NEW YORK -- One of the oldest existing passenger ships, 26,000-ton
Britanis, sank 50 miles off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa,
on Oct. 21.
The aged liner left Salvador, Brazil, earlier last week under a
tugboat's tow, and was headed for a scrap yard in India when it
developed a leak in the aft section.
Repairing the leak was determined to be too costly, and the
vessel was allowed to sink. Britanis entered service in 1932 as
Matson Lines' Monterey and survived an attack by German dive
bombers while in service as a troop ship during World War II.
The vessel hosted the Rockefellers in the 1930s and Hollywood
stars, including Ronald Reagan, in the 1960s. Most recently,
Britanis sailed for Fantasy Cruises -- the defunct budget division
of what is now Celebrity Cruises -- until 1995, when the ship was
removed from service.
Britanis was among the last liner-style ships in existence, with
a riveted hull, teak decks, and brass telegraphs on its bridge.