The wheel was made by Benson Electric Co. and was recovered from the ship a long time ago by an unknown salvage diver. A letter with further details of the ship and the disaster is included.
~ MV Seistan ~
Complete in 1957 at South Shields for the Stick Line, Seistan was a single screw vessel of 7,440 gross tons and 450 foot in length, intended for the Persian Gulf trade.
She left London in January 1958 carrying 175 tons of commercial explosives and 66 crew on board.
A fire broke out in number 5 hold and she proceeded to Bahrain Island for a Lloyds inspection.
The hatch was battened down and suppressing steam was released into the hold, expected to smother the flames. Half her cargo was discharged.
At 21:35 hours, she suffered a violent explosion leaving only 19 survivors and flames shot 300 feet into the air. The Sohail tug moored alongside her was also sunk.
She sunk complete on the 24th.
~ Condition ~
The piece is in good order with a deep patina.
~ Dimension ~
The total height is 119 cm (47 inches) and the wheel has a diameter of 56 cm (22 inches).
