SS Marine Sulphur Queen

American commercial tanker ship that disappeared in 1963

SS Marine Sulphur Queen, formally Esso New Haven, was T2 tanker converted to carry molten sulphur. It is notable for its disappearance in 1963 near the southern coast of Florida, taking the lives of 39 crewmen. In the investigation, the Coast Guard determined that the ship was unsafe and not seaworthy, and never should have sailed. The final report suggested four causes of the disaster, all due to poor design and maintenance of the ship. The loss of the ship was the subject of lengthy litigation between the owner and families of the missing men. Despite the clear cause of the disaster, an inaccurate and incomplete version of the ship's disappearance is often used to justify Bermuda Triangle conspiracies.

The vessel, originally named SS Esso New Haven, was built by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, in March 1944, as 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, 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 (93 m) long, 30 feet (9 m) wide and 33 feet (10 m) 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 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
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 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 (5 m), with northerly winds of 25–46 knots

Nearly 20 years prior to the loss of the Marine Sulphur Queen, the United States General Accounting Office published a report titled TO INQUIRE INTO THE DESIGN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION OF WELDED STEEL MERCHANT VESSELS, 15 July 1946, which was essentially a report of concern over civilian merchant ships, specifically T2 tankers, fracturing amidships at the keel. Even during World War II, the federal government was concerned over the large number of merchant ship casualties not resulting from combat, and investigation centered on possible shoddy construction. A sister ship, SS Sylvia L. Ossa, went down in heavy seas east of Bermuda on 15 October 1976; all that was recovered was debris and a lifeboat in which the quick release mechanism was still intact.

The loss of the ship and crew with no trace other than bits of debris placed it on the list of incidents in the Bermuda Triangle. Writers of the subject have placed this ship in every work, sometimes agreeing with the Coast Guard report, other times coming up with their own theories. Vincent Gaddis was the first writer to coin the name Bermuda Triangle in his article for Argosy Magazine in the February 1964 issue, and Marine Sulphur Queen was the first Triangle "victim" he mentioned, barely a year after the ship sank:

"With a crew of thirty nine, the tanker Marine Sulphur Queen began its final voyage on 2 February 1963, from Beaumont, Texas, with a cargo of molten sulphur. Its destination was Norfolk, Virginia, but it actually sailed into the unknown "

Gaddis himself gave no theory as to the sinking, and ignored the many physical and personnel discrepancies cited by the Coast Guard. What he did was to reduce the loss of the ship to sailing "into the unknown", as did many writers after him. The effect was to leave an aura of mystery, and as such, many theories, some very outlandish, have been postulated to explain the disappearance of the ship. The Sci Fi Channel posted a summary of its program The Bermuda Triangle: Startling New Secrets on its website, in which it said that all that was recovered was a lifeboat. The Coast Guard had listed all that was recovered and identified for its report, as well as assembling the items for public display during the inquiry, which was photographed. A lifeboat was not among the debris, nor was one recovered. A 1977 episode of In Search Of discussed the Marine Sulphur Queen incident.

"Tanker Lost in Atlantic; 39 Aboard," Washington Post, 9 February 1963. "Debris Sighted in Plane Search For Tanker Missing Off Florida," New York Times, 11 February 1963. "2.5 Million Is Asked in Sea Disaster," Washington Post, 19 February 1963. "Vanishing of Ship Ruled A Mystery," New York Times, 14 April 1964. "Families of 39 Lost at Sea Begin $20 Million Suit Here," New York Times, 4 June 1969. "10 Year Rift Over Lost Ship Near End," New York Times, 4 February 1973.

"Ship And 37 Vanish in Bermuda Triangle on Voyage To U. S.," New York Times, 18 October 1976. "Ship Missing in Bermuda Triangle Now Presumed To Be Lost at Sea," New York Times, 19 October 1976. "Distress Signal Heard From American Sailor Missing For 17 Days," New York Times, 31 October 1976.