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USCG Case History

At approximately 0030, on January 31, 1975, Corinthos  was rammed as the Edgar M. Queeny
maneuvered away from its dock.  The Corinthos was in the process of offloading 315,000
barrels of Algerian crude oil at the British Petroleum terminal at Marcus Hook,
Pennsylvania.  The resulting explosion and fire reportedly shot flames 400-500 feet up
into the air.  The Corinthos ' hull split and sank, while continuing to smolder until
February 6.  The Edgar M. Queeny was carrying phenol, vinyl acetate, and paraffin at the
time of the incident.  Approximately 2,000 barrels of paraffin were released as a result
of the impact.  Twenty six of the forty-four people aboard the Corinthos  lost their lives
as a result of the collision, explosion, and fire.  Although the Edgar M. Queeny  also
caught fire, no fatalities were reported on that vessel.

Coast Guard personnel monitored the fire and pollution, controlled traffic and patrolled
the security zone during the response.  Pollution contractors were on scene within
seventy-seven minutes of notification.  Response personnel began booming creeks and
wildlife areas immediately.  Oiled waterfowl were taken to a cleaning facility at a New
Jersey Armory.  The Regional Response Team (RRT) was activated from January 31 through
February 5.  Coast Guard personnel from Marine Safety Office Philadelphia and the Atlantic
Strike Team (AST) responded to the spill.  Other response agencies included the
Philadelphia City Fire Department, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy.  During 1976, the two
sections of the sunken Corinthos  were raised and towed to Camden, New Jersey to be
scrapped.