When the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake struck Yokohama at a little after noon on 1 September 1923 , Captain Robinson was aboard the '' Empress of Australia '' . He was finalizing routine preparations for a scheduled departure later in the day ; but the greatest natural disaster in modern times was about to reorder those priorities . He would be credited with saving the ship , his crew and passengers , and more than 3,000 others during the unfolding catastrophe
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
Samuel Robinson (sea captain)