Boxing Day 1912 was remembered by the advent
of a south westerly gale, the full force of which was experienced at the Loe
Bar, the stretch of shingle and sand separating the Loe Pool from the sea
near Porthleven. This Italian Steamer TRIPOLITANIA was 2,297 tons and to avoid
any possible confusion on the point, it is not the "Thiploitania"
of 21297 tons with a crew of 28, which a local guide misinforms.
She became firmly embedded and despite
strenuous efforts to release her from this perilous position, she was broken
up and shipped as scrap from local Porthleven. It has been stated that about
£8,000 had been expended on trying to save her.
Many tons of sand and shingle were removed
by the method depicted here in an attempt to free the Tripolitania in the
Loe Bar Sands and a great expense was incurred to try and salvage the ship.
Tugs stood by for the attempt on the full
tide on the morrow, but a storm arose during the night and embedded the vessel
even firmer than before. After this incident hopes for refloating her were
abandoned and she was broken up for scrap iron. One man was drowned and his
body was never recovered.