<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over a century ago, three vessels disappeared after sinking in North America's Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. Two of those vessels have been discovered, and new mysteries revealed. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), a museum in Michigan, along with Marine Sonic Technology, a leading provider of ultra-high resolution sonar (technique that uses sound waves to 'see' in the water) systems, made this discovery.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Disappearance of three ships in Lake Superior in 1914</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On November 18, 1914, the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Steamship CF Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was towing the schooner barges </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Selden E Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Annie M Peterson</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from Baraga, Michigan to Tonawanda, New York, with a load of lumber, a collective term for harvested wood that could be cut into logs or heavy timbers of uniform sizes. A schooner barge is a cargo vessel intended to be towed by a powered vessel but capable of sailing during emergencies. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the day of sailing, the three vessels encountered howling winds, snow squalls and punishing waves, according to a statement released by the Shipwreck Society.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to these adverse conditions in Lake Superior, the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curtis, Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peterson</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sank, and were never seen again. The vessels had a crew of 28 members, none of whom survived.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Mysteries revealed by wreck of </strong><strong><em>CF Curtis</em></strong></h2> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Shipwreck Society found nine vessels in 2021, one of which was the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CF Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of the artefacts discovered from the wreck of the</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> include anchors, a wreckage of the pilot house, a broken wheel of the shop, a triple expansion engine, a grinding wheel, a steam pressure relief valve, and a brass gauge panel, among others. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/5L239qi" alt="A triple expansion engine discovered from the wreck of Curtis (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A triple expansion engine discovered from the wreck of Curtis (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2><strong> </strong></h2> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/ju9YxvA" alt="A brass gauge panel discovered from the wreck of Curtis (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A brass gauge panel discovered from the wreck of Curtis (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Mysteries revealed by wreck of </strong><strong><em>Marvin</em></strong></h2> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A year later, in the summer of 2022, the crew in the Shipwreck Society's research vessel </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Boyd</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> discovered another shipwreck within a few miles of the</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. The Shipwreck Society's remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which is an underwater robot, was sent to investigate the wreck. Soon, the team found that </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> had been discovered. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The artefacts discovered in the wreck of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> include two 'Marvin' nameboards, different bows, a tow rope, a short, and bulwarks, among others. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/VIk5F9h" alt="A Marvin nameboard (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A Marvin nameboard (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2><strong> </strong></h2> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/5Zd6lhe" alt="A smashed bow discovered from the wreck of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A smashed bow discovered from the wreck of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2><strong> </strong></h2> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/LQUCHRx" alt="A broken mast on the starboard side of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A broken mast on the starboard side of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2><strong> </strong></h2> <figure class="image"><img src="https://ift.tt/WImXrsf" alt="A shirt discovered from the wreck of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)" /> <figcaption>A shirt discovered from the wreck of Marvin (Photo: Shipwreck Society)</figcaption> </figure> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>What makes the discovery historically significant?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peterson</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> were part of the Hines Lumber Industry, one of the biggest lumber companies of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This makes the discoveries of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curtis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> historically significant. </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maritime historian Ric Mixter from the Shipwreck Society said in the statement that it was a career highlight to have witnessed the discovery of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marvin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> because not only did it solve a chapter in the United States' darkest day in lumber history, but also showcased a team of historians "who have dedicated their lives towards making sure these stories aren't forgotten". </span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><strong>ALSO READ | <a title="First Black Hole Image Gets Makeover, Sharper Version Appears Like A 'Skinny Donut'" href="https://ift.tt/VUkYjK5" target="_self">First Black Hole Image Gets Makeover, Sharper Version Appears Like A 'Skinny Donut'</a></strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Search for <em>Peterson</em> continues</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Shipwreck Society is yet to discover the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peterson</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Darryl Ertel, Director of Marine Operations of the Shipwreck Society, said finding the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peterson </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">is one of the goals of the museum. He also said that it would be great to know where all the three wrecks are lying at the bottom of Lake Superior, so that historians can tell the stories of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curtis, Marvin </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peterson</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
No comments:
Post a Comment