50 Years Ago Today
SINKING OF THE ADRIAS: Greek coastal shipping yesterday (October 6) lost one of its best ships, the passenger ship Adrias which ran aground on the rocky shores of the islet of Falconera, about 15 miles from Antimilos. The ship had sailed at 9 p.m. the previous day from Souda, and was on course until the early morning hours when it was blown slightly off course by strong northeasterly winds. It struck the rocks at about 4.15 a.m. As was to be expected, the passengers awoke in terror but thanks to the swift actions of the captain and crew, order was maintained and no one was hurt. When an investigation showed that the cracks in the hull were serious and that the ship was shipping water, the Adrias’s captain, Gerasimos Fokas, one of the merchant marine’s finest, ordered a distress signal to be sent. The 530 passengers were immediately taken off the ship onto the islet of Falconera in the ship’s lifeboats, an operation that was completed by 8 a.m. Half an hour later, the crew abandoned ship. (…) First Mate Athanassios Arnyras, who was on the bridge when it ran aground (…) is already being held by the port police. People should not forget their past. They should learn from it but also move forward with their eyes fixed on the future. We, however, continue to see conspirators everywhere. We have to put an end to our obsession with US and CIA intrigues and conspiracy theories. With this incident of the terrorist assault, we have to decide and demonstrate whether we are with the West or not.
