Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

In January of 1913, the steamboat James T. Staples—one of the most elegant vessels to travel the Tombigbee River—was torn apart by a sudden boiler explosion near Powe’s Landing in Alabama, killing dozens and leaving the once-proud riverboat a smoldering wreck. Built by respected captain Norman Staples, the ship had only recently been taken from his control after a bitter financial collapse, marking the end of a career shaped by ambition, tragedy, and the fading era of Southern river travel.

In the days surrounding the disaster, something deeper began to take hold in the communities along the river—stories of strange omens, fleeing rats, and sightings below deck that no one could quite explain. With no clear cause ever confirmed, the explosion gave rise to whispers that the destruction of the James T. Staples may not have been entirely accidental. More than a century later, the story lingers at the intersection of history and folklore, where loss, legacy, and something far less certain continue to drift along the waters of the Tombigbee.

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Original theme music for Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is by Sean Sigfried and you can find him at ⁠seansigfried.com⁠.

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This Week in Shipwrecks is the weekly maritime series of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs.

New from this week:

Identification of U-672

Cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 collides with other ships

Discovery of SS Cornwallis in Maine

Sinking of offshore drilling rig Prospector 5

The replica pirate ship Morgan sank in Ecuador

A sand dredger goes down in Malaysia

Collision of freighters in Bangladesh sinks a coal carrier

Documentary "We Finished Their Journey" announced

Sources for this episode include:

MarineLink

Reuters

India Times

Classic Boat Magazine

CBS News

Dhaka Tribune

Dredge Wire

LatinTimes.com

Aljazeera

Keweenaw Report

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, show notes, and transcripts can be found at ⁠⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠.

Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried and you can find him at ⁠⁠seansigfried.com⁠⁠.

** No AI was used to create this episode.

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👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠

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👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel. Subscribe here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

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On 27 March, 1980, the semi-submersible Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapsed and capsized during a terrible storm in the North Sea. The platform was being used as a floating hotel, or "flotel" for workers at the Ekofisk oil field. A massive search and rescue operation was launched, including surface vessels and aircraft from Norway, West Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. 123 of the 212 people on the platform perished, making it the worst industrial disaster in Norwegian history. The disaster prompted a number of changes to the safety regulations and emergency response procedures governing oil drilling platforms in the North Sea.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, show notes, and transcripts can be found at ⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠.

Original theme music is by Sean Sigfried and you can find him at ⁠seansigfried.com⁠.

** No AI was used to create this episode.

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠

👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠⁠⁠

👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel. Subscribe here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠⁠

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This edition of This Week in Shipwrecks includes archaeologists changing direction about the Nantucket shipwreck, the search for Amelia Earhart’s plane, continuing trouble in the Strait of Hormuz, and SUNY Maritime’s training ship, Empire State VII, and more.

Sources for this episode:

Egan Maritime Institute

Purdue University

Reuters

Antara News

gCaptain

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, images, and sources can be found at ⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. ⁠⁠⁠https://www.seansigfried.com⁠

🎧 Listen to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, a weekly maritime history podcast hosted by Rich Napolitano, wherever you get your podcasts.

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠

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👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel. Subscribe here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠⁠

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On 14 January 1993, the Polish ferry MV Jan Heweliusz capsized in a hurricane-force Baltic storm off Cape Arkona, Germany. Fifty-five people died and only nine crew members survived. It remains Poland’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.

This episode of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs traces the full story of the ill-fated roll-on/roll-off ferry. Built in Norway in 1977, she was plagued by accidents, stability problems and a questionable repair after a 1986 fire. Days before her final voyage, the stern gate was damaged at Ystad, and the owners ordered only a temporary fix.

Hear what happened as Storm Verena struck during the overnight crossing from Świnoujście, Poland, to Ystad, Sweden, and how a rescue in the dark came too late for most of those on board. Then follow the aftermath: conflicting investigations, maritime chamber rulings, and a 2005 judgment from the European Court of Human Rights in Brudnicka and Others v. Poland, which found that Poland’s maritime tribunals lacked independence.

** No AI was used to create this episode.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano. All episodes, images, and sources can be found at shipwrecksandseadogs.com.

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried and you can find him at seansigfried.com.

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

👉Get exclusive bonus episodes and merch on Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/patreon⁠⁠

👉Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/apple⁠⁠

👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs is part of the Into History podcast channel. Subscribe here: ⁠⁠https://www.intohistory.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠

👉Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs Merchandise is available!
⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠

👉You can support the podcast with a donation of any amount at:
⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/shipwreckspod⁠⁠

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