Καφηρεύς [Έσπερος - Xantha, Solyst, Sea Maid, Kaphireus, Esperos, Struma]

[Nicholas Peppas]

I have been going back to the similarities and differences of Kafireus and Struma. In fact I have several new pieces of information to upload from Romanian and Bulgarian sources... But first I took the only Kafireus photo we have ( a small insert in a Volos postcard) and superimposed a brand new "doctored" photo of Struma (on top) that I found in a new book. So, I comclude there are serious similarities...
--- Same sterns
--- Almost the same clipper bows
--- A white protective tent (?) in the back of both ships...

The main difference is the position of the funnel

STR.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

Some introductory thoughts

Over the past four months I have been reexamining all the information that has been posted on this thread of nautilia.gr and I have spent significant amount of time combing the Greek, US/British, German, Austian, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian and Israeli Google sources. I have communicated with several Bulgarian and Romanian collectors and have read several newer books and testimonies on Kafireus and the Struma.

I have concluded that we do not know everything about this ship, that we do not have the complete picture of its rich, yet very sad life... Depending on what story you read, this ship lived 75 to 77 years, yet there are so many unanswered questions.

Perhaps a part of the lingering confusion stems from the fact that so many people were lost in Struma that their relatives want (and deserve answers). So, suddenly individuals who are not researchers of maritime history make assumptions and publish information (like the alleged 1830 Macedonia provenance of this ship) that has not been checked carefully!

Which Xantha is Sea Maid/Kafireus/Struma?

In the last few months there has been renewed interest in the early days of the Greek ship Kafireus, the ship that in the late 1930s became the Struma (Strymon) that had a tragic end in the cold waters of the Black Sea with many innocent souls lost.

Up to now, it was generally believed that this ship was built originally as the Xantha in Newcastle in 1867. I would like to reexamine the facts related to this conclusion. I do not doubt that Kafireus/Struma started as Xantha, I just want to re-examine which Xantha she was..

Our widely accepted view that Kafireus is the 1867 Xantha is based on two main sources.

Source 1:
Miramar shows her as having 132 tons and having been built at Palmer's in Jarrow. She was supposed to have been launched on June 24, 1867.

This information is questionable. I will show below that the 132 tons information appears before 1867!

Miramar usually provides additional information that is missing entirely here. Why? Was this information added carelessly? It is also suspicious that no additional information was provided of the length, width, engines, speed and, of course, the fate of this ship, although this information is widely available in several books from Great Britain of the 1860s and later!

Source 2:
The main source of information about two Xanthas came from a Web site created by the Harvey family. See http://www.webrarian.co.uk/harvey/yachts/

In this site, the present Harvey decedents have summarized all the yachts built by Thomas and John Harvey. The designer of interest to us is John Harvey who was building yachts in the 1860s in Wivenhoe, England. Wivenhoe is located on the South East side of England, a few miles south of Ipswich. In the above Web site, the Harvey family claims that designer John Harvey built two Xanthas in two years. They indicate this was done in 1865 and 1867 and they give the following information "from Lloyd's". They do admit though that Lloyd's started in 1878! Lloyd's Register states in their main Web site

Our records of shipowners date from 1876 and the Lloyd's Register of Yachts dates from 1878 to 1980 (this was superseded by the Lloyd's Register of Classed Yachts, which itself ceased publication in 1996).

I submit this information is also somewhat suspicious. Fist, the tonnage of the alleged two Xanthas doe snot agree with what I have found in contemporary sources and especially in Brickwood's Yachting Calendar of 1866 and in the Hunt's Yachting Magazine issues of 1866 and 1867.

Here are the two entries as summarized in the Harvey family site http://www.webrarian.co.uk/harvey/yachts/

Two Xanthas.jpg

Note that he first Xantha (1865) was just 72 tons and the second 102 tons. None of the two was 132 tons and none of the two belonged to their true owner!!!

We know now that both vessels belonged to Lord Alfred Paget. Lord Paget was a string supporter of Queen Victoria and served as Commodore of the Royal Thames Yachting Club (R. T. Y. C.). In addition, he had several of his yachts made or stationed in Wivenhoe, which is located on the South East side of England, a few miles south of Ipswich. Harvey's site does not associate these ships above with Lord Paget! In fact, one of the alleged owners was Charles MacIver (!!!) the co-founder of Cunard Line in Liverpool. But nowhere in the extensive biographies of MacIver will you find any reference to a yacht names Xantha, Xanta, Zanta or any other paraphrase of the Greek name... Xanthi (which for non-Greek speaking readers means blond)!

At this point and before I turn to the documents from 1864 to 1901, I would like to present new paintings and drawings of Xantha.

First here is an 1866 drawing of Xantha taken from the Illustrated London News of 1866 (page 618 ). A truly wonderful yacht in the style of the only pictures of Kafireus we have 45 years later!

Xantha 1866 drawing.jpg

As you look at her and as you contemplate that she might be the Kafireus, remember that this ship was lengthened much later, in 1888, which would make it even more plausible...

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

The plot thickens... Xantha No 1 and Xantha No 2

Before I proceed with my analysis I wish to remind you of the two main allegations

Miramar shows Xantha as having 132 tons and having been built at Palmer's in Jarrow. She was supposed to have been launched on June 24, 1867. The Harvey site indicates two ships by the same name Xantha (1865) of just 72 tons and the second Xantha of 102 tons. None of the two was 132 tons and none of the two belonged to Lord Alfred Paget.

First, Lord Paget was an independently wealthy man and he loved sailing. He was known as a pioneer in ship building, from yawls, to iron schooner and cutters and yachts! Here is an excerpt form an article in the Syracuse New York Daily Standard of 1894. So, Lord Paget liked to make and race many different types of vessels...

Cutter.jpg

Here are now several short sections from the building of the Xantha. Unless otherwise noted, they are from Hunt's Yachting Magazine
First, here is an announcement for Xantha's building... Lord Paget built a magnificent yawl called Xantha in 1864. She was built by John Harvey, she was 135 tons and she was definitely racing in 1865!

Xantha 1864.jpg

Lord Paget brought her to the Royal Thames Yachting Club on May 27, 1865. She was a handsome clipper yawl (see below)

Xantha 1865b.jpg

And on March 1, 1867, Lord Paget was registering one and only one Xantha and she was -of course- the one he had built in 1864!

Xantha 1867 March.jpg

Now, why is all this information important? See the next section

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

Xantha No 1

Lord Paget brought her to the Royal Thames Yachting Club on May 27, 1865. She was a handsome clipper yawl. Now, why is all this information important?

It is important because Lord Paget built only one clipper bow yacht, the first Xantha of 1864. Let us return to the picture I showed before..

It is from an 1866 edition of the Illustrated London News and I must admit I did not give the whole picture... Here is the whole page (from an E-bay sail)!

Xantha Gloriana2.jpg

So, it refers to a very famous race that took place on June 22, 1866 with the 135-ton Xantha participating and fighting with Gloriana (left) for first place! Here is the description of this great race

June 22 1866 race1.jpg
June 22 1866 race2.jpg
June 22 1866 race3.jpg
June 22 1866 race4.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

The elusive paintings of Xantha No 1 and Xanta 2

We will know more about this whole story if we can find a painting from that race. Indeed Thomas Goldsworth Dutton, a famous painter of that period, did a painting of the same ship in another great race rounding the Kentish Knock on June 12, 1865.

Xantha Dutton portraits 1865.jpg

But unfortunately, at present time no such copy of this painting is available on the Web, not even from the Maritime Museum!

Xantha Dutton.jpg

Meanwhile, the ILN drawing is available with many ... coloring efforts!

Xantha Gloriana.jpg

Xantha & Gloriana.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

Xantha No 1

There are several other documents from races that I could append, and I will, such as the Birckwood magazine presentation of another major race of Xantha with Gloriana. It is appended her in a way that can be read by only those truly interested.

But obviously, Lord Paget was not satisfied with the results of these races and the continuous losses to Gloriana... The attached excerpt from March 1, 1867 is clear that Xantha , while good, was not an exceptional ship.

Xantha Mar 1 1867.jpg

Xantha No 2

It appears then that a new Xantha was launched in 1867 and presented in September 1867 as indicated below. She had none of the tonnage reported below... She was a 180-ton vessel with a service speed of 9.5 knots. Most importantly, she is presented as a steam yacht. John Harvey was her designer and Palmer at Jarrow-on-the-Tyne was the builder (see below)

Xantha 1867 d.jpg

But we have no drawings, photographs or anything similar of this ship!

Meanwhile Grispigni's et al Annuario scientifico ed industriale of 1869 proclaims the superiority of the English yachts and gives the Paget yachts (in general) very high marks

Grispigni.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS OR PAINTINGS FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF KAFIREUS

Xantha No 2

So, Xantha was launched in 1867 and had 180 tons with a service speed of 9.5 knots. In a 1887 document we find that she was lengthened from 31.5 m to 38.8 m. Supposedly her speed increased to 11.5 knots!

Here is this document
Xantha6.jpg

Sölyst or Solyst

In 1891 she was sold to a Danish industrialist and moved to Copenhagen for four years. We have no photograph from that period either

Sea Maid

In 1895 she became a British vessel again under the name Sea Maid and belong to a certain J.L. Phipps.

Here are her technical characteristics from an 1899 publication of all yachts. She had 204 tons, a length of 44.8 m and a width of 5.9 m, which meas that either she had been further lengthened or she was not the same ship!!!

Sea Maid listing 1899.jpg

And here we get a first rate gift! A wonderful painting by our good friends Antonio de Simone, the Italian maritime painter (active 1865-1910). Here is what Christie's says http://www.artfact.com/auction-lot/a...1-c-l40vbwknko

Description:
The Sea Maid in Neapolitan Waters partially signed and inscribed 'Sea Maid' bodycolour 15 x 22in. (38 x 56cm.)

NOTES
The Sea Maid, an iron screw schooner of 204 tons gross, was built by Palmer's of Newcastle in 1867. Previously named Solyst and then Xantha, she took the name Sea Maid when owned by Mr. J.L. Phipps in the 1890's.

The problem is this painting cannot be viewed as the last copy or original was sold at Christie's in 1998! Here is the Sotheby sale in 1997 if anyone has the catalogue of that auction

Sea Maid.jpg

When and if we find it, we will know for sure how Sea Maid (and Kafireus and Struma) looked...

Meanwhile enjoy some of the great paintings of the De Simone family in http://www.fineartemporium.com/se-Desimone-A.htm
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/l...jectID=5203976

[Nicholas Peppas]

Meanwhile enjoy some of the great paintings of the De Simone family in http://www.fineartemporium.com/se-Desimone-A.htm
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/l...jectID=5203976

Here are some de Simone yachts in Naples...

De Simone.jpg

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION FROM THE DAYS OF KAFIREUS

Sea Maid was sold to Greek interests in 1902 or 1903 but was not placed in passenger service immediately.

In earlier pages of this thread, Ellinis and I have presented a few scattered pages with schedules or news about Kafireus. Tha attached postcard started this whole thread. Based on the dating of the Volos-Milies train, I can now date it accurately as 1908, which means that Kafireus was already running the Chalkis to Volos route that year

Kafireus1.jpg
train.jpg

Kafireus was requisitioned by the Greek Government in 1913 to be used in the northern front. She is mentioned in the History of the Balkan Wars, Ekdosis Dieu0unseos Istorias Stratou, Athens, 1980 (in Greek) as having helped with the transfer of troops from Chalkidiki to Amphipolis.

In 1916 she was sold to private interests. I do not know if her sale and non-use as a naval support ship was related to her age (49 at that time!) or her location. But we find her next in November 1916 belonging to the Thrakiki Atmoploia (Thracian Coastal Line). In another site http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showpos...08&postcount=5 I presented the hypothesis that Thrakiki Atmoploia may be related to A. Hambouris who was also involved with the Pandelis Brothers

We have identified announcements and ads in Greek newspapers until 1920 or so. Surprisingly enough Kafireus is not mentioned in any of the Tzamtzis related to the mandatory retirement of certain Greek passenger ships in 1932 (and she would have been retired as she was 65 or more years old already).

It is safe to assume she had been stuck from the Greek list and moved to Bulgaria already, although haddock uses the following citation to indicate her transfer in the early 1930s.

Από το βιβλίο «Auschwitz and the Allies» του Martin Gilbert, εκδόσεων Michael Joseph/Rainbird στα 1981:

Παράθεση:
The Struma had been built in 1867 in Newcastle, and first sailed as the Xantha. In 1888 she had been lengthened, and substantially altered, and was still British-owned until 1902, when bought by a Greek shipowner. In 1934, as the Esperos, she was sailing under the Bulgarian flag. As the Struma, in 1942, she was registered in Panama, 226 tons gross, 140 net, with a Bulgarian captain and crew.
Τελικά, τα στοιχεία που έχουμε συλλέξει δείχνουν τουλάχιστον ότι η πρώτη θεωρία ενισχύεται ότι το Struma όντως ταξίδεψε στην Ελλάδα είτε ως Καφηρεύς ή ως Έσπερος.

[Nicholas Peppas]

NEW INFORMATION FROM THE BULGARIAN DAYS OF KAFIREUS

We have identified announcements and ads in Greek newspapers until 1920 or so. Surprisingly enough Kafireus is not mentioned in any of the Tzamtzis related to the mandatory retirement of certain Greek passenger ships in 1932 (and she would have been retired as she was 65 or more years old already). It is safe to assume she had been stuck from the Greek list and moved to Bulgaria already, although haddock indicates her transfer in the early 1930s.

To further understand why Kafireus was sold to Bulgaria, I asked two Bulgarian academics to help me with the discovery of additional information about her in Bulgaria. Christo Bogdanov of Plovdid University was the most helpful. He pointed out that Kafireus was sold in 1931 or 1932 to a certain Dimiter Nenkov

The following passage in Bulgarian is important:

Д-р Конфино трескаво организира поредния си търговски рейс с бежанци до Палестина. Гемиите на смъртта продължават да пътуват...
Този път семейство Конфино закупуват от дружество "Струма" гемия със същото име. Корабът е построен през 1867 г. в Нюкасъл, Англия, като яхта на английски лорд. През 1932 г. Димитър Ненков от Варна го закупува от гърка Георги Мелонас, сменя името му от "Есперос" на "Македония". До продажбата корабът е сменил десетина собственици. "Македония" имала следните данни: 144 брт, дължина 46.40 м, широчина 5.70 м и газене 3.20. Притежавала полудизелов двигател "Болиндер" с мощност 80 к.с. Корпусът му е метален

Basically, in 1932 a certain Dimiter Nenkov from Varna bought Kafireus from a Greek named Georgios Mylonas and changed the name from Esperos to Makedoniya. Thus, it appears that this fellow Mylonas brought her into Bulgaria as Esperos already. Nenkov did further changes and conversion of the ship Makedoniya which now stood at 144 tons, length of 46.40 m, and width of 5.70 m.

Furthermore, it is noted

Притежавала полудизелов двигател "Болиндер" с мощност 80 к.с. Корпусът му е метален. През 1937 г. корабът е превърнат в шлеп. От 1940 г. е собственост на дружество "Струма", което през 1941 г. го продава на семейство Конфино, което го приспособява за превоз на хора.

The ship was not used after 1937 and her engine was changed to one of 80 HP. Then, in 1941 Dr Konfino, who organized voyages to Palestine got it and prepared it for such a trip. It is indicated that she received the name Struma (Strymon) in 1941.


Christo Bogdanov sent me also a summary of Struma (Strymon) fate and last days as presented in Bulgaria. Here we have basically the same story we all know, perhaps with a very strong emphasis on the machinations of a certain Dr Konfino (Др Конфино) who seemed to have represented Israelite interests although perhaps not in the most clear way...

Повдигат се остри обвинения срещу Конфино, чуват се гласове да бъде съден, но скоро трагедията на нещастните евреи е забравена. Д-р Конфино трескаво организира поредния си търговски рейс с бежанци до Палестина. Гемиите на смъртта продължават да пътуват...
.........
"Струма" плава под панамски флаг, но с български екипаж под командата на българина от руски произход капитан Григорий Горбатенко. От Варна "Струма" отива до Костанца, където е натъпкан със 778 евреи, сред които 103 деца. Още в пристанището моторът му се разваля и се налага да бъде нает румънски влекач, който да го тегли на буксир до Босфора. Бежанците заплащат услугата със злато, венчални халки и семейни бижута. Турските власти задържат кораба на рейд пред Босфора 71 дни без вода и провизии. На борда пламва дизентерия, но въпреки това бежанците не са допуснати на сушата. "Струма" получава нареждане да напусне Босфора и да излезе в открито море. Сутринта на 24 февруари 1942 г. корабът е торпилиран и потопен на 14 мили североизточно от Босфора от руската подводница ДЩ 213" с командир Д. Деженко. Това е трагична грешка - руснаците са сметнали "Струма" за германски транспортен кораб. Само 19-годишният украински евреин Давид Столяр успява да се спаси от ледената прегръдка на морето.
Фаталното плаване на "Струма" слага край на нелегалната емиграция за Палестина.