Physical Description

A circular medal constructed of bronze, the obverse bears the image of a shield with a castle tower and a ship on the sea, encompassed by an inscription, topped with a crown, the reverse bears the inscription 3 DE NOVIEMBRE 1893 within an open ended wreath of oak and palm with a cross at the top, on a half blue and half white ribbon.

History

While the date that the Medal for the Catastrophe of Santander (Cabo Macho) was established is unknown, it is estimated it was established in 1894 - just a year after the explosion.

The Capo Machichaco was a steamboat built in Newcastle, England in 1882. In 1885, the Ybarra Company in Spain purchased the boat to use it as a way to transport people and goods around Spain. The catastrophe of Santander occurred on November 3, 1893. The Capo Machichaco was docked in Santander and was carrying steel, iron, sulfuric acid and over 51 tonnes of dynamite, which was undocumented by port authorities. Around 1:30 PM, a fire started on the deck of the ship and some men aboard the ship and local authorities attempted to put it out, but were unsuccessful. The fire spread to the holds and glass cylinders of sulfuric acid began to explode. Crews from other ships also attempted to put out the fire, but it blazed on.

The fire attracted a large number of onlookers from the city who were unaware of the dangerous contents within the ship. At 4:00 PM the contents of the ship were revealed, but onlookers did not disperse. An hour later, two holds exploded, causing a massive waterspout that washed many onlookers into the sea. The shock wave from the explosion shook the city, causing several buildings to collapse. Iron shards were shot kilometres away. Everyone aboard the ship was killed in the explosion, including 32 crew members from a neighboring ship the Alfonso XIII. It is estimated that between 525 and 2000 people were wounded by the explosion and a total of 590 fatalities were documented.

Months after the explosion, attempts were made to recover the remaining dynamite from the sunken ship. On March 21, 1894, another explosion occurred as a result of such attempts - killing 15 people.

There is limited information regarding this item.