Deseret News archives: Remembering the Andrea Doria-Stockholm collision

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On July 25, 1956, the Italian liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish passenger ship Stockholm off the New England coast late at night and began sinking; 51 people — 46 from the Andrea Doria, five from the Stockholm — were killed.

According to reports, the Andrea Doria capsized and sank the following morning.

More than 1,600 were rescued. Because it occurred just 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, it is considered one of the nation’s most famous maritime disasters.

The wreck , in about 240 feet of water, has for years attracted treasure-hunting divers looking for money, china and other artifacts from a bygone era. But 16 of those divers have died, the most recent just last year.

The wreck has been compared to Mount Everest, because as alluring and dangerous as the world’s tallest peak is to mountaineers, the Andrea Doria is to divers.

One quirky anecdote from the archives:

A couple of guys named Jerry Leiber and Jerry Stoller wrote and composed the music for a blues singer named Willie Mae “Bib Mama” Thornton. She recorded it.

The pair also wrote “Jailhouse Rock,” “Stand by Me,” “Yakety Yak” and “Love Potion No. 9.” They also turned out “Kansas City,” “Fools Fall in Love,” “Ruby Baby” and “On Broadway.”

The pair didn’t even know when Presley recorded “Hound Dog” in 1956, adding a rock ‘n’ roll vibe to the tune.

According to reports, Stoller and his wife had been returning from a three-month vacation in Europe on the Andrea Doria. Stoller and his wife managed to climb aboard a broken life boat before the ship sank.

Stoller recalls that when their rescue ship docked in New York, “Jerry was waiting at the dock for me. He brought a suit for me to wear, figuring that I might not have any clothes. And he said, `We have a smash hit, “Hound Dog.”’ I said, `No kidding. Big Mama Thornton’s record?’ And he said, `No, some kid named Elvis Presley.’”

Here are some stories from Deseret News archives on famous shipwrecks, how shipwrecks eventually turn into treasure hunter and scuba driver opportunities, and even shipwrecks in the Great Salt Lake:

“ Diver is found dead in Andrea Doria wreckage ”

“ Explorers in 2016 plan June mission to Andrea Doria shipwreck ”

“ Never-before-seen Titanic shipwreck footage released to the public ”

“ High-tech explorers find graveyard of ancient shipwrecks ”

“ Report: It’s everyone for himself on sinking ships ”

“ From 1628 to 2000: The world’s most famous maritime salvage operations ”

“ World War II-era ship found in Lake Superior over 80 years after its sinking ”

“ Shipwrecks revealed in shrinking Great Salt Lake ”