks just outside Stornoway Harbour on 1 January 1919. She was carrying 300 sailors from the Outer Hebrides home after four years of war. The two lifeboats were useless, as they were smashed against the rocks immediately after launch - and would never have been enough to carry all on board.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Visit to Bragar
I took advance of the nice weather to go to Bragar, 15 miles north of Stornoway, to photograph wargraves in the cemetery there. I found about 36 gravestones; I took more than 30 more pictures of the area. Including two of young lambs - the first of the season I've seen. All today's images can be seen here. When they have been uploaded (currently in progress), I'll post a selection on here.
Hillsborough disaster
Twenty years ago today, 96 people died at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. They were among thousands who had come to the stadium to watch a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The people who lost their lives were crushed against railings and fencings in the stadium. The Sports Secretary, Andy Burnham, was heckled as no blame has ever been attributed over the tragedy. At 3.06pm, people across Liverpool observed two minutes' silence, punctuated by church bells ringing out 96 times, for each of the victims. RIP.
Wednesday 15 April
Brilliantly sunny today and not a cloud in the sky. Not terribly warm though, only 11 degrees / 52F. The sea surrounding this island is not very warm at all, so no great surprises there.
Today, a memorial service will be held at Aberdeen's St Nicholas Kirk for the sixteen men who died two weeks ago off Peterhead. Their helicopter suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure, causing it to lose its rotorblades which in turned sheared off the rear of the aircraft. It crashed into the sea some 14 miles from land, from an altitude of 2,200 feet. One of the casualties was from Latvia; the others were British, with the majority from northeastern Scotland. The service will be relayed via Radio Scotland on 810 kHz mediumwave, BBC2 Scotland and on-line.
Tomorrow will see the 263rd anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, in which Prince Charles Edward's bid to take the British Crown was finally crushed. Culloden is a turning point in Scottish history, marking the demise of the clan system (which was already on the way out) and the start of a vigorous repression of Gaelic culture in the north and northwest of Scotland. A group of enthusiasts are reenacting the retreat, which you can follow on Twitter via @nightmarch.
Prince Charles Edward, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, is a revered figure in certain quarters of Scotland. I am not going to beat about the bush in my negative opinion of the Young Pretender. He was very ill advised to proceed with his adventure, which was executed with a good degree of military ineptitude. I will say that if he had had the guts to proceed beyond Derby (that's where he wimped out), he just might have made it to London. At which point, his supply lines would have been cut off. His flight round the highlands and islands, looking for any boat to whisk him back to Paris should be an object of shame. He came to Stornoway in June 1746, to Kildun Cottage - which stood within the line of sight of my position - to ask for help. He was asked to leave. The burghers of Stornoway would not betray him, but could not help him either. Kildun Cottage was pulled down in the early 1970s to make way for the current Fabrication Yard.
Today, a memorial service will be held at Aberdeen's St Nicholas Kirk for the sixteen men who died two weeks ago off Peterhead. Their helicopter suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure, causing it to lose its rotorblades which in turned sheared off the rear of the aircraft. It crashed into the sea some 14 miles from land, from an altitude of 2,200 feet. One of the casualties was from Latvia; the others were British, with the majority from northeastern Scotland. The service will be relayed via Radio Scotland on 810 kHz mediumwave, BBC2 Scotland and on-line.
Tomorrow will see the 263rd anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, in which Prince Charles Edward's bid to take the British Crown was finally crushed. Culloden is a turning point in Scottish history, marking the demise of the clan system (which was already on the way out) and the start of a vigorous repression of Gaelic culture in the north and northwest of Scotland. A group of enthusiasts are reenacting the retreat, which you can follow on Twitter via @nightmarch.
Prince Charles Edward, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, is a revered figure in certain quarters of Scotland. I am not going to beat about the bush in my negative opinion of the Young Pretender. He was very ill advised to proceed with his adventure, which was executed with a good degree of military ineptitude. I will say that if he had had the guts to proceed beyond Derby (that's where he wimped out), he just might have made it to London. At which point, his supply lines would have been cut off. His flight round the highlands and islands, looking for any boat to whisk him back to Paris should be an object of shame. He came to Stornoway in June 1746, to Kildun Cottage - which stood within the line of sight of my position - to ask for help. He was asked to leave. The burghers of Stornoway would not betray him, but could not help him either. Kildun Cottage was pulled down in the early 1970s to make way for the current Fabrication Yard.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Across the Atlantic
The title of this blog is Atlantic Lines, as I reside about 20 km (12 miles) from the Mighty Atlantic, and feel the effects of its proximity on a daily basis. As does everybody else in these islands.
Another aspect of this ocean is that it generates hurricanes in the summer season. Although the first tropical wave of 2009 is yet to emanate from the African continent, June 1st is only 6 weeks away, which heralds the start of the hurricane season. The southern and eastern seabords of the USA are only too familiar with these storms - next August will see the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina which (as we all know) devastated New Orleans.
One of the major bones of contention left behind by Katrina has been the handling of the crisis, both before and afterwards. Today, it is reported that a leading scientist at the Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center, Dr Ivor van Heerden, was fired. The reason for dismissal, which will come into effect in March 2010, was not related to his professional performance.
According to Dr Jeff Masters, whose hurricane blog I follow, it was likely related to his stance on hurricane preparedness for Louisiana and New Orleans. This sat very uneasily with certain figures in authority. Dr Van Heerden favoured a flood prevention scheme for the Gulf Coast along the lines of the Dutch flood defenses, rather than the current flimsy arrangements. I would echo Dr Masters' conclusion that the removal of Dr Van Heerden from his position should be cause for concern for all who rely on flood defenses along the Louisiana coastline for protection against another Katrina. Read Dr Masters' blog entry here.
Another aspect of this ocean is that it generates hurricanes in the summer season. Although the first tropical wave of 2009 is yet to emanate from the African continent, June 1st is only 6 weeks away, which heralds the start of the hurricane season. The southern and eastern seabords of the USA are only too familiar with these storms - next August will see the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina which (as we all know) devastated New Orleans.
One of the major bones of contention left behind by Katrina has been the handling of the crisis, both before and afterwards. Today, it is reported that a leading scientist at the Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center, Dr Ivor van Heerden, was fired. The reason for dismissal, which will come into effect in March 2010, was not related to his professional performance.
According to Dr Jeff Masters, whose hurricane blog I follow, it was likely related to his stance on hurricane preparedness for Louisiana and New Orleans. This sat very uneasily with certain figures in authority. Dr Van Heerden favoured a flood prevention scheme for the Gulf Coast along the lines of the Dutch flood defenses, rather than the current flimsy arrangements. I would echo Dr Masters' conclusion that the removal of Dr Van Heerden from his position should be cause for concern for all who rely on flood defenses along the Louisiana coastline for protection against another Katrina. Read Dr Masters' blog entry here.
Tuesday 14 April
Quite a sunny day with once more a lot of high cirrus clouds about. The forecast is that we'll have the best weather in Scotland. The west coast of the mainland should see the mercury nudging 60F this afternoon; this is partly due to the effects of the mountains further inland. In Alpine countries, they refer to this as the föhn effect. There is a southeasterly wind which will descend once past the mountains and warm up in the process.
Am continuing to line up my on-line memorial site and its Excel back-up on the computer. Did a major update in the first months of this year, and didn't immediately incorporate it in the Excel file. I forgot that the many names starting with Mac in this part of the world could also be spelled Mc. Once that is complete, I can then start to refer to portrait photographs (of which I have about 400) and cemetery pictures (about 330). Conversely, it is then possible to take each of the island's war memorials (about 20) and expand details on each casualty listed thereon.
Am continuing to line up my on-line memorial site and its Excel back-up on the computer. Did a major update in the first months of this year, and didn't immediately incorporate it in the Excel file. I forgot that the many names starting with Mac in this part of the world could also be spelled Mc. Once that is complete, I can then start to refer to portrait photographs (of which I have about 400) and cemetery pictures (about 330). Conversely, it is then possible to take each of the island's war memorials (about 20) and expand details on each casualty listed thereon.
Monday, 13 April 2009
Monday 13 April
Easter Monday, and it is quite a nice day out here. Sunny (through a lot of high cloud) not a lot of wind and 11C. No great shakes on the temperature scale, but could be a lot worse.
Locally, there has been a lot of discussion on the location of the secondary school. The Nicolson Institute needs new premises, and the local authority has proposed a site near the old buildings. Only problem is that the Health & Safety Executive are not happy, as the site is in the vicinity of an LPG plant, which converts LPG into household gas for use in the town of Stornoway. A former safety officer for the local authority has written to outline what exactly happens if the LPG plant blows up. It doesn't make for pleasant reading.
Locally, there has been a lot of discussion on the location of the secondary school. The Nicolson Institute needs new premises, and the local authority has proposed a site near the old buildings. Only problem is that the Health & Safety Executive are not happy, as the site is in the vicinity of an LPG plant, which converts LPG into household gas for use in the town of Stornoway. A former safety officer for the local authority has written to outline what exactly happens if the LPG plant blows up. It doesn't make for pleasant reading.
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Views of the weekend
Today was a brilliantly sunny day, and the last light is just fading in the northwest. Although I did not go anywhere, there was sufficient inspiration around to point a camera at over the last few days.
The distortion caused by a frosted window
The flat calm before sunset on Sunday
Choppy waters on Saturday
Local talent on display in the Grinneas nan Eilean exhibition
The distortion caused by a frosted window
The flat calm before sunset on Sunday
Choppy waters on Saturday
Local talent on display in the Grinneas nan Eilean exhibition
Easter Sunday
It is sunny although a tad breezy in the Western Isles today. As it is Sunday, things are very quiet out here. Very little moves, apart from the wind and anything stirred up by it.Talking of the wind, it created a stir on Loch Ness today, when the same yacht had to be rescued for the second time in three days. On the second occasion, it ran aground 50 metres out of Urquhart harbour. The RNLI towed it free and its skipper given a lecture on setting forth in suitable conditions. Canoeists got into difficult near Invermoriston yesterday afternoon, when their vessel capsized in rough conditions. One of them reportedly was barely unable to walk due to hypothermia. He had been in the water for 20 minutes. The RNLI wish to reinforce the message that conditions on Loch Ness, which is more than 20 miles long, can be as bad as out in the open sea.
Today is Easter Sunday - I hope everybody is having a nice one this year.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Retrospective
In a retrospective mood tonight. Runrig's unsurpassed album Long Distance is playing in the background, which puts me back to the early days of Northern Trip. The winter of 2004/5, when I was in Kershader, 12 miles south of here (22 miles by road). It was the CD I was always listening to on my portable player in those dark evenings. I don't think any of you who read my journal nowadays were reading it at that time. The two who did (and commented regularly) have disappeared from my (on-line) life. At the time, I was staying at the Ravenspoint Centre in the tiny hamlet of Kershader, and would go to Stornoway by bus every second or third day. A journey of about 45 minutes and £3.60 return. After doing my business on the library computer I'd go for some lunch in one of Stornoway's restaurants. Having gotten whatever shopping was required, I'd go back to Lochs (the area where Kershader lies) on the bus at 12.30 if I was in a hurry to get back. Well - hurry is not a word that carries any meaning in this island. It would drop me off by the road junction in Balallan, and I'd have to walk the 5 miles back to Kershader. I would think nothing of doing that, it took me 90 minutes. A later bus from Stornoway, at 2.20pm, would provide a connection that would drop me off by the door of Ravenspoint. On other days, I'd be tramping the moors of the area through the day - making sure to return to a road by nightfall.
That is now 4½ years ago, and a closed chapter.
That is now 4½ years ago, and a closed chapter.
Progression
Tomorrow will be Easter Sunday. Three years ago, it was a similar time of April - being the 16th of the month in 2006 - when Easter came along. It was also the time that I entered the world we used to call J-land (until AOL pulled the plug on our blogs). Beforehand, I had raised my flag at the not-lamented VIVI-awards in November 2005. The passing of Pamela Hilger, who wrote under AOL screenname his1desire, prompted my full involvement in the community. I had kept an eye on her journal for a while in the weeks leading up to her death on Easter Sunday 2006.
I have found the (former) J-land community to be a friendly and welcoming crowd who, on the whole, take newcomers at face value and accords them a cordial welcome. The support element I have found to be crucial, and it has brought home to me how many folk out there are utterly lonely. And you can be lonely even if you are not strictly speaking alone in the house. Sometimes, there are issues you'd like to talk about that cannot be discussed in the home situation.
The transfer to Blogger, a mad dash in 4 weeks last October, has changed us. The introduction of Facebook and Twitter has leached a lot of journaling away from the blogs themselves, shifting it to those other sites. Although initially I found Facebook a useful addition to blogs, their recent format change has rendered their site cluttered and difficult to keep up with people.
The past 12 months have been difficult for me personally, with a family bereavement and other matters I cannot discuss on an open journal. I do hope that the Jland Community on Blogger will stay together as much as possible, and continue to draw on its strengths.
I have found the (former) J-land community to be a friendly and welcoming crowd who, on the whole, take newcomers at face value and accords them a cordial welcome. The support element I have found to be crucial, and it has brought home to me how many folk out there are utterly lonely. And you can be lonely even if you are not strictly speaking alone in the house. Sometimes, there are issues you'd like to talk about that cannot be discussed in the home situation.
The transfer to Blogger, a mad dash in 4 weeks last October, has changed us. The introduction of Facebook and Twitter has leached a lot of journaling away from the blogs themselves, shifting it to those other sites. Although initially I found Facebook a useful addition to blogs, their recent format change has rendered their site cluttered and difficult to keep up with people.
The past 12 months have been difficult for me personally, with a family bereavement and other matters I cannot discuss on an open journal. I do hope that the Jland Community on Blogger will stay together as much as possible, and continue to draw on its strengths.
Easter Weekend
Just to wish everybody out there a happy Easter weekend, and hopefully with better weather than we've got in the Hebrides at the moment. Don't overdo it on the eggs.
Saturday 11 April
Bright but very windy day today - gusts up to galeforce. There is a "mass evacuation on the ferry" today (ignore, nothing serious) but I think it won't be just people being "evacuated".
Investigators have found that a catastrophic gearbox failure, in itself unexplained, caused the helicopter crash that killed 16 off Aberdeenshire on 1 April. There is an extensive article on the BBC website, to which I'll refer for detailed info.
Looking through the news today, I came across the footballer who was handed a yellow card for breaking wind just as a penalty was being taken. The penalty was missed - only the referee heard the noise. Suppose he handed the player a card for a fart.
Investigators have found that a catastrophic gearbox failure, in itself unexplained, caused the helicopter crash that killed 16 off Aberdeenshire on 1 April. There is an extensive article on the BBC website, to which I'll refer for detailed info.
Looking through the news today, I came across the footballer who was handed a yellow card for breaking wind just as a penalty was being taken. The penalty was missed - only the referee heard the noise. Suppose he handed the player a card for a fart.
Friday, 10 April 2009
Good Friday 2009
Rain clearing away east after a beefy shower. It being Good Friday, I am listening to recordings of the Matthaeus Passion by Bach. I am giving you the German, as that is the language of the recording I am viewing on YouTube. The chorale behind the link actually closes the Passion, and the title runs in English: "In tears we are sitting down", and those familiar with the Easter story do not need reminding what juncture that is occurring. In my mind, it rates as the most emotional piece of classical music, and I rate myself as well-versed in that area of music. The St Matthew Passion is not well-known in the Anglo-Saxon world (UK and USA), but is widely performed in Holland and Germany on this day.
Happy Easter.
Happy Easter.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Cyclone Jade
Jade is a tropical cyclone that is currently moving south from Madagascar, and will soon disappear off the weather maps. The storm moved along the east coast of the Indian Ocean island over the past few days, claiming 8 lives and making 3300 people homeless. The cyclone season is ending by the end of this month, and has once more claimed many lives and caused much devastation in Madagascar, one of the poorest nations in the world. In January, two cyclones hammered the island at the same time - Fanele from the west and Eric from the east.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning
I was asked on Twitter this morning which website issues warnings for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). This danger involves shellfish (bivalve molluscs), which ingest algae from the seawater. The toxins contained in the algae accumulates in the shellfish and can accumulate to dangerous levels. Each week, samples are taken from waters around Scotland and Northern Ireland and are assayed using a method called HPLC for the presence of the toxins. The results are published here.
It is worth bearing in mind that algae are plants, and using sunlight and photosynthesis for their energy requirement. Therefore, algal blooms will occur mostly in summer with their attendant risk of PSP. They are becoming an increasing problem, due to pollution like run-off of fertiliser from the land into the sea.
If PSP levels reach the warning level, local authorities will issue a press release specifying which area has been closed to shellfish harvesting. As far as I can tell, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar issued such a prohibition in 2006 on Loch Roag - a major shellfish harvesting area.
It is worth bearing in mind that algae are plants, and using sunlight and photosynthesis for their energy requirement. Therefore, algal blooms will occur mostly in summer with their attendant risk of PSP. They are becoming an increasing problem, due to pollution like run-off of fertiliser from the land into the sea.
If PSP levels reach the warning level, local authorities will issue a press release specifying which area has been closed to shellfish harvesting. As far as I can tell, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar issued such a prohibition in 2006 on Loch Roag - a major shellfish harvesting area.
Thursday 9 April
Overcast and drizzly at the moment, but the sun is trying to come through. We can expect a force 8 southerly gale later today and a maximum of 15C. Current temperature is 8C, so I've got doubts about that. Those living near the sea will be aware that we are having springtides at the moment. This affects ferry sailings around our coasts. The service between Leverburgh in Harris (55 miles south of here) and Berneray (off Uist) is reduced to one sailing a day (from 3) due to low tides. It also affects the flights at Barra airport (which is a beach). This combination of factors led one visitor to exclaim 2 years ago: "What a place! At low tide the ferry can't sail and at high tide the planes can't fly!"
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Rescue!
I often relay stories of rescues out at sea, or in distant mountain ranges. Those of you who used to read the predecessor to this blog, Northern Trip, may remember the day that there was a rescue just yards from my position. Literally.
1 July 2006
Just as we're having lunch, the sound of the helicopter becomes noticeable. The helicopter is right outside the house, hovering over the basin. Hotel Lima is tending to a yachtsman that we noticed earlier, struggling to control his boat in the force 6 winds. His boat lies overturned, and a winchman is going down to assist the hapless sailor. Newton Street very quickly fills up with spectators, the police are in attendance, directing traffic and all who are outside are drenched by the water which the helicopter's updraft is spraying around. The yachtsman manages to make dry land under his own steam - his own two legs. Meanwhile, the wrecked boat lies on its side in the basin, and slowly drifts towards its mouth. The lifeboat moves to the mouth of the basin and launches a dinghy. There is a sandbar across the basin, which makes it impossible for boats to leave it at low tide, and the tide is falling right now. The wreck is towed to Goat Island, where the damage is assessed. The boat is not holed, so it's left anchored on a mooring.
More pictures here.
1 July 2006
Just as we're having lunch, the sound of the helicopter becomes noticeable. The helicopter is right outside the house, hovering over the basin. Hotel Lima is tending to a yachtsman that we noticed earlier, struggling to control his boat in the force 6 winds. His boat lies overturned, and a winchman is going down to assist the hapless sailor. Newton Street very quickly fills up with spectators, the police are in attendance, directing traffic and all who are outside are drenched by the water which the helicopter's updraft is spraying around. The yachtsman manages to make dry land under his own steam - his own two legs. Meanwhile, the wrecked boat lies on its side in the basin, and slowly drifts towards its mouth. The lifeboat moves to the mouth of the basin and launches a dinghy. There is a sandbar across the basin, which makes it impossible for boats to leave it at low tide, and the tide is falling right now. The wreck is towed to Goat Island, where the damage is assessed. The boat is not holed, so it's left anchored on a mooring.
More pictures here.
Wednesday 8 April
I thought it was going to be a nice day, but that was before the showers started. Hey ho, it's only April.
It is reported that 97% of all emails are now unwanted and unsolicited spam. Worldwide, 86 out of every 10,000 computers is infected with malware and potentially part of a so-called botnet. There is no reason to panic - one very good prevention is to keep the software up-to-date.
In L'Aquila, the scene of Monday's earthquake, 15 people are still missing. I cannot find an up-to-date casualty toll (247 at 7 am this morning). The devastation is severe, and it is said that L'Aquila will not be able to function properly for some time.
Down in London, evidence has emerged that a man who died during last week's G20 protests was allegedly pushed over by a police officer. After remonstrating with officers whilst on the ground, he walked away and collapsed with a heart attack. He was going home after a day's work, selling newspapers. This is now subject to an inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and calls are going out for a criminal investigation.
It is reported that 97% of all emails are now unwanted and unsolicited spam. Worldwide, 86 out of every 10,000 computers is infected with malware and potentially part of a so-called botnet. There is no reason to panic - one very good prevention is to keep the software up-to-date.
In L'Aquila, the scene of Monday's earthquake, 15 people are still missing. I cannot find an up-to-date casualty toll (247 at 7 am this morning). The devastation is severe, and it is said that L'Aquila will not be able to function properly for some time.
Down in London, evidence has emerged that a man who died during last week's G20 protests was allegedly pushed over by a police officer. After remonstrating with officers whilst on the ground, he walked away and collapsed with a heart attack. He was going home after a day's work, selling newspapers. This is now subject to an inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and calls are going out for a criminal investigation.
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