Story & Photos by Marianne Salza
The Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 floating learning center, docked at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina, held a two-day-long series of events on July 25-26 in honor of the 68th anniversary of the collision of the SS Andrea Doria and MS Stockholm in 1956.
Number 1. (Photo by John Rogers)
“It was a traumatizing event the night of the sinking. The water was very oily, so everyone was covered in oil, and sea sick. It was a very uncomfortable environment,” described professional deep-sea diver, Mark Koch, who has been interested in nautical archeology and shipwrecks from a young age, and now manages international deep-sea dives.
The celebration included a memorial service, United States Coast Guard helicopter sea rescue demonstration, and presentation of the film, “Alive on the Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?” by author Pierrette Domenica Simpson, at the Battery Wharf Hotel. Historians, survivors, and members of the community also enjoyed a display of SS Andrea Doria artifacts, such as a bell, life preserver ring, and China silverware, salvaged by explorer, John Moyer.
Guests had the opportunity to cruise aboard the SS Andrea Doria Lifeboat Number 1, owned by Koch, a collector of rare antiquities, who spent four years restoring the vessel to historical accuracy in order to teach younger generations about the luxury, Italian liner.
“Our family has been dedicated to preserving history, educating youth – and most importantly – having fun doing it,” explained Koch, accompanied by his daughters, Evie and Estella. “We’re glad to be here in Boston, working with the Nantucket Lightship Museum. Both of these vessels were used on July 25, 1956. The Nantucket Lightship was used to coordinate communications to save the passengers on the Andrea Doria. Once again, these vessels are side by side and being used to tell the story.
Since its restoration, the SS Andrea Doria Lifeboat Number 1, which holds 56 people and is powered by fleming gear levers, has been to a movie premier in Detroit, profiled in New York City’s Columbus Day Parade, has been launched in the Hudson River at SUNY Maritime College, and was on display in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, in addition to Italian festivals around the country.
“Sixty-eight years later, it’s still very emotional for the survivors,” observed Koch. “The boat is a tangible way to get back to 1956. You’re stepping back into time.”
Survivor Joe Porporino, of Delaware, coasted through Boston Harbor on the SS Andrea Doria Lifeboat Number 1 with his sister, Bruna Porporino Capalbo, and brother-in-law, Joseph Capalbo, of New Jersey. He was two-years-old – his sister one – during the sinking.
The siblings recalled the stories passed down by their parents, Santino and Antonietta Porporino, who were migrating their family from Italy to the United States with all of their possessions.
“Experiencing what they experienced in a small lifeboat, in rough seas, not knowing whether you were going to live or die, must have been terrifying,” said Porporino. “The only thing my father had was his white boxer shorts. A crew member pulled off the drapes from a cabin and gave them to him to wrap himself like a toga. My mom only had her nightgown on with water stains from when the water came in. When we got rescued by the Stockholm, a famous University of Stockholm, Sweden, professor on the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, and his wife, gave us clothes to wear.”
After their parents passed away, the brother and sister visited Stockholm to reunite with the professor and his family, who joked that they wanted their sons’ clothes back.