Ding Ding Ding Ding!
A little bit of the story
The R.M.S. Rhone sank during a hurricane even though it had an experienced captain and had a strong steel hull. The Rhone was at neighboring Peter Island when the hurricane hit. The captain tried to take the Rhone out to open ocean to ride out the storm and prevent his ship from being pushed up on the rocky shore of the island. As the strength of the storm was growing (winds over 100 miles per hour and seas 20-30 feet high!) he cut away his anchors and took his ship, as fast as he could go, between Peter Island and Salt Island to reach the safety of the open sea. The height of the storm hit as he was passing Salt Island. The clouds, fog, and wind-driven rain made it had to almost impossible to see anything. The captain could not see the island. He could not even see the front of his ship! The lookout at the front of the ship shouted that there were rocks next to the ship. The next thing that happened a big wave pushed the Rhone on top of Black Rock. As the ship lurched the captain was tossed off the ship, never to be seen again. As the Rhone was slammed down on Black Rock it split the ship in two. The cool water rushing into the hot steam boilers caused them to blow up and finally sink the ship.
Unfortunately the passengers had no chance of survival. For their own safety the crew had tied them to their beds and locked them in their cabins! Even if they could have gotten out of their cabins, they still would not have had much of a chance, because in those days most people did not know how to swim! 124 people died here, but surprisingly, 23 people did survive.
the rest is here:
Day 3 - Rhone Dive 1
This is supposedly one of the best wreck dives in the British Virigin Islands, and its been on my places to see for about 10 years.
Glad you stuck that one out... I was starting to get worried
