The Bayesian, the Titanic and the Norge

I offer my condolences to those who have suffered a loss in the sinking of the yacht Bayesian. I hope those who are awaiting news of loved ones soon have a resolution, preferably a safe return.

Not that far away each year, hundreds of people drown in the attempted crossing of the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy. They are usually dirt poor, having shelled out their last money for a desperate bid to flee appalling conditions in their homelands.

It reminds me of two tragedies at the start of the 20th century. In 1904, the emigrant liner Norge sank at Rockall, with the loss of 700 souls. Here in Stornoway, their fate is known, because some of the survivors were brought ashore here. Nine succumbed to the effects of their ordeal, and lie buried in Sandwick Cemetery. Dirt poor migrants, in a desperate bid to flee appalling conditions in their homeland.

The sinking of the Norge could have had a positive legacy, had the recommendations of the inquiry that followed its sinking been enshrined in law. These included the mandatory provision of sufficient life-saving apparatus on board all vessels. But that was not done.

So, eight years later, the Titanic sank, with the loss of 1500 souls. Many were well in the money, rich and famous. We still remember Titanic. A film was made of its fate.

But nobody remembers the Norge. Only a tombstone on a shoreline cemetery, about a mile east of where I am typing this.
 

The newsbulletins are full of the fate of the Bayesian and its crew and passengers.
But Lampedusa is hardly ever mentioned.
Titanic still fills up my Facebook feed.
But nobody remembers the Norge, captain Grundel and the Scandinavian and east European migrants on board.
In death, money no longer counts. So where's the difference, eh?

August 2024

 This month saw me turning 60. I don't feel sixty. 

The world is becoming more and more fraught. It was bad enough that three young girls were stabbed to death at their dance class in Southport, near Liverpool. The explosion of anger and violence that followed was frightening. Fortunately, the police and prosecutors made sure that this was but short-lived. 

I still don't know what to say about Gaza. More than 1,200 people were massacred on October 7th, 2023, when an extremist group went on a killing spree in Israel. Forty thousand civilisans have now been killed in Gaza by Israeli reprisals, designed to destroy the extremist group. Without much success. I just wished everybody butted out of the Middle East. It remains the powder keg of the world. 

Today, I went for a walk in the moorland. It has been a long time, and the distance was only a mile or so - from the Marybank Quarry to the Newvalley peat road. It was not unduly difficult, and I came across this freshly cut peat bank.