ST PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER ST PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER Business Briefs
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JANUARY / 2015 ISSUE 30 REMEMBERING THE BLACKTHORN 35 Years Ago This Month When someone mentions the USCGC Blackthorn wreck, many people think you mean the great dive site off the coast of Pinellas County. Most people do not realize there was an actual accident and what the circumstances were that lead up to it , which at the time, was the worst Coast Guard maritime disaster in non-wartime history. The USCGC Blackthorn was a 180-foot buoy tender that had been brought to Tampa for repairs. January 28, 1980, a Monday night, it left the Port of Tampa in route home to Galveston, Texas. On the way out of Tampa Bay, it passed under the Skyway Bridge and began overtaking the Russian cruise ship Kazakhstan. Some say the bright lights of the cruise ship may have been a factor in the impending accident. Coming the other way was the the SS Capricorn, a large 605-foot oil tanker carrying 150,000 barrels of oil. Those who know the channel, know that there is a severe “S” shaped curve in the main section of the channel, just west of the Skyway. In the 1980s, it was even more extreme than today. Rules of navigation call for all ships to pass port-to-port (left side to left side). That means, as the USCG Blackthorn pulled out and began to pass the Russian ship, it found itself heading head-on into the SS Capricorn. At 8:21 pm, in near total darkness, they collided. Half the crew on the USCG Blackthorn were down below; some were sleeping. The actual wreck itself did not sink the USCG Blackthorn, what followed did. Since it was entering Tampa Bay, the SS Capricorn had its anchors in a ready position. Upon collision, the port anchor, weighing 13,500 lbs., dropped to the water hitting the USCG Blackthorn on its port/forward side ripping a large hole in the side of the smaller ship. When the crew of the SS Capricorn attempted to withdraw the anchor and pull away from the helpless USCG Blackthorn, it dragged the ship, causing it to go into a roll. Luckily, none of the SS Capricorn’s cargo of oil spilled into Tampa Bay, but the USCG Blackthorn’s fuel did. Sailors who had been called to the deck were thrown into the cold 54-degree water, now full of the USCG Blackthorn’s gas and oil. 23 crewmen died. Most of the sailors who died were below the main deck because many of them never made it to the top deck. 27 were crewmen were rescued. The accident took less than three minutes from start to finish. Dispatched rescue boats rushed to the scene and plucked the Coast Guardsmen out of the water. Some were found clinging to the Skyway Bridge’s bulkheads. The next morning, Navy divers searched the ship, at that point in 40 feet of water and found no survivors. Officially, it was labeled an accident. Both ships were faulted for being too near the center of the narrow channel. Lt. Cmdr. James Sepel, Captain of the USCG Blackthorn, was transfered to another ship and retired eight years later . On the ship that night was young Seaman Apprentice William Flores. Down below, he rushed to the storage area and spent his last minutes dispensing life jackets to fellow crewmen. Twenty years later, he was honored posthumously with the Coast Guard Medal. In 2010, a new Sentinel-Class fast response cutter was named the Flores, in his honor. Changes were made as a result of the disaster. A special Coast Guard class for ship commanders was created - The Command and Operations School at the New London, Connecticut Coast Guard Academy. Every Coast Guard officer responsible for the navigation of a ship must attend the two week class. The Coast Guard raised standards for emergency training and equipment aboard vessels. Improvements were made to shipping channel navigational aids and it led to a better system of tracking vessels traveling through busy channels. In Tampa Bay’s Channel, range lights were added to help incoming and outgoing channel traffic. A memorial was erected at the north end of the Skyway Bridge Causeway to honor and remember the 23 seamen who died that night. On Wednesday, January 28th a ceremony will be held for the 35th Anniversary. Part of the rememberance includes the ringing of a ship’s bell while the t n e d i s e R t n e r r u C r O names of the crew members who died are read. By Bob Griffin, Publisher ST. PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER ST. PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER ROTARY OF ST. PETERSBURG 898.6744 CREDITS CITY NUMBERS Paula Adams, Ex Sec. SPRotary.org SNELL ISLE HOMEOWNERS CITY HALL . 893-7171 Scott Youngblood, President . 175 Fifth Street North www.stpete.org ST. PETE COLLEGE . 341-4249 SUNSHINE CENTER . 821-2323 MAYOR OFFICE . 893-7201 UNIVERSITY SOUTH FLORIDA 873-4873 MAYOR - Rick Kriseman ------------------------------------------- CITY COUNCIL - Vice Chair Steve Kornell • PINELLAS COUNTY INFO . 464-3000 Wengay "Newt" Newton • Chair Bill Dudley COMMISSION OFFICES . 464-3377 • Charlie Gerdes • Jim Kennedy • Amy Ken Welch . 464-3614 This newsletter is published by Foster • Karl Nurse • Darden Rice STATE: GRIFFIN PRODUCTIONS, Inc. CITY COUNCIL ADMIN. 893-7117 Senator Jeff Brandes . 727-395-2512 and is mailed to many occupied Terri Lipsey Scott Republican, District 22 residences in Downtown St. INFORMATION . 893-7111 3637 Fourth St. N., Suite 101 St. Petersburg’s zip code 33701 and BUILDING PERMITS . 893-7231 Petersburg 33704. We are not associated BUSINESS SUPPORT LINE . 893-7000 [email protected] with the City of St. Petersburg. CITY CLERK . 893-7448 Representative Dwight Dudley . 552-2747 CODES COMPLIANCE/ASSIST . 893-7373 Dist. 68 - 3637 4th Street N., St. Pete ENTERTAINMENT HOTLINE . 892-5700 PUBLISHER [email protected] LEISURE SERVICES . 893-7207 Governor Rick Scott Bob & Becky Griffin MIRROR LAKE LIBRARY . 893-7268 [email protected] PLANNING & ZONING . 893-7471 FLORIDA UNITED STATES SENATORS : ART DIRECTION SANITATION . 893-7334 Marco Rubio . 202-224-3041 Becky Griffin UTILITY ACCOUNTS . 893-7341 www.Rubio.Senate.gov EMERGENCIES . 9-1-1 SALES Bill Nelson . 202-224-5274 FIRE DEPARTMENT . 893-7694 727-517-1997 www.BillNelson.Senate.gov POLICE NON-EMERGENCY . 893-7780 AREA UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: CONTACT INFO POLICE TEXT MESSAGE . 420-8911 Kathy Castor . 727- 873-2817 POLICE TIP VOICE LINE . 892-5000 P.O. 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TAMPA BAY RAYS . 800-FAN-RAYS Old Northeast areas want to know NORTHEAST EXCHANGE CLUB 528-3828 TROPICANA FIELD . 825-3137 what is happening in their area. NORTHEAST LITTLE LEAGUE . 526-9602 That is why, if you have news or events, please contact us. This newsletter survives on local St. Petersburg at night advertising. Please tell your home suppliers such as pool companies, lawn care, electricians, etc about us. If you are a resident of our mailing area and advertise, you will receive a discount. We produce similar newsletters in four other areas: Indian Rocks Beach, Clearwater Beach and Belleair. You can read this and other issues online at StPeteDowntownNewsletter.com. SEE YOU AGAIN IN MARCH! ST. PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER ST. PETERSBURG DOWNTOWN NEWSLETTER WALKATHDONi Sdou thYeaosteurn Know... HAPPY HOUR and More... Guide Dogs’ Walkathon is WITH THE February 28, 2015 in Vinoy HISTORIAN Park. This 3K Walkathon This lecture series, appeals to the whole family, sponsored by the because you can bring your St. Petersburg dog. Create a team and if it Museum of History, raises $5,000, you can features an evening of wine, words and wisdom every name a new guide dog other month. The next one, March 12, features Dennis puppy. Visit Schrader: From Marilyn to Madden - Baseball and the guidedogswalkathon.org to Sunshine City . The evening begins at 6:30 pm and sign up, raise funds, and set admission is a $5 suggested donation and includes up or join a team. Call viewing Museum of History’s exhibits after the speaker. 941-729-5665, for The museum is located at 335 2nd Avenue NE on the information.