Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs

In 1897, journalist and novelist Stephen Crane boarded the SS Commodore, a gunrunning ship bound for Cuba, and nearly didn't survive the trip. When the ship sank off the coast of Florida, Crane spent over 30 hours adrift in a small dinghy with three other men, an ordeal that became the basis for one of the greatest short stories in American literature: "The Open Boat."

In this episode, Rich speaks with Professor of American Studies Ben Railton to explore the true story behind Crane's fiction, from the real-life sinking of the Commodore and the harrowing survival at sea, to how Crane transformed his own near-death experience into a landmark work of literary naturalism.

📚 Ben Railton is a Professor of American Studies at Fitchburg State University. His work explores the intersections of history, literature, and American identity. Read more of Ben's work at https://www.blackwhiteandread.com.

You will hear:

⚓The real history of the SS Commodore shipwreck and Crane's role as a gunrunner-journalist

⚓What actually happened during those 30 hours in the open boat

⚓How "The Open Boat" reflects Crane's philosophy of nature's indifference to human suffering

⚓Why this story remains a cornerstone of American literary naturalism

⚓The blurry line between memoir and fiction in Crane's writing

* No compensation or remuneration was paid by or paid to Nautilus Media LLC, Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, or Rich Napolitano in exchange for Mr. Railton's particpation in this episode.

** No AI was used to create this video.

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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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#shipwreck #history #maritimehistory #ships #podcast

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

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. seansigfried.com

You can also listen to Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://www.podfollow.com/shipwreckspod
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In this episode of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, host Rich Napolitano sits down with Great Lakes historian Rob Alway to uncover the story of the Pere Marquette 18, the flagship rail car ferry that mysteriously sank in Lake Michigan in 1910.

Rich and Rob explore how the Pere Marquette Railroad helped shape maritime and rail travel across Lake Michigan, why the Pere Marquette 18 was considered the fleet’s most notable ship, and what happened on her final voyage from Ludington to Milwaukee. Rob walks us through the theories behind the sinking, including possible hull damage from its excursion service, the emergency distress call that made Great Lakes history, and the rescue efforts that followed.

You’ll also hear about:
⚓The history of Ludington’s car ferry industry
⚓How railroad ferries helped avoid Chicago rail bottlenecks
⚓The aftermath of the sinking and the changes it inspired
⚓The wreck’s discovery nearly 500 feet down in Lake Michigan
⚓Why the SS Badger remains a living link to this maritime legacy

A perfect episode if you’re interested in Great Lakes history, shipwrecks, rail ferries, maritime disasters, or the hidden stories behind the places we live.

Read more of Rob Alway's work:
⚓Mason County Historical Society | https://masoncountymihistory.org/
⚓Mason County Press | https://masoncountypress.com
⚓Oceana County Press | https://oceanacountypress.com/

Listen now to learn how one shipwreck helped define an entire era of Lake Michigan travel.

#ShipwrecksAndSeaDogs #GreatLakesHistory #PereMarquette18 #Shipwreck #LakeMichigan #MaritimeHistory #Ludington #RobAlway #RailFerry #HistoricShipwreck

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

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

👉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 Merchandise is available!
⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠

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

*No compensation or remuneration of any kind was paid to or paid by Rich Napolitano, Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, or Nautilus Media LLC for Mr. Alway's participation in this episode.

** 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.
⁠⁠https://www.seansigfried.com⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Andrea Doria: Pride of Italy

On the night of July 25, 1956, the ocean liner Andrea Doria was off the coast of Nantucket steaming towards New York. Converging on the same path but in the opposite direction was the Swedish passenger ship Stockholm. Nantucket. Thick fog blanketed the Atlantic that night. Radar showed each ship the other's blip, yet through a chain of misread signals and last-second turns, the Andrea Doria and Stockholm collided.

The Stockholm's reinforced bow tore into the Andrea Doria's starboard side, ripping open several decks and killing passengers instantly in their cabins. The Italian liner, already listing dangerously due to a design flaw in her fuel tanks, began taking on water and rolling further with every passing hour.

What followed was one of the great maritime rescues of the 20th century. Nearby ships, including the Ile de France, diverted course and worked through the night to pull survivors from lifeboats in the darkness. By morning on July 26, with more than 1,600 people safely evacuated, the Andrea Doria finally rolled onto her side and slipped beneath the waves, watched by cameras and a stunned public.

This episode traces the final hours of the Andrea Doria: the decisions on the bridge, the scramble to save lives, and the questions that still surround how two ships equipped with modern radar ever found themselves on a collision course.

My guest for this episode is wreck diver Andrea Murdoch Alpini. You can find him at https://www.phidiving.com/ and https://www.wreckdiving.it/.

This episode was originally published as Episode 4 of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs on October 4, 2022.

Written, edited, and produced by Rich Napolitano.

All episodes, images, and sources can be found at [⁠shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠](https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com).

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. [⁠⁠⁠](⁠⁠https://www.seansigfried.com)https://www.seansigfried.com⁠⁠⁠

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

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

👉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 Merchandise is available! ⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠

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

** No AI was used to create this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The SS Eastland Disaster — Chicago, 1915

On the morning of July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland was moored in the Chicago River, preparing to carry passengers to a company picnic across Lake Michigan. It never got underway. As passengers boarded, the ship began to list, then rolled onto its side while still tied to the dock, in water barely twenty feet deep.

The disaster killed 844 people. Most victims were workers at the Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Works, many of them young, many of them immigrants, dressed for a day off.

My guest for this episode is Paul Durica from the Chicago History Museum.

This is a replay of Episode 10 of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs from December 13, 2022.

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

Original theme music by Sean Sigfried. ⁠⁠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 Merchandise is available!
⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠

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

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

** No AI was used to create this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck, one of the most powerful warships ever built, sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood in a matter of minutes at the Battle of the Denmark Strait. What followed was one of the largest hunts in naval history. After three days of desperate pursuit across the North Atlantic, a crippling torpedo strike from a lone Swordfish biplane, and a final, brutal showdown that sent the pride of the German fleet to the bottom of the ocean. This episode traces the full story of the Bismarck's fateful voyage, from the loss of the Hood to the ship's last stand against the Royal Navy, in one of World War II's most dramatic naval battles.

**🎧 LISTEN AD-FREE + BONUS EPISODES**

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

👉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 Merchandise is available!
⁠⁠https://shop.shipwrecksandseadogs.com⁠⁠

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

** 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.
⁠⁠https://www.seansigfried.com⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices