# _Italy Community_ ## ✅ **1911 | The Wreck of the Steamship *União* at Cinco Ribeiras**

In the second half of the 19th century, as steam-powered navigation began to replace sailing vessels, the Portuguese fishing fleet—based on mainland ports—started venturing into more distant seas. Some deep-sea vessels became regular visitors to the waters of the Azores, especially in pursuit of species that were rare along the continental coast. One of the ships involved in this activity was *União*, an old steamship weighing 227 tons. It had recently been registered at the port of Peniche after being acquired from a French shipowner—without first being inspected to determine its condition. *União* was used for lobster fishing. On June 26, 1911, it wrecked at the small harbor of Cinco Ribeiras, located on the southwest coast of Terceira Island, about five miles from the port of Angra do Heroísmo. On the eve of the shipwreck, *União* had departed from Praia da Vitória under the command of Armando Athayde Moreira Bettencourt, with a crew of thirty-eight fishermen from Peniche and Viana do Castelo. The vessel had sailed along the northern coast of Terceira to retrieve fishing gear previously set at sea. In the early morning, while navigating near Ponta da Serreta, the vessel began taking on water. As the crew worked to contain the issue, the captain decided to head quickly for the port of Angra do Heroísmo. > However, as the ship was at serious risk of sinking, the captain made the decision to run it aground on the shallows near the landing area of Cinco Ribeiras. All crew members were saved, thanks to a dinghy mobilized by local authorities. Still, the damage caused by the grounding led to the loss of part of the cargo—around 4,000 lobsters. The next day, the Lisbon newspaper *A Capital* published a brief news report: > **"ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO, 27 – The Portuguese steamship *União*, engaged in lobster fishing, has sunk. All crew members were saved. The ship was insured and is considered a total loss."** On the following day, the newspaper published an update under the title *"The Wreck of the Steamship União in Angra do Heroísmo”*: > **"As *A Capital* reported yesterday in its 'Latest News' section, the steamship *União* has wrecked on Terceira Island. The vessel was an old 203-ton ship with a crew of ten. It was owned by Mr. João Baptista da Conceição, from Peniche, and insured by the Atlanta company. It had left our port on May 5 under the command of Captain João Baptista Horta, who returned to Lisbon on the 5th of this month aboard the *San Miguel*, passing command in Angra do Heroísmo to First Mate Mr. Armando de Bettencourt. > The *União* had onboard fishermen from Peniche and Viana do Castelo, who were fortunately all saved."** There were inconsistencies in the reported tonnage of the ship and the size of the crew. However, one striking element of this event was a photograph of the wrecked vessel, one of the few visual records of the incident at Cinco Ribeiras. Over the years, the sea eventually broke apart the ship. According to underwater archaeologists who surveyed the area, only scattered remains of the *União* remain today, lying at a depth of about eight meters.

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I am sharing photos of landscapes, moments and experiences. Nature and sea are the most visited themes in my photo collection, but any attention-grabbing aspect can be photographed. Hope you enjoy it...

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Category	#italy
Photo taken at	Lisboa - Portugal

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