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.
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