INTERRUPTED & DISASTER MAIL Interrupted & Disaster Mail
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 822
Symbol: C
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1886 (Mar) cover from England with 'LIVERPOOL/MR5/86' b/s, to "Dell Rapids/Minehaha Co/DT" (= Dakota Territory), stamp washed-off in the incident, complete advice label with 'PO NEW YORK NY July 6th 1886/This piece is a portion of the mail forwarded from/Queenstown, Ireland per steamer OREGON.../and damaged by the sinking of that vessel off/Fire Island on March 14th. Recovered from the/wreck July 1-4/...' (H&G Type 4a) affixed to the reverse & tied by a faint 'REGISTERED/JUL/12/1886/...' arrival (?) b/s, the panels largely separated & rejoined with archival tape. [Hoggarth & Gwynn state "Estimated 36-50 known", but across at least 18 different labels plus several others]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1892 (Jan 20) Philadelphia-Yorkshire waterlogged & the stamp washed-off in the incident, 'LONDON/PAID/16FE92' cds in red on the face & PO sealing label tied by 'BRADFORD/YORKS' cds of the same day, a couple of repaired tears. [Per 'Eider' which ran aground off the Isle of Wight on 31.1.1892. Hoggarth & Gwynn note that mails recovered early received no instructional markings and that "few of these will have survived"]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1901 (Jan) 5c Envelope with 'MATEMORE/ORAN' cds & large-part distressed cover with 15c tied by 'TLEMCEN A ORAN' TPO d/s both to France with the two slightly different 'NAUFRAGE DE LA RUSSIE' h/s in rosine or magenta (Dr Gwynn states he has recorded only two examples in magenta). [On 7.1.1901, the French boat 'Russie' Morocco-Marseilles ran aground near Marseilles. Matemore & Tlemcen are inland towns, 100km SE & 170km SW of Oran respectively]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1907 (Feb 20) Harwich-Netherlands per 'Berlin' commercial postcard from London with KEVII ½d tied by 'FS' (= Foreign Section) cancel, 'AMSTERDAM/21/FEB/07/6-7N' & largely very fine 2-line 'BESCHADIGD DOOR RAMP/HARWICH BOOT' h/s (H&G Type 1) in violet. [On 21.2.1907, 'Berlin', owned by Great Eastern Railway Co, was wrecked at the mouth of the Maas River with 165 deaths & only 15 survivors. Hoggarth & Gwynn state "20 to 35 known" but that is across four different cachets. This item illustrated by them at p125, noted as recived on the evening of the disaster. Plus unused PPC 'Capt Sperlings Heroic Rescue from the SS Berlin']
(Qty 2)
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1907 (Feb 20) Harwich-Netherlands per 'Berlin' cover from London waterlogged but with the KEVII 2½d remarkably in place & tied by Foreign Section machine, largely very fine 2-line 'BESCHADIGD DOOR RAMP/HARWICH BOOT' h/s (H&G Type 1) in black & Amsterdam arrival b/s of 24.2.1907. Stated to be Ex Huskisson.
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1908 (Nov 17) New York-Canal Zone American black/pink 'REGISTRY RETURN RECEIPT' postcard (= Avis de Réception card) with 'MOUNT CARMEL PA' datestamp, evidence of water-damage still remarkably fine. [On 26.11.1908, having been delayed for three days, SS 'Finance' departed New York near where she was hit amidships by the much larger SS 'Georgic' & sank with 4 deaths. Illustrated by G&H at p138, who state "10 to 19 known" but that is across two different labels, a handstamp & this item]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1908 (Nov 17) New York-Peru underpaid with 'CENTIMES/ 30 ' h/s, waterlogged and distressed with the stamp washed-off, New York '.../The piece of mail herewith was recov-/ered from wreck of Steamer Finance.../...' instructional label & 'CORREOS DEL PERU/27AGOS.../TRUJILLO' arrival b/s, a few rust-spots, opened-out for display. [Illustrated by G&H at p139]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1909 (Feb 26) Algeria-Marseilles per SS 'Ville d'Alger' with minor water-damage & Paris machine arrival across where the stamp was washed-off, largely superb 'NAUFRAGE DE LA/VILLE D'ALGER' h/s (H&G Type 1: illustrated by them at p140); and a very attractive but distressed advertising cover from Algiers with larger 'NAUFRAGE DE LA VILLE/D'ALGER' h/s in violet (Type 2) on the reverse. [On 28.2.1909, the ship collided with another at the entrance to Marseilles Harbour & was stranded. The only casualties were two passengers who jumped overboard!]
(Qty 2)
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1910 (Feb 7) Marseilles-Algeria per SS 'General Chanzy' advertising cover for a French trading house to Constantine with Sower 10c tied by Paris machine, minor water-damage & soiling, makeshift resealing label tied to the reverse by large-part 'NAUFRAGE DU/GENERAL CHANZY' h/s in violet. [On 10.2.1910, the ship was forced onto rocks off the Spanish island of Minorca & exploded. Of the 160 persons on board, only one survived, and he was thought to be a ghost! H&G state "10 to 19 known"]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1921 (Apr) mourning cover from Egypt & another cover from an unknown origin both to Paris, water-damaged & with the stamps washed-off, largely very fine handstamps 'ACCIDENT EN MER/ CORRESPONDANCE INONDEE' (H&G Type 6) in black or 'ACCIDENT en MER/COURRIER INONDE' (Type 5) in blue, the latter with very fine 'DIRECTION DE LA SEINE/11-5/21/REBUTS' b/s. [On 18.4.1921, at Marseilles, the British ship SS 'Kalyan' was found to have water in the hold]
(Qty 2)
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1923 (Oct 3) Ecole Universelle advertising cover Paris-Saigon per SS 'Angkor' with Sower 25c tied by hexagonal 'PARIS 409/ECOLE-UNIVERSELLE' d/s, minor water damage & large black/pink 'DETERIORE PAR IMMERSION/lors de l'incendie du 15 Oct 23/a bord du paquebot Angkor/...' label (= damaged by immersion during a fire...), poor Saigon arrival b/s of 11-3/23. [On 15.10.1923, while off Perim Island (Aden), a fire was discovered in the hold. H&G state "20 to 35 known", but that is across at least four labels & seven cachets. NB: the two acute accents on DETERIORE are actually the numeral '1' added to the printing forme!]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1927 (June 10) cover with AEF 50c tied by 'BANGUI/OUBANGUI-CHARI___' cds (something excised) with 'COURRIER NAUFRAGE/SUR LE CONGO' h/s & light 'BRAZZAVILLE RP/26/JUIN/27/ MOYEN CONGO' arrival b/s. [On 23.6.1927, the river steamer 'Largeau' ran aground near Brazzaville. H&G state "10 to 19 known", of which the majority are posthumous creations. This is said to be "a genuine use" & 16 days to cover 1000km+ of the Congo seems reasonable but, considering the distressed condition of Gunther Heyd's cover, we have our reservations]
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 834
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1929 (Sep 7) cover Denmark-Finland per Swedish ship 'Heimdall', minor water-damage & the stamp washed-off, Swedish 'Bifogade forsandelse/har skadats av vatten vid/angfartyget Heimdalls...' [sic] label tied by superb 'STOCKHOLM 1/11.9.29/AVG LBR' cds, 'TURKU/12 XI 29/ABO' arrival slogan. [On 8.9.1929, 'Heimdall' was wrecked near Vaxholm within the Stockholm Archipelago. Illustrated by H&G at page 226]
MARITIME INCIDENTS: 1933 (June) covers from Bolivia x2 to France (stamps washed-off) or England (illustrated by H&G at page 234) and from Argentina to Switzerland per Spanish ship MV 'Cabo San Antonio' with H&G cachets Types 4 1 & 2 respectively all in French. An attractive trio. [On 9.7.1933, while off the Canary Islands, there was a fire in the ship's hold. H&G state "36 to 50 known" but that is across five cachets]
(Qty 3)
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1884 (Nov 19) Wurttemberg 5pf Postal Card with superb Stuttgart cds, to Hamburg with major fire-damage at base & left, very fine black/mauve 'Beim Brand eines/wurtt Bahnpostwagens/am 20.11. beschadigt.' label affixed at U/L; plus a similarly damaged 100mk banknote from the same incident. Ex Gunther Heyd, with his references (in German): sold for £235. [The night mail train from Vienna to Paris collided with a goods train at Bietigheim, just outside Stuttgart. G&H at p29 state only four items have been recorded]
(Qty 2)
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1906 (Dec 29) black/orange insured bank cover with printed 'Jnliegend' (= Enclosed) & mss "3200 (Drei Tausend Zwei Hundert Mark)" at the top, closed with two wax seals with superb impressions of 'SPARKASSE DES KREISES/[eagle]/WINSEN A/D LUHE' (sparkasse = savings bank) to Westphalia with Germania 20pf 25pf & 50pf tied by 'WINSEN' cds, overall soiling/staining from involvement in the crash, roneo'd PO label (G&H Type 7) translates as 'Damaged in the fire in the postal coach of train 96. Post Office 5 Bremen', very fine 'LINGEN/30.12.06' arrival b/s. Full of character! [At 1am on 30.12.1906, the Hamburg-Cologne Express collided with a freight train near Ottersberg, close to Bremen, causing loss of life & fire in the mail van. Extraordinarilly, this article was delivered on the same day! That's Teutonic efficiency for you!]
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 838
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1925 (Oct 12) Hotel de Crillon cover to Pennsylvania with Merson 1fr tied by 'PARIS 47/R LA BOETIE' slogan cancel, attractively singed at the top & L/L, with the slightly larger 'LETTRE TOMBEE EN REBUT' "ambulance" envelope (minor opening tear at the top) with largely very fine strike '.../Correspondance retardee/par accident/(incendie du wagon-poste)/Priere de ne pas taxer' cachet in violet (= delayed by accident; burned in postal wagon; please do not tax). [Damaged in transit by a fire at Rouen Station. Absent from the Gunther Heyd and Howard Longden collections]
(Qty 2)
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 839
Symbol: C
Cat No: Collection
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1934 (May 29) social letter Connecticut to Vermont with 3c Whistler's Mother tied by South Norwalk machine, attractively singed on all sides but largely intact, manuscript "This letter was damaged/in AR Train No 1/fire on May 30 1934/[signature]". The only item from this incident recorded by Gwynn & Hoggarth. [Absent from the Gunther Heyd and Howard Longden collections]
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 840
Symbol: CL
Cat No: Collection
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1945 (July 9) cover from a serviceman at Roswell NM to Ohio, endorsed "FREE" & with Roswell machine, mangled at the base consistent with having been run-over by a train, partly very fine 'DAMAGED IN TRANSIT AT/CRESTLINE, OHIO' cachet in purple at L/L. The only item from this incident recorded by Gwynn & Hoggarth: absent from the Gunther Heyd and Howard Longden collections. ['On the fly' incidents occurred when a mailbag failed to be caught by the machinery at a station: this could result in the bag bouncing onto the tracks & being run-over by the train]
Opened in 1941, Walker Air Force Base at Roswell was a key military installation. It was also where Robert Goddard conducted rocket experiments. The 1947 Roswell UFO Incident 'put the town on the map'. We are intrigued by the sender's reference to "RAAF". 'Private' was not an Air Force rank so it probably means something else.
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1948-73 American disasters comprising 1) 1948 GB-California incident at Terre Haute IN; 2) 1952 Germany-California incident near Ogden UT (the worst railway disaster in US history); 3) 1956 internal incident near Philadelphia (unrecorded by G&H; terrific item for the collector of Business Reply Mail); 4) 1960 internal incident at Daggett CA; and 5) 1973 internal California (the only recorded item).
(Qty 5) (Image1)
Estimate AU$250
Opening AU$ 190.00
Sold...AU$ 190.00
Closed..Aug-05-2021, 19:00:00 EST
Sold For 190
Sale No: 245
Lot No: 842
Symbol: C
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1951 (Dec 19) charred cover to Canada with 'DAVENPORT/IOWA' meter in blue & superb strike of 'DAMAGED IN RAILROAD FIRE' h/s in purple, with the slightly larger 'CANADA POST OFFICE' "ambulance" envelope with a second strike of the cachet plus 'District Post Office Inspector/INV DIV/DEC 31 1951/ 2 / LONDON ONT' cds both in a differerent ink.
(Qty 2 items)
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1958 (Mar) sizeable remnant of a badly charred & fragile cover apparently from Sweden to "Tyskland" (= Germany) with roneo'd 'Malmo den 31 mars 1958/Denna forsandelse har skadats vid/tagolyka (brand) i Tyskland den/29 Mars 1958/...' label stating that the incident occurred in Germany. [The only item from this incident recorded by Gwynn & Hoggarth]
RAILWAY INCIDENTS: 1965 (Dec) cover from England to Portugal with minor blemishes & stamp(s) lost in the incident, largely very fine strike of the huge boxed cachet in Portuguese translated as 'Salvaged from the disaster involving the South Express near Salamanca' (in Spain) on the reverse. [The Paris-Lisbon Southern Express smashed into a local Spanish train at Villar de los Alamos, between Salamanca & the Portuguse border. Illustrated in Gwynn & Hoggarth at p280].
MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS: 1804 large-part very early envelope plus two fragments from the enclosed letter all fire-damaged, to the French Minister of Justice from the Italian Piedmont with very fine '109/CHIVASSO' h/s in red & manuscript endorsement on the flap "arrivée en ce Etat a la Poste a paris/le 23 gal an 2/chef" (= arrived in this condition at the Paris Post 23rd Germinal ie Republican calendar = 13th April 1804). A fascinating early piece of disaster mail. Ex Gunther Heyd: sold in 2002 for £200. [With Heyd's notes & an English translation]
(Qty 3 items)
MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS: 1880 (late-Feb) mourning cover to GB "Via Varna" with Austrian Levant 10sld tied by double-circle 'CONSTANTINOPEL' cds, waterlogged in transit & resealed with four 'KK Briefspedition/Nr III/WIEN' labels tied by similarly inscribed wax seal & 'WIEN/5/3/80' cds, opened-out for display. Ex Gunther Heyd. [In the Heyd catalogue, this cover was listed as a railway incident. That is almost certainly not the case. Varna is a Bulgarian port city on the Black Sea: from there the cover was probably carried by ship up the Danube to Vienna]
