Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
ANDREA DORIA’S FOGHORN WILL SOUND ONCE AGAIN
A Chester County man who helped to restore the original foghorn of the ill-fated Andrea Doria will be among shipwreck survivors, historians and divers who will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the ship’s collision at the New Jersey Maritime Museum on Sunday, July 25.
At the event, the foghorn on the Andrea Doria will sound again for the first time in 65 years.
Local artisans, including Eric Zandotti of Kennett Square, constructed a shortened steel mast-base alongside which the foghorn is mounted. Christine Genghini and Nathan Granja of Doylestown crafted the wooden base on which the horn base and horn now rest.
Scott Ciardi Dartmouth, Mass., cleaned and restored the horn’s bronze parts to a mirror-finish. Aqua Environment of California provided the regulator that will drive the right amount and pressure of air for the horn to sound again. The foghorn was recently salvaged by the crew of New Jersey-based Dive Vessell Tenacious and restored.
Andrea Doria was built in Genoa, Italy by Gio Ansaldo & Company. The 700-foot-long ocean liner was the flagship of the Italia Line, a line of luxury transportation between the United States and Europe. Although she was not the largest or fastest ship of her day, she was regarded by many as the most beautiful and referred to as a “floating art
gallery” with paintings, murals, sculptures, and tapestries by some of Italy’s most prominent artists.
On July 26, 1956, the ship was steaming from the Mediterranean to New York. The same night, the 524-foot Stockholm departed New York for her home port of Gothenburg, Sweden. The ships collided in a dense fog at 11 p.m. The Andrea Doria sank the following day, but the Stockholm returned to port carrying survivors. Her bow was later repaired, and she continued to sail as a cruise ship for decades under different names. There were 1,706 people aboard the Andrea Doria on the evening of the collision — 46 perished and 5 perished on the Stockholm.
The day after the Andrea Doria sank, investor and diver Peter Gimbel and diver Joseph Fox dove the wreck to chronicle the sinking for Life Magazine. Gimbel’s and Fox’s photographs appeared in the publication’s August 8 and Sept. 17, 1956 editions and instantly made the Andrea Doria one of the world’s most famous maritime casualties. Only a handful of dive expeditions are made to the wreck each year. Andrea Doria’s 250-foot depth and condition, as well as strong currents and low visibility in the waters surrounding the wreck, make her an extremely challenging dive.
John Moyer, along with Tom Packer and Steve Gatto, holds salvage rights to the Andrea Doria. They have amassed an impressive collection of artifacts from the wreck, including the ship’s bell, steering helm, brassframed windows, and fine china. In 1993, Moyer and a team of divers aboard the R/V WAHOO recovered the prized ceramic sculptures created by Italian artist Guido Gambone. Some of these items will be displayed at the Museum during the event.
“I heard about the Andrea Doria for the first time in 1975 at a shipwreck artifact show and immediately became fascinated by the ship, her art treasures, and her history,” said Diver and Salvor in Possession John Moyer, Moyer Expeditions, L.L.C. “Fortunately, we have been able to rescue many historically important artifacts and unique works of art before they were lost forever. The importance of conserving these artifacts cannot be overstated. Due to the harsh conditions in the North Atlantic, the Andrea Doria will one day be an unrecognizable pile of debris on the bottom of the sea.”
Divers Tom Zajac and Mazraani discovered one of two of the ship’s foghorns in 2016 during one of D/V Tenacious’ annual expeditions to the wreck. On August 6, 2017, a team that included Mazraani, Zajac, Packer, Gatto, Andrew Nagle, Michael Dudas, and Rick Simon, returned to the wreck and salvage the foghorn. The horn then underwent an extensive restoration process.
The foghorn’s original manufacturer, Swedishbased marine company Kockumation, is still in business.
“I remember the evening of the collision as if it were yesterday,” said survivor Pierette Domenica Simpson. “There was a dense fog, and the foghorn sounded into the night. I suddenly felt an abrupt, huge jolt accompanied by a thunderous noise. Our fluid ocean liner was hurled into the air on its right side, shaking terribly as it inclined to the left side.” Simpson, who was 9 at the time of the sinking, has dedicated much of her life to preserving the memory of Andrea Doria in books, films, and public appearances. Her film, “Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?” recently won the Best Director Award at the Asti Film Festival. A condensed version of the film will be shown during the program. The ceremony will end with survivors in attendance ringing one of Andrea Doria’s bells.
California-based Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo will sponsor a livestream that will enable people around the world to watch the event.