In September 1980, the British ship Derbyshire sailed into the eye of Typhoon Orchid and on into oblivion, taking all on board with her. The destructive power of a typhoon is awesome, but the Derbyshire was no small and aging tramp, running red rust with a crew of deadbeats culled from the backwaters of the world. She was just four years old; a huge bulk carrier of 169,044 tones deadweight, 970 feet long and 145 feet in the beam, manned entirely by competent British seaman and maintained to the highest standards. How could ...
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In September 1980, the British ship Derbyshire sailed into the eye of Typhoon Orchid and on into oblivion, taking all on board with her. The destructive power of a typhoon is awesome, but the Derbyshire was no small and aging tramp, running red rust with a crew of deadbeats culled from the backwaters of the world. She was just four years old; a huge bulk carrier of 169,044 tones deadweight, 970 feet long and 145 feet in the beam, manned entirely by competent British seaman and maintained to the highest standards. How could this great ship have disappeared so quickly and completely?
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