TRAGEDY AT SEA
The "Bonnie" Johnny May

The crossing of the main colonial expeditionary convoy was a perilous voyage. In all, 47 ships departed Constonia bound for Nadiria. A normal crossing was expected, a journey of six weeks. The fleet met with a vicious storm at sea, however, and three ships were lost. Two ships were simply unaccounted for and presumed sunk. The Johnny May, which was primarily a cargo ship, had a more spectacular demise.

The cause of her destruction, upon which there was much speculation, was improper rigging and storage of the Heaven's Fire chemicals she carried below decks. Apparently, barrels of the chemicals broke free of their rigging during the raging storm. The violent pitching of the ship may have thrown the barrels into other Heaven's Fire chemicals with disastrous results.

Observers in many of the surrounding ships first saw a few smaller explosions followed by a single, massive explosion. Seen for miles around, an enormous fireball rose up into the black, churning clouds above, slowly growing dimmer and more faint.

No survivors were found on the morning after, when the storm subsided, or for the next several days. Amongst the debris, some crates and barrels were recovered, but most of the ship was lost. The figurehead of the Johnny May, a fierce maiden with flaming red hair, was also salvaged. She is on display on the Main Concourse on the Administration Level.

Forty-seven souls were lost, sixteen colonists and thirty-one crew. The families lost were the Van der Veers, Coluccis, and the Napolis.