Title: Cape Cross. Past and present
Authors: P. and M. Bridgeford
Self-published
Walvis Bay, Namibia 2002
ISBN 9991650709
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 44 pages, numerous bw-illustrations
This is the fascinating story of Cape Cross over the past 500 years. Read about interesting events, colourful characters, the first railway and first postal robbery in Namibia, the biology of the Cape in detail. The earliest recorded wreck was the one, almost covered by sand, found by Captain Messum during his voyage of 1846 -1848. Nothing is known of this ship, or what became of the survivors.
In 1896, the "Erycina", a sailing vessel belonging to the Damaraland Guano Company was off-loading coal when strong winds blew her ashore and she sank. In the same year, the Norwegian vessel, the "Hendrik Ibsen" sank off Cape Cross. One of the survivors, August Hasselund, subsequently worked for the Damaraland Guano Company for many years. After World War I he again worked at Cape Cross for another concessionaire and died in 1959. In February 1897, the sailing vessel "Forester" was grounded at Cape Cross.
More drama occurred at Cape Cross in 1903. The "Deutsch-Südwestafrikanische Zeitung" of 19.th March 1903, reported that Mr. Wilson, an engineer and a long time employee of the Damaraland Guano Company and two seamen were killed and two others seriously injured. A boiler producing steam to power a winch on the sailing vessel "Carnmoney" exploded while loading guano, causing the fatal accident. (...)