First Image of Historic Shipwrecks Released on 100th Anniversary of
Palmer-Crary Loss
December 16, 2002
Frank A. Palmer
was largest four-masted schooner ever built
Ships bringing
coal to Boston to relieve energy crisis
Contact:
Anne Smrcina, 781-545-8026 x204
NOAA 02-R449
NOAA's
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary has released the first image
of the historic shipwrecks, the schooners Frank A. Palmer and
Louise B. Crary, which crashed and sank together 100 years ago
this week. The wrecks are located within the boundaries of the Sanctuary
just off the Massachusetts coast. The side scan sonar image clearly
shows the hulls of the two large sailing vessels still locked at their
bows. The Palmer was the largest four-masted schooner ever built (274.5
ft.) while the Crary was a similarly sized five-masted vessel (267 ft).
The Palmer
and Crary were colliers (coal carriers), which plied regular routes
between the coal-producing region in the mid-Atlantic and the energy
needy northeast. In 1902 a record cold snap in December (temperatures
reached below 0 degrees) and a series of coastal storms created a serious
energy crisis in the Boston area. The Palmer, based out of Portland,
Maine and the Crary out of New York City were two of a fleet of vessels
that were bringing coal to the beleaguered city and environs.
According
to the Crary Captain's testimony as reported by the Boston Globe and
Herald immediately after the accident, a miscalculation on the part
of the Crary's first mate, who was at the helm, led to the unfortunate
collision during the clear but cold evening of December 17, 1902. The
bow of the Crary plowed into the port (left) side of the Palmer, leaving
both vessels fatally damaged. Reports show that the vessels disappeared
from view quickly, with some crew unable to abandon the ships before
they sank.
Of the
21 crew of both schooners, only 15 made it into one of the Palmer's
lifeboats. Among this group, four died from exposure and one committed
suicide by jumping overboard, according to survivors. Lack of communications
prevented rescuers from learning of the crash, with the lifeboat drifting
for four days until a fishing boat spotted it off Cape Cod.
The Palmer-Crary
shipwrecks were originally located by John Fish and Arnold Carr of American
Underwater Search and Survey over 13 years ago in their search for the
steamship Portland, however good images were not available at that time.
As they did with the Portland wreck, the AUSS team generously provided
the coordinates to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. A
series of summer and fall research cruises were used to image both the
Portland and Palmer-Crary wreck sites.
The location
of the wrecks within the sanctuary's boundaries provides protection
unavailable in other federal and international waters off Massachusetts.
Sanctuary regulations prohibit moving, removing or injuring, or any
attempt to move, remove, or injure any submerged cultural or historical
resources, including artifacts and pieces from shipwrecks. Anyone violating
this regulation is subject to civil penalties.
Congress
designated the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
in 1992 as "an area of special national significance." Virtually the
size of the state of Rhode Island, the sanctuary stretches between Cape
Ann and Cape Cod in federal waters off of Massachusetts. The sanctuary
is renowned as a major feeding area for marine mammals, particularly
humpback whales, and supports an ecosystem of diverse wildlife.
NOAA's
National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness
of America's maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring,
exploration, and educational programs. Today, 13 national marine sanctuaries
encompass more than 18,000 square miles of America's ocean and Great
Lakes natural and cultural resources.
NOAA's
Ocean Service (NOS) manages the National Marine Sanctuary Program and
is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving, and restoring
the nation's coasts and oceans. NOS balances environmental protection
with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe
navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats
and mitigating coastal hazards. To learn more about NOS and the National
Marine Sanctuary Program, please visit http://www.nos.noaa.gov.
For
the side scan image showing the shipwrecks click here
For
historic images of the Frank A. Palmer click here
For
an image of the Louise B. Crary click here
For
an image of a side scan sonar deployment click here
MEDIA -- for high
resolution historic images, contact the Sanctuary at 781-545-8026 x204
for directions to the web location for those images
A series of backgrounders
for media are also available from the Sanctuary.
