Sunday 25 August 2013

Bermuda Triangle Part 1

Some of you will familiar with this name or term but perhaps many of you will definitely not. Don’t worry ladies and gentlemen I am here to make you understand what this Bermuda Triangle is. Generally and roughly, Bermuda Triangle is a triangular area located within the frontiers of four islands named Miami, Florida, the island of Bermuda, and San Juan Puerto Rico in western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where enormous aircraft and ships and people disappeared mysteriously.

I know, sitting in front of screens having very sharp and bright colours this will make you bore, tire and exhaust believe me , I assure you ladies and gentlemen if you my dear give me your all attention for a while you will see this interesting. Stay with me and read something new. The whole context is divided in three parts and this is the first part so let’s enjoy.


Bermuda Triangle did not receive its famous informal title until 1964 while on the other hand strange things and its weirdness recorded by Christopher Columbus in October 11, 1492 so it is quite clear to say that Columbus discovered it very first time.


Presumably Columbus compass went haywire and just after that he along with his crew enjoyed weird lights in the sky. Now if everything is fine then a question ought to flash in your mind that what the happened with compass why his compass went haywire? Let me answer this question actually his compass came in contact with true north and magnetic north. You better not confuse with these terms ,true north and magnetic north. Another historical event attributed to the Bermuda Triangle was the discovery of the Mary Celeste in 1892.


After that, intensity of weirdness increased suddenly as well as rapidly, Second U.S. vessel known as U.S.S. Cyclops built for United States Navy before World War 1 named Cyclops because of its giant and huge size at that time, disappear with 306 crew and passengers without leaving any trace within the area known as Bermuda Triangle. This disappearance was one of the most classical and single largest loss of life in U.S. Naval history. On 1 June 1918, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Cyclops to be officially lost and all hands deceased.


It was thinking that perhaps because of wartime she was captured or sunk by German submarine, because she was carrying almost 11000 tons of mineral Manganese used to produce weapons and ammunitions but German authorities denied any knowledge of vessel. The Navel History and Heritage Command have stated that she probably sank in an unexpected storm but the important thing is the cause of disappearance is still unknown.


August 19, 1920, Deering prepared to sail from Norfolk to Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of coal. The ship was captained by William H. Merritt. Merritt’s son, Sewall was his first mate. He had a ten man crew. On August 22, 1920 Deering left Newport News. After a few days Merritt fell ill and had to be left off at the port of Lewes along with his son. W.B. Wormell , retired 66 year old captain, to replace him. Charles B. Mc Lellan was hired on as first mate.


Vessel set sail again for Rio de Janeiro ON September 8, 1920. After that ship was sighted at Cape Lookout by Lightship in North Carolina on January 28, 1921. Lightship keeper, Captain Jacobson reported that an infirm man with red hairs having remote accent told him that the vessel had lost its anchors. But unfortunately radio was out of service and thereby he was unable to report. Jacobson noticed that the crew seemed to be milling around on the deck of ship, an area where they were usually not allowed.


On January 31, 1921 Deeing was sighted run aground in Diamond Shoals that has long been notorious for its reputation as a common site of shipwrecks. The Ship’s log and navigation gadgets as well as crew’s personal effects and ship’s two lifeboats were gone were gone.


There were a lot of different theories related to this investigation. It is thought that some kind of external powers were involved in this weirdness. On April 11, 1921 Christopher Columbus Gray argued that he found a message in bottle floating at coast of Buxton.


The theme of message was ”Deering captured by oil burning boat something like chaser. Taking off everything handcuffing crew. Crew hiding all over ship chance to make escape. Finder please notify headquarters deering”


Hand writing was confirmed by the widow of Captain Wormell and bottle was proven to have been made by Brazil. At the end all research went fruitless and no explanation for the disappearance of the crew in the area known as Bermuda Triangle. 1925, 1 December S.S. Cotopaxi departed Charleston , and two days earlier bound for Havana and via call it was reported that ship was sinking and at that time officially she listed as ship wreck on 31 December .


In 1941, 23 November Proteus U.S.S. sister ship to the Cyclops and the Nereus. Sailing from saint Thomas to Atlantic seaports. Lost with all hands along with a crew of 58. After that in 1943 ,19 July Martin Mariner Air plane, it is believed that plane lost 150 miles south of Norfolk with 19 persons. Five Navy bomber air planes disappear right one year before Flight 19 in December 1944 just after this incident in January 1945 B-25 Airplane lost between the area of Bermuda as well as Azores along with 19 innocent people and same year in July 18, PB-4YW Navy privateer airplane lost somewhere in Miami, Florida and Bahamas.


One of the most popular mysteries of Bermuda triangle was Flight 19 on December 5, 1945. A group of five Navy Avenger bombers departed from the Naval Air Station at Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 2:10 in afternoon. It was a routine practice mission and the all the pilots were students except for Commander Lt. Charles Taylor. But nature betrayed them and they vanished while they were in practice mission in Bermuda Triangle. For rescue another plane sent to figured out what happened but rescue plane was also disappeared same as group of bomber planes.


The sea was moderate to rough. The general weather conditions were considered average for training flights. After one and half hour in the air, Lt. Robert Cox at base got a radio transmission for Taylor. Taylor indicates that his compass went haywire and not working but on the basis of his experience he believed himself to be somewhere over Florida Keys. After visualize the condition Cox said him to fly toward Miami if Taylor was sure the flight was over the Keys.


With passage of time everything is being improved same as technology and science. Now a days very simple and cheap air plane has a number of ways they to check their current location via digital equipments just like radar screen or Global Positioning Satellites GPS in orbit around the earth thereby it is impossible for a pilot to get lost if he has right equipment and know how to use them properly. But unfortunately technology was not too much developed in 1945 and that’s why planes flying over water had to depend on knowing their starting position for instance how long and fast they had flown and in what direction. In such scenario if pilot by chance made a mistake with any of these then without any doubt he was lost under the endless sky and above the surface of blue giant ocean.


It is said that Taylor had become confused at some point during his flight. But he was an experienced and lettered men. After sometime Taylor thought that flight is going in wrong direction headed south instead of east. At 4:45 P.M. it was very easy and clear to suggest that Taylor was lost. Then at 6:20 P.M. Dumbo flying boat was sent to find Flight 19 and guide it back and within hour two more planes joined the search. The weather was getting rough in same time Avengers, their fuel tanks was about to empty.


Very last transmission from Flight 19 was heard at 7:04 P.M. Planes searched the area for entire night and next day too. There were no signs of Avengers and with this the whole drama ended. One thing you my dear, must remember that disappearance of Flight 19 is still a mystery.


Remaining two parts will be discussed soon. Sophisticated comments and thoughts will be appreciated and welcomed.

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