The New York Times: The World Trade Center Ship, From Stern to Stem
After finding the stern of an 18th-century sailing vessel in landfill where the new World Trade Center is being constructed, what could be better? Finding the bow — or at least enough to gain a clearer picture of the length of the vessel and how it was constructed; all of which might help solve the mystery of what it was doing anchored off Lower Manhattan in the first place.
The most intriguing theory now in circulation is that the vessel may have been used around the time of the Revolutionary War as a troop carrier of some sort. “That ties in really neatly with the British military button found between the frames,” said Warren Riess of the Darling Marine Center at the University of Maine.
Archaeologists unearthed the boat in July 2010, west of and perpendicular to Washington Street, between Liberty and Cedar Streets, where the waters of the Hudson once reached. It was immediately evident that the sunken hull had long ago been sundered by underground excavation. The remaining wood was so deteriorated that archaeologists couldn’t even tell at first whether they were looking at the fore portion or the aft.
[Fred R. Conrad of The Times created a panoramic view of the vessel in place.]
Once that was settled, they hoped to find what they surmised must exist under the east side of Washington Street: the bow. That had to wait a year, until the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began excavating that area for the subterranean vehicle security center.
That brings us to July 27, when archaeologists from the firm AKRF, working for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority, left the scene of the excavation — just where they thought the bow ought to be — utterly dejected. They’d found nothing but a few slivers.
“We walked to O’Hara’s, ordered a pint and said, ‘Well, we gave it our best shot,’ ” said A. Michael Pappalardo, one of the archaeologists.
His colleague Elizabeth Meade said, “We called ourselves ‘The Boy Who Cried Ship.’ ”
Argh, but maritime stories always have a twist. Two days later, as an excavator bucket pulled away at a small shelf of soil, the archaeologists were thrilled to see whole pieces of wood falling out. They asked that workers slow the excavation. Under the mud and muck was a small but cohesive bit of the lower bow. Its discovery was reported Thursday by the Manhattan news site DNAInfo.
There was no bowsprit to be found, or figure head, or quarterboard to give the vessel’s name. This was the submerged portion of the bow, where structural timbers known as the apron, the stem post and the gripe are found. Still, it was an exciting discovery.
It can now be said that the vessel was about 50 feet long. Thirty-two feet of the stern were exposed last year, 10 to 15 feet amidships were lost long ago and three to six feet of the stem were exposed on July 29. The remnants were left in place last weekend so that Dr. Riess could inspect them. They were then taken to the AKRF office at 440 Park Avenue South to be readied for shipment to the Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M University.
A dendrochronological examination of wood samples by Columbia University has already disclosed that the trees almost certainly grew in the Philadelphia area and were cut down no later than the 1770s.
A button found aboard the ship, from the coat of a private in the British Army 52nd Regiment of Foot, which battled the American rebels.The button to which Dr. Riess referred is a pewter disc with an ornamental border and the number “52″ in the center. Diane Dallal of AKRF said it corresponded with the 52nd Regiment of Foot, a light infantry regiment of the British Army that tried to suppress the colonial uprising in these parts. The fact that it is pewter — not silver — means that it adorned a private’s uniform, she said.
Archaeologists are careful not to associate many of the interesting things found around the boat with the boat itself. But this button was discovered last summer between two wooden frames of the ship. So though they do not yet know the boat’s name or its mission, they may have their first inkling of who the passengers were. And they know they have found the whole thing.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Chinese submersible "Jiaolong" attempts 5,000m dive
From Xinhuanet.com: Chinese submersible "Jiaolong" attempts 5,000m dive
BEIJING,July 21 (Xinhuanet) – China's deep-sea submersible, Jiaolong, is performing an experimental exploration mission to reach depths of 5,000 meters in the northeast Pacific.
This would set a new record for a manned submersible dive. The vessel entered the water four hours ago. So far it has dived more than 4000 meters. Crew members have sent back to the control center photos they took during the diving process. The vessel is expected to resurface in about one hour. Jiaolong's main missions, include physical, chemical and biological research, as well as exploration and deep-sea salvage.
The vehicle is the world's deepest-diving manned submersible, designed to reach depths of 7,000 meters. The difference between a submersible and a submarine, typically depends on the support from another facility or vessel. In this case, a ship, The Ocean-6 helped Jiaolong in previous tests, conducting surveys of the area ahead of the dive. Jiaolong completed 17 dives in the South China Sea between May 31st and July 18th last year, reaching depths of over 3700 meters at its deepest dive.
BEIJING,July 21 (Xinhuanet) – China's deep-sea submersible, Jiaolong, is performing an experimental exploration mission to reach depths of 5,000 meters in the northeast Pacific.
This would set a new record for a manned submersible dive. The vessel entered the water four hours ago. So far it has dived more than 4000 meters. Crew members have sent back to the control center photos they took during the diving process. The vessel is expected to resurface in about one hour. Jiaolong's main missions, include physical, chemical and biological research, as well as exploration and deep-sea salvage.
The vehicle is the world's deepest-diving manned submersible, designed to reach depths of 7,000 meters. The difference between a submersible and a submarine, typically depends on the support from another facility or vessel. In this case, a ship, The Ocean-6 helped Jiaolong in previous tests, conducting surveys of the area ahead of the dive. Jiaolong completed 17 dives in the South China Sea between May 31st and July 18th last year, reaching depths of over 3700 meters at its deepest dive.
Replica ship headed to St. Augustine
From Bradetonton.com: Replica ship headed to St. Augustine
ST. AUGUSTINE -- In a boat yard in Malaga, Spain, workers are piecing together wooden ribs and other brigantine parts to produce a replica of the Galveztown, a sailing vessel that was important a couple centuries back to St. Augustine and the American Revolution.
“They are well on the way to getting that started,” said Kathy Fleming, executive director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum.
The Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program is a sponsor of the project.
“We’re looking for a little bit of support to get that rolling,” she said.
But the project has been revised.
Several months ago, the naval architect working on the Galveztown found historical documentation that changed the plan, said Samuel Turner, director of archaeology at the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program.
The vessel that workers had been building was too large, Turner said.
The replica was designed to be 68 feet on deck, but the real brig was actually 53 feet on deck.
Turner said starting over was a “blessing in disguise” because it brought down the building time and the cost of the project.
The exact cost is still undetermined.
Officials held a conference to restart the project about a week ago.
After completion, the replica Galveztown should be sailing to St. Augustine next year, but official dates have not been firmed up yet, Fleming said.
The Galveztown replica will help people learn about Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish governor of Louisiana. He played a critical role in the American Revolution by, among other things, capturing Pensacola in 1781.
The Galveztown was originally christened as the West Florida after being built by the British in New England, according to historical articles.
Bernardo de Gálvez later gained possession of the ship, changed its name to Galveztown and converted it from a sloop to a square-rigged brig.
“We’re trying to high- light this project as a way to share how the Spanish positively influenced the American Revolution,” Fleming said.
Turner, primary coordinator of the project, helped arrange for the Lighthouse program to donate many tons of timber to the project.
Around 17 tons of live oaks came from St. Augustine.
“We’re going see part of our town come sailing up one day,” Turner said.
ST. AUGUSTINE -- In a boat yard in Malaga, Spain, workers are piecing together wooden ribs and other brigantine parts to produce a replica of the Galveztown, a sailing vessel that was important a couple centuries back to St. Augustine and the American Revolution.
“They are well on the way to getting that started,” said Kathy Fleming, executive director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum.
The Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program is a sponsor of the project.
“We’re looking for a little bit of support to get that rolling,” she said.
But the project has been revised.
Several months ago, the naval architect working on the Galveztown found historical documentation that changed the plan, said Samuel Turner, director of archaeology at the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program.
The vessel that workers had been building was too large, Turner said.
The replica was designed to be 68 feet on deck, but the real brig was actually 53 feet on deck.
Turner said starting over was a “blessing in disguise” because it brought down the building time and the cost of the project.
The exact cost is still undetermined.
Officials held a conference to restart the project about a week ago.
After completion, the replica Galveztown should be sailing to St. Augustine next year, but official dates have not been firmed up yet, Fleming said.
The Galveztown replica will help people learn about Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish governor of Louisiana. He played a critical role in the American Revolution by, among other things, capturing Pensacola in 1781.
The Galveztown was originally christened as the West Florida after being built by the British in New England, according to historical articles.
Bernardo de Gálvez later gained possession of the ship, changed its name to Galveztown and converted it from a sloop to a square-rigged brig.
“We’re trying to high- light this project as a way to share how the Spanish positively influenced the American Revolution,” Fleming said.
Turner, primary coordinator of the project, helped arrange for the Lighthouse program to donate many tons of timber to the project.
Around 17 tons of live oaks came from St. Augustine.
“We’re going see part of our town come sailing up one day,” Turner said.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Unidentified Sunken Object: Probably Not Alien
From News Discovery Com: Unidentified Sunken Object: Probably Not Alien
team of Swedish researchers has found what some are calling a UFO under about 300 feet of water between Finland and Sweden. According to a piece in the Vancouver Sun,
There are plenty of theories about what the USO (unidentified sunken object) might be. Lindberg offered a "new Stonehenge," though some suspect it's a natural formation, such as the rim of a small underground volcano, which certainly create a very round, prominent ring.
Others see clear evidence that the object, whatever it is, is too perfectly round to be anything but man-made. Of course, one of the most popular -- and most outlandish -- theory is that it's a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft.
Yet there's another theory: the USO is neither an extraterrestrial craft nor a natural feature but instead a rotating gun turret from a World War II era battleship. It's possible that an explosion on the ship’s deck could have blown it out of the deck ring where it was anchored and it slid into the ocean’s depths, more or less intact. Such an explosion would not necessarily have sunk the ship, so the lack of nearby wreckage may not be a mystery.
The turret-less ship might have made it back to port, or may have continued to another location where it eventually succumbed and sank. The top-heavy turret would likely have sunk with the cannons face down in the ocean floor, and would not necessarily have been seen in the sonar image. In fact, Lindberg and his crew were originally drawn to the area in search of Swedish merchant ships sunk by the German navy in World War I.
So what is it? Until someone actually goes down to search the object more closely (or recover it) -- a potentially time-consuming and expensive proposition -- we may never know. It’s a genuine mystery, and, as is often the case, the most mundane explanation may be the most likely.
team of Swedish researchers has found what some are calling a UFO under about 300 feet of water between Finland and Sweden. According to a piece in the Vancouver Sun,
"While using sonar to survey the Gulf of Bothnia last month, Ocean Explorer commander Peter Lindberg noticed an unusual 60-foot round object. According to the Ocean Explorer website, Lindberg said he had "never seen anything like it" even though has "spent hundreds of hours watching sonar images of the sea floor." While the object seems unusual, it's entirely possible that it could have occurred naturally. Lindberg refused to speculate on the object's origins, but in doing so he may have generated even more conjecture, making reference to one of the most famous and mysterious sites in the world "Since it might be nothing we cannot afford spending funds just to have a look at it," he adds. "Even if it might be a 'new' Stonehenge standing on the bottom."
There are plenty of theories about what the USO (unidentified sunken object) might be. Lindberg offered a "new Stonehenge," though some suspect it's a natural formation, such as the rim of a small underground volcano, which certainly create a very round, prominent ring.
Others see clear evidence that the object, whatever it is, is too perfectly round to be anything but man-made. Of course, one of the most popular -- and most outlandish -- theory is that it's a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft.
Yet there's another theory: the USO is neither an extraterrestrial craft nor a natural feature but instead a rotating gun turret from a World War II era battleship. It's possible that an explosion on the ship’s deck could have blown it out of the deck ring where it was anchored and it slid into the ocean’s depths, more or less intact. Such an explosion would not necessarily have sunk the ship, so the lack of nearby wreckage may not be a mystery.
The turret-less ship might have made it back to port, or may have continued to another location where it eventually succumbed and sank. The top-heavy turret would likely have sunk with the cannons face down in the ocean floor, and would not necessarily have been seen in the sonar image. In fact, Lindberg and his crew were originally drawn to the area in search of Swedish merchant ships sunk by the German navy in World War I.
So what is it? Until someone actually goes down to search the object more closely (or recover it) -- a potentially time-consuming and expensive proposition -- we may never know. It’s a genuine mystery, and, as is often the case, the most mundane explanation may be the most likely.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Remains of WWII Pilot Found in France
From ABC News: Remains of WWII Pilot Found in France
When a French farmer dug an irrigation ditch in this quiet corner of northern France last week, he stumbled upon pieces of metal which brought back the terror that gripped this part of Europe during World War II.
As if digging through history, the farmer uncovered the remains of Lt. William Patton's Mustang P-51 plane. French authorities said the pilot had been identified by his military badge, although checks were still being carried out.
The discovery is helping to tell the story of Patton's last moments, as his plane crashed in Longueville, France, near the Belgian border more than 50 years ago.
Along with his plane, French authorities found his uniform, his life vest, his military tie, his aviation scarf, riddled with bullet holes.
His silk parachute, made in Lexington, Kentucky, and on display at a local police station, was discovered unopened, a sign that he had gone down too fast to bail out. Lt. Patton's engine was also bullet-marked.
Historians say late in WW II, Mustang pilots sometimes went on missions on their own. The Mustang was the workhorse of the U.S. military, enabling the Allies to gain air superiority over the Germans.
The young Americans who flew them were considered brave, and daring, and glamorous _ and Lt. Patton was one of them.
Did the Town Hide the Incident?
The reason why people in the town of Longueville never reported the accident remains a mystery.
According to a newspaper article, dated Jan. 17, 1945, an airplane crash was reported two days earlier but the incident was never mentioned again.
Town authorities believe that not knowing whether the wreckage was American or German, townspeople probably simply covered up the accident.
Lt. Patton was a victim of both Luftwaffe bullets and French civilian fatigue.
But today this community paid tribute as the discovery was displayed at a local police station.
"He's someone who died for us so we could be free," said one French policeman. "We are very moved by this."
So who was Lt. Patton? Where is his family now? American officials will now investigate. Even his bones, not on display, will be examined for clues.
His remains and belongings will be sent home.
For now what remains of his torn uniform, his plane, his parachute, have told us at least some of his story and reminded us of the thousands of Americans who were lost or buried somewhere throughout the battlefield of Europe and will never return home.
When a French farmer dug an irrigation ditch in this quiet corner of northern France last week, he stumbled upon pieces of metal which brought back the terror that gripped this part of Europe during World War II.
As if digging through history, the farmer uncovered the remains of Lt. William Patton's Mustang P-51 plane. French authorities said the pilot had been identified by his military badge, although checks were still being carried out.
The discovery is helping to tell the story of Patton's last moments, as his plane crashed in Longueville, France, near the Belgian border more than 50 years ago.
Along with his plane, French authorities found his uniform, his life vest, his military tie, his aviation scarf, riddled with bullet holes.
His silk parachute, made in Lexington, Kentucky, and on display at a local police station, was discovered unopened, a sign that he had gone down too fast to bail out. Lt. Patton's engine was also bullet-marked.
Historians say late in WW II, Mustang pilots sometimes went on missions on their own. The Mustang was the workhorse of the U.S. military, enabling the Allies to gain air superiority over the Germans.
The young Americans who flew them were considered brave, and daring, and glamorous _ and Lt. Patton was one of them.
Did the Town Hide the Incident?
The reason why people in the town of Longueville never reported the accident remains a mystery.
According to a newspaper article, dated Jan. 17, 1945, an airplane crash was reported two days earlier but the incident was never mentioned again.
Town authorities believe that not knowing whether the wreckage was American or German, townspeople probably simply covered up the accident.
Lt. Patton was a victim of both Luftwaffe bullets and French civilian fatigue.
But today this community paid tribute as the discovery was displayed at a local police station.
"He's someone who died for us so we could be free," said one French policeman. "We are very moved by this."
So who was Lt. Patton? Where is his family now? American officials will now investigate. Even his bones, not on display, will be examined for clues.
His remains and belongings will be sent home.
For now what remains of his torn uniform, his plane, his parachute, have told us at least some of his story and reminded us of the thousands of Americans who were lost or buried somewhere throughout the battlefield of Europe and will never return home.
Long-lost shipwrecks discovered in Lake Huron
From Science@ MSNBC.com: Long-lost shipwrecks discovered in Lake Huron 'Project Shiphunt' documents remains of ships that went down in 1889 and 1905
PRESQUE ISLE, Mich. — A team of underwater explorers has found two long-lost shipwrecks in northeastern Lake Huron.
Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday announced the discovery of the schooner M.F. Merrick and the steel freighter Etruria in deep water off Presque Isle.
They were detected during an expedition called "Project Shiphunt," which involved scientists and historians from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and five high school students from Saginaw, Mich.
Both ships sank after colliding with steamers in dense fog.
The 138-foot-long Merrick went down in 1889. Five crew members were killed. The intact hull was found resting upright on the lake bottom.
The Etruria, which was 414 feet long, sank in 1905 — just three years after it was launched. Today the steamer sits upside down in deep water.
NOAA said the wrecks are being documented in 3-D imagery for the first time. A documentary about the expedition, sponsored by Sony and Intel, is to air Aug. 30 on the Current cable network.
"This research will help us protect the Great Lakes and their rich history for future generations," Jeff Gray, superintendent of Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary, said in a NOAA news release. "It is also an extraordinary opportunity to inspire the next generation of explorers and introduce them to technology and experiences that could shape their futures."
PRESQUE ISLE, Mich. — A team of underwater explorers has found two long-lost shipwrecks in northeastern Lake Huron.
Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday announced the discovery of the schooner M.F. Merrick and the steel freighter Etruria in deep water off Presque Isle.
They were detected during an expedition called "Project Shiphunt," which involved scientists and historians from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and five high school students from Saginaw, Mich.
Both ships sank after colliding with steamers in dense fog.
The 138-foot-long Merrick went down in 1889. Five crew members were killed. The intact hull was found resting upright on the lake bottom.
The Etruria, which was 414 feet long, sank in 1905 — just three years after it was launched. Today the steamer sits upside down in deep water.
NOAA said the wrecks are being documented in 3-D imagery for the first time. A documentary about the expedition, sponsored by Sony and Intel, is to air Aug. 30 on the Current cable network.
"This research will help us protect the Great Lakes and their rich history for future generations," Jeff Gray, superintendent of Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary, said in a NOAA news release. "It is also an extraordinary opportunity to inspire the next generation of explorers and introduce them to technology and experiences that could shape their futures."
Roman first-aid kit discovery sheds new light on medicines used in ancient times
From Daily Mail Online: Roman first-aid kit discovery sheds new light on medicines used in ancient times
A first-aid kit discovered on a Roman-era shipwreck has shed new light on the kinds of medicines used in ancient times.
Pills made of ground vegetables, herbs and plants were found in 136 tin-lined wooden vials on a 50ft-long trading vessel wrecked around 130BC off the coast of Tuscany.
The tablets, which were so well sealed they survived more than 2,000 years under water, could have been used to treat sailors suffering from gastrointestinal complaints like dysentery and cholera, scientists believe
They contain ingredients referred to in classical medical texts like celery, alfalfa and chestnuts.
Dr Alain Touwaide, from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington DC told the Sunday Telegraph: 'It's a spectacular find. They were very well sealed.
'The plants and vegetables were probably crushed with a mortar and pestle - we could still see the fibres in the tablets.'
The tablets also contained clay, which is still used by doctors to treat gastrointestinal problems, he added.
They are the oldest known archaeological remains of ancient pharmaceuticals, and the chest also contained spatulas, suction cups and a mortar and pestle.
The vessel on which the medicine chest was found had been transporting wine, glassware, ceramics and oil lamps.
It sank in 60ft of water between the Italian mainland and the island of Elba.
The presence of the chest suggests that the ship may have had a doctor, or at least someone trained in first aid, historians believe.
Dr Touwaide said the discovery indicated ancient Greek medical knowledge was being put into practice in the Roman Empire.
The Romans learned much of their medical knowledge from the ancient Greeks, including use of a range of sophisticated instruments.
The ship was discovered off the port of Piombino in the Seventies, and the medicine box was found in 1989.
But it is only now, with the advent of DNA sequencing technology, that scientists have been able to analyse the contents of the pills.
Gino Fornaciari, a paleo-pathologist from Pisa University, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'As well as understanding how the ancient Romans treated each other, we are learning more about what illnesses they suffered from.'
A first-aid kit discovered on a Roman-era shipwreck has shed new light on the kinds of medicines used in ancient times.
Pills made of ground vegetables, herbs and plants were found in 136 tin-lined wooden vials on a 50ft-long trading vessel wrecked around 130BC off the coast of Tuscany.
The tablets, which were so well sealed they survived more than 2,000 years under water, could have been used to treat sailors suffering from gastrointestinal complaints like dysentery and cholera, scientists believe
They contain ingredients referred to in classical medical texts like celery, alfalfa and chestnuts.
Dr Alain Touwaide, from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington DC told the Sunday Telegraph: 'It's a spectacular find. They were very well sealed.
'The plants and vegetables were probably crushed with a mortar and pestle - we could still see the fibres in the tablets.'
The tablets also contained clay, which is still used by doctors to treat gastrointestinal problems, he added.
They are the oldest known archaeological remains of ancient pharmaceuticals, and the chest also contained spatulas, suction cups and a mortar and pestle.
The vessel on which the medicine chest was found had been transporting wine, glassware, ceramics and oil lamps.
It sank in 60ft of water between the Italian mainland and the island of Elba.
The presence of the chest suggests that the ship may have had a doctor, or at least someone trained in first aid, historians believe.
Dr Touwaide said the discovery indicated ancient Greek medical knowledge was being put into practice in the Roman Empire.
The Romans learned much of their medical knowledge from the ancient Greeks, including use of a range of sophisticated instruments.
The ship was discovered off the port of Piombino in the Seventies, and the medicine box was found in 1989.
But it is only now, with the advent of DNA sequencing technology, that scientists have been able to analyse the contents of the pills.
Gino Fornaciari, a paleo-pathologist from Pisa University, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'As well as understanding how the ancient Romans treated each other, we are learning more about what illnesses they suffered from.'
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