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The Bermuda Triangle

(w/ guest lecturer Prof. Randall Scalise)

Supplementary Material for !B""""/P#$"""" Professors %ohn otton and Stephen Se&ula !e'ruary ()* +)(+ Based on the following information on the we': http://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/BermudaTriangle

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US Navy Avengers (similar to Flight 19)

http://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo !rom ,!lim-!lam./ 'y %ames Randi

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0loyd1s of 0ondon

2 huge mar&et where underwriters can 3oin together to pool and spread ris& (insurance).
,4 was in5ol5ed in a tele5ision program called 1The Bermuda Triangle1 that was shown in Britain in a'out (66+ on hannel 7* the 89uino: Programme and that was produced 'y %ohn Simmons of ;eo<lms. 2t that time the producers chec&ed with 0loyds of 0ondon to learn whether an unusually large num'er of ships had sun& in the triangle. They determined that large num'ers of ships had not sun& there./ = Bill >illon - ;eologist* ?S;S (http://woodshole.er.usgs.go5/pro3ect-pages/hydrates/'ermuda.html)

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Shipwrec&s of the ;reat 0a&es

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2 Timeline of ,The Sandra/ Story

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@The Sandra carried radio. 4t was a "A)-foot freighter which sailed with (+ men on 'oard from Miami to Sa5annah. There ")) tons of insecticide were loaded for Puerto a'ello* BeneCuela. The Sandra sailed - and disappeared without a trace.@ @Dn %une (E* in the 1small world1 year of (6A)* search was a'andoned. The fate of the craft and the doCen on 'oard was written down as an of<cial mystery.@ (8.B.F. %ones* Miami 2P* Miami #erald Sep (G* (6A))

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@The Sandra was a s9uare-cut tramp steamer. Rust spots showed here and there along her "A)-foot length. She carried (+ men and radio e9uipment. She had sailed from Sa5annah* ;eorgia* with ")) tons of insecticide destined for deli5ery at Puerto a'ello* BeneCuela.@ @Thumping her way leisurely southward through the hea5ily tra5eled steamer lanes off %ac&son5ille* the Sandra was on course. 2ll was in order. !rom her 'ridge the friendly* win&ing 'eacon of St. 2ugustine light must ha5e 'een easily 5isi'le through the peaceful tropic dus& that shrouded the low !lorida coastline off the star'oard rail.@ @The crewmen had 'een at mess* and now those not on duty drifted aft to smo&e and tal& and reHect upon the dying day and what the morrow would 'ring. Pro'a'ly not one of those present suspected he would ne5er li5e to see it.@ @Fhen the search 5essels and planes were called off* se5eral days later* the case was of<cially recorded as Iunsol5ed.1@ (;eorge J. Sand* @Sea Mystery at Dur Bac& >oor@* !ate Dct (6A+.)

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@The Sandra* a freighter "A) feet long* radio-e9uipped* sailed from Sa5annah* ;eorgia in %une* (6A)* for Puerto a'ello* BeneCuela. #eading south* she passed %ac&son5ille and St. 2ugustine along the well-tra5eled coastal shipping lane.@ @Then she disappeared as completely as if she had ne5er e:isted* in the tropic dus&* 3ust off the !lorida coast.@ @There was another futile search 'y air and sea. Ko de'ris or 'odies were e5er found* in the sea or on the 'eaches.@ (Bincent ;addis* @The >eadly Bermuda Triangle@* 2rgosy !e' (6E7)

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@The S.S. Sandra was a freighter "A) feet in length* radio- e9uipped. !rom Sa5annah* ;eorgia in %une* (6A)* she sailed for Puerto a'ello* BeneCuela with three hundred tons of insecticide. #eading south* she passed %ac&son5ille and St. 2ugustine along the welltra5eled coastal shipping lane.@ @Then she disappeared as completely as she had ne5er e:isted - in the tropic dus&* in peaceful weather - 3ust off the !lorida coast.@ @There was another futile search 'y air and sea. Kothing was e5er found Hoating on the surface. Ko de'ris or 'odies were e5er washed up on the 'eaches 'y wa5es or tides.@ (Bincent ;addis* @4n5isi'le #oriCons@* (6EA) Kote that ;addis 'orrowed hea5ily from his article a year earlier.

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@The freighter Sandra* 'ound for Puerto a'ello from Sa5annah in %une (6A)* carrying a cargo of insecticide* passed 'y St. 2ugustine* !lorida* in good weather* and thereafter all contact was lost and ne5er re-esta'lished.@ ( harles BerlitC* @The Bermuda Triangle@ (6G7)

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The real story of The Sandra

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0i'rarian 0arry Lusche* author of @The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Sol5ed@* found the following in primary sources.

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@0loyd1s 0ist* 2pril +7* (6A): Miami* 2pril (6 - The (MAfoot osta Rican Sandra* with (( men on 'oard* has 'een reported si: days o5erdue.@ @0loyd1s 0ist* May +* (6A): Miami* 2pril +G - Search is 'eing made for ... motor 5essel Sandra* which left Sa5annah on 2pril A for Puerto a'ello with a cargo of "7) tons of >>T and has not since 'een reported.@ @0loyd1s 0ist* %une "* (6A): Miami* May +6 - The ?nited States oast ;uard has gi5en up the search for motor 5essel Sandra and the 5essel is considered lost.@

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!inally* Lusche found a weather report for the dates in 9uestion. Miami #erald* Sat. 2pril M* (6A): @2 storm growing from the low pressure areas which caused thunderstorms and strong winds in !lorida during the past three days approached hurricane force and 'uffeted 2tlantic shipping lanes !riday ... NFindsO reached a speed of G" miles an hour off the Birginia apes* two miles an hour under hurricane strength...@ @The !lorida winds left a 7)-foot shrimp 'oat* the St. Paul* missing at sea... and the oast ;uard started a search !riday.@

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The Sandra sailed on 2pril A* right into a storm. %ones ((6A)) had a num'er of details wrong. The ship was (MA feet long* not "A). 4t sailed on 2pril A* not in %une. The weather was stormy* not peaceful. The search was called off 'y May +6* not %une (E. 0loyd1s listed a crew of ((* not (+.