The pleasure cruiser MV Darlwyne disappeared off the Cornish coast in
south-west England on 31 July 1966, with two crew and twenty-nine
passengers. Formerly a naval picket boat, the vessel had undergone
considerable structural modifications which adversely affected its
seaworthiness, before beginning service as an unlicensed passenger boat
without radio, distress flares or other lifesaving equipment. On the
fatal voyage, a group from the Greatwood guest house in Mylor were
taken on a 30-mile trip to Fowey. The outward voyage was completed
without mishap, but the weather had significantly deteriorated when the
return trip began late that afternoon. When the vessel failed to return
to Mylor the alarm was raised, and air and sea searches began on 1
August. Twelve bodies were eventually recovered, but no further traces
of the vessel were found at the time. A subsequent Board of Trade
enquiry exposed the laxity with which boat licensing regulations were
being administered, and led to stricter enforcement. In 2016 divers
found an anchor and other debris in the vicinity of Darlwyne's final
sighting, which they stated were in all probability relics from the
vessel.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_of_MV_Darlwyne>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1715:
Introduced during a time of civil disturbance in Great Britain,
the Riot Act came into force, authorising authorities to declare any
group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_Act>
1907:
Robert Baden-Powell held the first Scout camp at Brownsea
Island in Dorset, England, beginning the Scouting movement.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsea_Island_Scout_camp>
1981:
At one minute past midnight, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by
the Buggles became the first music video broadcast on the American cable
television network MTV.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Killed_the_Radio_Star>
2004:
Nearly 400 people died in a supermarket fire in Asunción,
Paraguay, when exits were locked to prevent people from stealing
merchandise.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ycu%C3%A1_Bola%C3%B1os_supermarket_fire>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
august:
1. Awe-inspiring, majestic, noble, venerable.
2. Of noble birth.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/august>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity,
nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by
the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.
--Herman Melville
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Herman_Melville>