A federal database of navigational wrecks and obstructions lists hundreds of known and suspected wreckage sites along Maines coastline. The study of wrecks and the artifacts they hold can tell us much about the way ships were built and about the cultures that produced them. Only parts of the bow remain above water today. The The so-called Penobscot Expedition was this countrys single-largest naval loss until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Navigator at left, or click here & South Coast Maine, Historian Jeremy DEntremont has a new book and we have the introduction. An occasional map of the location or area of the wreck would be nice as well. The ships whose remains make up this landscape didn't crash here. In addition to lobster, coastal homes and funny accents, Maine is known for its weather. The MS World Discoverer sits just off the shore of one of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. (Photo: Sergio Tudela Romero), Point Reyes National Seashore in California has a history of being a magnet for boats. This photograph shows the skeletal remains of the Schooner Equater , owned by the Cutts family. Please try again. All of the materials that are associated with shipwrecks within Maine state waters belong to the Maine State Museum, said Leith Smith, a historic preservation coordinator with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Maritime - Maine Memory Network . Copyright 2000-2023 Maine Historical Society, All Rights Reserved. , Language You have elephant bones found on Brimstone Island, and everyone wants to believe the elephant survived you have a woman who believed she saw a tiger behind her clothesline.. (Continued below), This excerpt published exclusively on SeacoastNH.com with permission of the author and publisher, Introduction toGREAT SHIPWRECKS OF THE MAINE COASTBy Jeremy DEntremont BUY THIS BOOK. This volume, first of a planned series, focuses on a dozen dramatic shipwrecks from among 700 in the Gulf of Maine. Warren C. Riesss Angel Gabriel: The Elusive English Galleon and Stacy L. Welners Tragedy in Casco Bay, about the 1941 Don tragedy, deserve special mention as the best sources on those wrecks. Stories of shipwrecks sort of draw us back into that.. Exactly what happened is unclear, although several accounts from the time say the 240-ton ship was cast away by the hurricane, Riess writes in his book. The world's most famous shipwreck may be the RMS Titanic, but the remains of the luxury steamship are visible only to people in deep-sea submersibles and those watching feeds from remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). That's when the captain, who had 22 years of skipper experience, realized that the Bohemian was off course by more than 6 miles. Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration. The crew abandoned the ship, and because the ship's owners never came forward, the ship was left in the lake, where it is now home to birds, including cormorants and gulls. Taryn Plumb explores the tragic history of shipwrecks in Maine, focusing on a dozen or so of the most interesting and weaving in tales of pirates, lost treasure, violent storms, and other disasters. . These moldering boats sit in the Thames River, just off the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. A shipwreck that size located between Fort Gorges and Little Diamond Island occasionally still causes problems in Portlands busy harbor. Traditional stories regarding the wreck maintain that the boat was smuggling cigarettes and alcohol while being pursued by the Greek Navy. Many shipwrecks were scattered and eroded by waves, rocks and time. Cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket (if applicable) is included for hard covers. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, editor@wreckhunter.net, Copyright 2001 by Dave Heres how it works. The Holland-bound ship left Chicago on Nov. 27, 1960, with 940 tons of cargo, according to the National Park Service. Mural of the Bohemian Wreck from South Portland Post Office. The importance of the ship, and the reason it gets peoples attention, is not because it has $20 million in gold, Tom Desjardin, a historian and former director of the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. Check out our lighthouse road trip to check out the best that Maine has to offer. The loss of human life, the loss of wild beasts in the Caravan burnt to death, too, in their cages, the loss of property in other ways, and the great variety of hazardous escapes, render it one of the most remarkable accidents upon record.. The Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor in Richmond, California, contains a sunken vessel that was purposefully placed there as a breakwater a barrier that protects the harbor from San Francisco Bay's never-ending waves. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. (Photo: Ghost of Kuji), The Eduard Bohlen ran aground on Namibia's Skeleton Coast in 1909 due to heavy fog. Riess eventually walked away from the search around the time he wrote his book. Shipwrecks--Maine--Scarborough; Marine accidents--Maine--Scarborough; Schooners--Maine--Scarborough; . At low tide, visitors can still see the bottom timbers of what was once a regal, 209-foot boat hailing from an era when Maine-built schooners plied the worlds oceans. To see our price, add these items to your cart. She also reports on general science, including archaeology and paleontology. Videos. The Royal Navy decommissioned the tug after the war, and sold it in 1947 to a man in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Another 18 may be buried in Forest City Cemetery, but sadly, the location of that mass grave, as well as their names, are unknown. On August 10, 1897 the schooner Howard H. Middleton was under full sail despite near zero visibility. Often, we can never know the whole story with any certainty; the 1941 loss of the Don in Casco Bay is a prime example. This shipwreck is wasting away off the southwest coast of Nuuk, Greenland. Photo courtesy: State Library of New South Wales, The Bath-built schooner Edward J. Lawrence was reportedly the last surviving six-masted schooner when it burned in Portland Harbor in December 1925. More than 40 of the ships 62 crew members died in what was initially attributed to a boiler explosion. But, this wasnt always the case. Passengers credited Royal Tar Capt. Wreck of the U.S.S. Maine, June 21st, 1911 | Library of Congress It reappeared in 1978, 2007, 2013 and 2018 after powerful storms swept away the sand burying it. Some shipwrecks, such as the Royal Tar steamship, will never be visible to Maine residents or visitors except in images. . Love Maine? Learn more. Photo courtesy: Wreckhunter.net; Paul Sherman collection, The wreck of the Wandby, a British freighter that ran aground near Walkers Point in Kennebunkport in 1921, was a tourist attraction for years until a storm knocked it back into the ocean. It was looted and damaged during the Solomon Islands Civil War. It contained 894 tons of hard and soft coal as it came up the coast from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Portland. Mr. Claesson said he has presented his research to the York board and the Ellis Park Committee, which manages the beach. A Warner Bros. In addition to the smell of ocean water in the air on rainy days in Portland, she loves puppies, photography, funny people, the Maine Red Claws, traveling, fresh tomatoes, Cambodia and filling out forms. The USS Eagle PE-56 was among the last U.S. Navy ships to be sunk by a German U-boat when it was torpedoed about five miles off Cape Elizabeth in April 1945. Its kind of neat.. Coordinates List The river seems to be a graveyard of sorts: According to estimates by the General Company of Ports of Iraq (GCPI), around 36 sunken ships lie in the Shatt al-Arab, according to niqash.org. As Lord Byron wrote in The Dark, Blue Sea, Man marks the earth with ruin, but his control stops with the shore.. A very enjoyable and well written book. Yes, the item is digitized. Another tale says that elephant bones were later found on tiny Brimstone Island between Vinalhaven and Isle au Haut. The incident, whether true or rumor, highlights the fact that collecting relics from shipwrecks in Maine is usually prohibited unless authorized. Shipwrecks and Other Maritime Disasters of the Maine Coast Make a note in the comment section if you can find any others. the wreck's history, specifications and pictures. What followed was 24 days of misery on an exposed, treeless island in December and January without food or hardly any material to build a shelter, much less a fire. In 1977, the ship was retired and big plans were made for her to become a floating museum in Gold . However, the Howard W. Middleton did wreck. Maine Shipwreck Identified as Colonial-Era Cargo Vessel Subscribe for exclusive city guides, travel videos, trip giveaways and more! Today, were pretty well-equipped to ensure that boats navigate safely. However, the Howard W. Middleton did wreck . Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. He said he hoped town officials could protect the wreckage. Get more stories delivered right to your email. In 2018, after waves revealed the wreckage again, Mr. Claesson took wood samples from the hull plank and ship frame. About two years ago, a nor'easter struck York Beach, Maine, revealing the skeleton of a centuries-old shipwreck beneath the sand. The abandoned schooners Hesper and Luther Little were both eyesores and tourist attractions for generations of travelers through Wiscasset until they were finally removed in the 1990s. NY 10036. according to the Municipal Prefecture of Rio Grande, according to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Hawaii, according to Florida's Museums in the Sea, according to Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor. Monuments and plaques remembering fishermen can be found in towns all along the coast, from Kittery to Lubec. In the tradition of Edward Rowe Snow the author tells salty tales of Maine wrecks including The Nottingham Galley, The Angel Gabriel, the Penobscot Expedition, Royal Tar, Steamer Bohemian and more. Published Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. We may not have too many more opportunities to document marine architecture of this vintage, and tell the story of these early American seafarers., Mystery Shipwreck Dates to Before Revolutionary War, Researcher Says, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/05/us/maine-shipwreck-colonial.html. Historic romanticism aside, the rocky coastline of Maine and its neighbors particularly Cape Cod and parts of Nova Scotia have claimed untold lives over the centuries. My personal fascination with maritime disasters has its roots in my childhood in the 1960s, when I enjoyed hearing the popular historian Edward Rowe Snow (1902-1982) spin his salty yarns on Boston television and radio. Use of this Item is not restricted by copyright and/or related rights, but the holding organization is contractually obligated to limit use. Maine Historical Society. It is the subject of poems, numerous historical books and is the namesake of a Royal Tar Blend coffee sold by a Deer Isle coffee roaster. CNN Ever since it first emerged in 1958 on a beach in York, Maine, the 50-foot skeleton of a shipwreck has intrigued both locals and experts alike.