Oakey L. Alexander aground, Cape Elizabeth, 1947
Item 5739 info
Maine Historical Society
One of the more incredible tales of shipwreck is the story of the Oakey L. Alexander.
On March 3, 1947, the vessel was transporting a cargo of coal when it was caught in an 80 mph gale. The 5,284-ton collier found itself at the mercy of the huge swells.
At 4:46 a.m., a gigantic wave lifted the ship, and it seemed to all aboard as if the vessel hung in midair.
While the ship sat motionless on the wave, a second wave crashed against it, breaking off a 130-foot section of the bow, one third of the ship, which immediately sank, taking more than 4,500 tons of coal with it.
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