Storm exposes remains of ship Warren Sawyer in Nantucket
Erosion brought to light suspected fragments of a 140-year-old wooden schooner
A severe storm that hit the East Coast of the United States revealed wooden remains on the beach of Nantucket, Massachusetts, which may belong to a ship that sank more than 140 years ago. It is suspected that the pieces belong to the Warren Sawyer, a three-masted schooner that ran aground on December 22, 1884.
What the storm exposed
The fragments were found on Saturday (26) on the island's southern coast, after the storm caused erosion along the stretch of sand. The structure appeared in a region where the remains of an old shipwreck had previously been found.
Confirmation still pending
The case, however, has not yet been officially confirmed. Maritime archaeology experts are expected to analyze the wreckage to determine which vessel it came from. The Egan Maritime Institute, which preserves Nantucket's maritime history, sent an expert to the site and plans to produce a report that will be forwarded to state archaeologists.
History of the Warren Sawyer
- Three-masted wooden schooner
- Traveling between New Orleans and Boston when it sank
- Ran aground on December 22, 1884, during a storm
- Carried 1,115 bales of cotton and 28 tons of scrap metal
- Captain and seven crew members were rescued
- Remains were previously found in 2022 and 2023, but covered by sand again
Relevance of the discovery
Nantucket is known as one of the "graveyards of the Atlantic." It is estimated that there are more than 750 shipwrecks in the waters surrounding the island. The new exposure of fragments reinforces the region's importance as a maritime archaeological site and the need to preserve the remains found, in accordance with state legislation that prohibits removing, damaging, or moving underwater archaeological resources.
Community reaction
Jason Graziadei, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper Nantucket Current, was one of the people who documented the remains exposed by the storm. "It's amazing to think that, after more than 100 years, this is still here," Graziadei told NBC News. The director of the state's Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, David Robinson, noted that the initial images indicate similarities between the new wreckage and the remains analyzed in 2022.
With information from G1, Olhar Digital.
Source: G1, Olhar Digital