A LIFE LEAVING

SHIPWRECK OF SANTA ISABEL








The year is 1921, the First World War and the so-called "Spanish Flu" have caused millions of deaths worldwide.

's greatest plague ever recorded in the world happened during 1918 in full World War.

could begin in England or France, and soon after most countries in contention suffered the ravages of the virus, the horror of the war was so great that thousands, millions, of deaths flu caused within weeks silenced.

Spain was a neutral country and the disease spread rapidly to all corners of the nation. The press, uncensored war, echoing the huge disaster that caused influenza especially in children, healthy young adults was made.
Such cumulus news about the effects of influenza virus caused the pandemic began to be called "Spanish Flu "when in fact it was not Spain where the terrifying plague began.

Gayangos Tragedy passed without leaving casualties in the family of Joseph and Manuela.
Four children were under his wing and the two men had no idea of staying in the village, thus practically left without arms to work the farms, not enough resources to survive the rest of the family.

Among the remaining two daughters, the eldest Mary, also thought about leaving to Argentina with his brothers, in search of a better life in the small village Burgalesa.
To his father Joseph was not a good idea for your favorite daughter Mary embarked heading to the Americas, too many children had to leave home to another has to do the same.

Yet in December 1920 accompanied his daughter to the port of Bilbao and see the boat from Santa Isabel to stopping at Cadiz, transbordaria to all transatlantic passengers bound for Buenos Aires.

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I remember the 213 who died in the sinking 'Santa Isabel'
On January 2, 1921, the steamship sank off the island of Sálvora; 213 people died.
Curiosa date 2.1 19 2.1






Left: Image of the exact area, marked with an X, in which the disaster occurred front Sálvora. Right, The steamship 'Santa Isabel' from the bow - PHOTO: XMFP
SUSO SOUTO
It was only 9 years that the Titanic had sunk off the coast of Newfoundland on the sea leaving a trail of death; that cold night of January 2, 1921 (Sunday will be 90 years old), Ribeira suffered a similar tragedy and a siren blast dawned: the steamship Santa Isabel was going to chop off the island of Sálvora.
The sinking resulted in the deaths of 213 passengers and left a deep imprint on the history of the town: rapid relief to the residents of the island of Sálvora paid to victims helped save 53 lives.
The locations at which the king Alfonso XIII had granted the title of city in their wedding (1906), would go down in history for this heroic action as Very Noble and Very Loyal Hospital (though not this last title There is documentation and some believe was the invention of a writer).
But that black history has its own names.
The ship finished building the October 21, 1916, belonged to the Spanish Transatlantic Company, whose president was the Marqués de Comillas. He had 1,181 registered tons, measuring 88.85 meters in length and was worth about six million pesetas.
It was the route Bilbao Cadiz as auxiliary shuttle passengers from the northern ports of Spain to Cadiz, where the big ships that made voyages to Argentina was caught.
He was 40 berths for first class passengers, 16 for second and 400 for third. Yesterday (New Year 1921), had sailed from Corunna bound for vilagarcía, with heavy seas and strong winds.
Was carrying 266 people: 188 passengers and 78 crew members (including Pedro Paz Miguez, son of the mayor of Minho). At ten in the evening, at the height of Finisterre, a severe storm that erupted difficult navigation.
The captain ordered the passengers retire to their bunks and slowed.Shortly after one-thirty in the morning of day 2, when he passed 200 meters from the island of Sálvora, particularly in the low Meixides, rammed into a rocky shallows and began to sink bow after splitting the hull in two.
In the same place had already sunk several English vapors, the Spanish warship Cisneros and steam Larache . Steam asked for help to 01.55 hours; the radiogram was taken up in Finisterre station but when the operator asked for his situation, not one answered. The Santa Isabel sank exposing a third of the chimney and the foremast.
The incident shocked most of the passengers and crew sleeping. In Sálvora (about 60 people) had only stayed that night the elderly and single mothers with their children; the rest had gone to Aguiño with their families to celebrate the New Year.
So, among the first neighbors of sea lie Sálvora in a dorna to aid the victims were four young men who would go down in history as heroines Sálvora: Josefa Parada, 25; Cipriana Oujo, 16; Oujo Maria Fernandez, 14, and Cipriana Crujeiras who rowed about five miles to the boat in the middle of a heavy storm.
Among the first rescued was the captain, Esteban García Muñiz, who was found on a table and was speechless. The driver, Juan Antonio Pérez Cano was also saved. But soon began arriving in the vats with Aguiño first bodies aboard. One of the vessels that participated in this task was the Rosiña .
Among the dead (many farmers Ferrol), were the first official, Luis Lazaga, who had saved in the shipwreck of the steamer Eizaguirre , occurred at the Cape of Good Hope, which had only 8 people survived; Fisherman Saberon Antonio, chaplain of the ship; and chief engineer, Miguel Calvente (Malaga), rescued alive, but died on landing.
But there was also a person saved by divine providence: Manuel Abad, who had bought the ticket to go to Cadiz in Santa Isabel and, at the last minute decided to go by train.
The first boat that passed through the area after the wreck was the steam Ibarra Company; by then he had only at sea a long trail of suitcases. In the case of the collapse, it was the first time the insurance was applied migrants.
delegribeira @ elcorreogall ego.es
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After the tragedy all in the Valle de Mena, from which came many of the deceased, especially Jose, Manuela and siblings of Mary were absolutely shattered and in the case of Paquita, who was seven years old, a tragic reminder for all that prevented the boarding any ship for the rest of his life.
No other brother tried to sail back to Argentina, and even neighbors Gayangos and other small towns of Burgos The Merindades ceased to migrate to those American lands for several years.

's gatufo