The Story

On September 26, 1974 the SS TRANSHURON was lost after a sequence of events that started when the failure of a nipple in a salt water system allowed water to spray up and into the main propulsion switchboard. The selection of material and inspection of the condition of the equipment contributed to the casualty.

A similar incident occurred a few years later when another vessel of the same age experienced a piping failure in the discharge of the butterworth pump. A spray of water covered the ship's lighting and navigational service transformers, causing their failure and loss of service. The vessel was not lost, but the possibility of tragedy should be evident.

Lesson Learned

These incidents demonstrate the need to protect electrical equipment from potential failures of piping systems.