The downfall of the Trentinian
The downfall of the Trentinian
The telegram to Paris
On February 4, 1928, an emergency telegram arrives in Paris at Mrs. Bartholoni with the announcement that an explosion has taken place on the Trentinian off the banks of Nakhon Phanom in Siam resp. Thakhek in Laos. There are at least 40 dead and many injured; her husband has not been found up to that point. He was one of the crew on board.
Steamships on the Mekong
There was a regular liner service on the Mekong led by a Franco-Laotian-Siamese company, which provided a liner service by steamship from Vientiane to Nongkhai, Nakhon Phanom and Savannaket, the latter being in Laos opposite Mukdahan in Thailand. But because of rocky outcrops and shallows, those boats couldn't get past southern Laos without being towed overland. A so-called 'portage railway' was built for this purpose in the Champasak region (Laos) near the Don Deth and Don Khon islands in the Mekong. That was a narrow gauge railway about 10 km long.
French-made steamships and gunboats were thus transported. Gunboats? France used a 'gun boat' policy to reinforce arguments. They were emphatically present on the Mekong. The armed French sloops Lagrandière, Ham Luong and Massie were brought to the Laotian areas in this way.
The Trentinians
On February 4, 1928, the steamship Trentinian exploded in the roadstead for Thakhek and Nakhon Phanom. The boat had just left Laos and was going upriver towards Vientiane. There was far too much dangerous cargo on board. It later turned out that 5.000 liters of petrol had been taken along as cargo, while the rules only allowed 3.000 litres. In addition, on board was a ton of 90% alcohol and acetylene. That was together in a closed, non-ventilated room and a highly explosive mixture was created.
The explosion destroyed the entire forecastle and the fire killed more than 40 people, including the boat's crew. The passengers were still sleeping peacefully at that time….. Captain Quilichine Ange lost a foot and succumbed in hospital after the amputation. The remains of crew member Mr. Bartholoni were not recovered until May 26.
The boat was lost.
Sources:
In French but very worthwhile: http://fer-air.over-blog.com/article-15986302.html
Passing the Khon waterfalls and rocky outcrops; link about the transport of ships via a railway line: http://www.historicvietnam.com/the-mysterious-khon-island-portage-railway/
In the “Travels in Laos” (diary) book where I recently posted some passages here on TB, it is also described how difficult it is to steam far up the Mekong. Lefèvre mentions two gunboats, the La Grandière and the Massie. (Source: his diary, April 28, 1895).