Free Republic

Typhoon Maysak - which is named after the Cambodian word for a tree - has made landfall in South Korea, with gusts of almost 90 miles per hour. The typhoon whipped across the East China Sea and is believed to have wrecked at least one ship. A ship carrying 5,800 heads of cattle from New Zealand appears to have foundered in the East China Sea. The Gulf Livestock 1, which had a crew of 43, left Napier in New Zealand last month and was en route to the Chinese port of Tangshan. Gulf Livestock 1, carrying 5800 cattle out of...

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Monday marks the anniversary of the 1947 Texas City ship disaster. On Saturday evening survivors met in Texas City to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the disaster in a somber memorial. On April 16th, 1947, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions to have ever occurred rocked the Texas City port, killing hundreds of people including 28 members of the Texas City Fire Department. It all started shortly after 8 a.m. that day, when longshoremen noticed smoke in the hold of the S.S. Grandcamp. The Texas City Volunteer Fire Department was called but the fire continued to...