History
The vessel, originally named SS Esso New Haven, was built by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, in March 1944, one of many T2 tankers built to carry and transport oil. In 1960, she was placed in dry dock by Bethlehem Steel Company, Sparrows Point, Maryland, and converted to carrying a cargo of molten sulphur, and given a name change to Marine Sulphur Queen. In order to carry out the planned function of carrying molten sulphur, a continuous, independent tank 306 feet long, 30 feet 6 inches wide and 33 feet high was constructed out of the original holds, necessitating the removal of all transverse bulkheads in the original centerline tanks and modifying the internal structure; this tank in turn was divided into four smaller tanks internally. A void surrounded the tank on all sides, leaving a 2-foot clearance on the sides and bottom, with three feet left between the top and the ship's weather deck. A steam system was installed throughout to maintain the molten sulphur at roughly 255 °F (124 °C).
The ship's last voyage began on 2 February 1963 out of Beaumont, Texas, with a cargo of sulphur weighing 15,260 tons. On 4 February, near Florida, an ordinary radio message was sent by a crewman, giving the position of the ship at 25°45' N, 86°W. The Marine Sulphur Queen was listed as missing on 6 February. A search of the Straits of Florida where the ship was believed to have gone down was called off after 19 days, after yielding life preservers and some debris, but no trace of the ship or the 39 men aboard her. At the time of her 4 February position, she was in rough, nearly-following seas of 16 feet, with northerly winds of 25–46 knots.
Read more about this topic: SS Marine Sulphur Queen
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