The Night the Ertugrul Sank

On the night of September 16, 1890, a powerful storm caught the Ertugrul near Kushimoto, in Wakayama Prefecture. Strong winds and enormous waves pushed the frigate toward the rocky coastline and the reefs near Kashinozaki. The ship struck the rocks and broke apart. Hundreds of sailors were thrown into the sea, in the dark, in the middle of the storm. Some fought their way through the surf to the shore. Others reached it injured and exhausted.