Resting at the bottom of Lake Erie just west of Dunkirk is more than 150 years of local history. A research team has found a wooden ship from the 1800s sitting at the bottom and, even more remarkably, the 85-foot sunken schooner is in near-pristine condition. Now the team has grand plans for the War of 1812 relic, which brought goods to and from Buffalo when it was just emerging as a city. They hope to raise it and display the vessel in a large water tank, making it the centerpiece of Buffalo's waterfront.
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The ship was originally discovered in 1994 by shipwreck hunters searching Lake Erie, where some believe hundreds of wrecks could potentially be found. Richard Kullberg, president of North East Research, believed the wreck to be a sunken Civil War payroll ship and paid for the coordinates to the ship's location, thus giving him the rights to salvage the wreck. "It was amazing to most people that were working there at the time that this ship was so in tact, so pristine, so completely together," said Pat Clyne, a shipwreck videographer and part-owner of North East Research.
Kullberg initially sent remotely-operated cameras down before sending a team of divers to the wreck to investigate and photograph the vessel. Kullberg's initial assessment was a bit off the mark, but, as Clyne told me, "What they did have seemed to be a very important turn-of-the-18th-century schooner."
Kullberg and North East Research continued to investigate the historic wreck. In 2004, they recovered two artifacts from the schooner: The ship's compass and an oil lamp. Other cargo was later identified, including stores of wheat and barley, leading the team to believe it to be a trading ship in the formative years of the United States. They now think it's the "General Wayne," a commercial ship refitted from the "Caledonia," a war ship captured by the Americans during the War of 1812 and used by Admiral Perry in the crucial Battle of Lake Erie.
North East Research has also brought footage of the ship to local officials, one of whom dubbed the ship "Buffalo's Missing Icon" because of the schooner depicted on the seal of Buffalo. Clyne said as more officials saw photos or video of the ship, the idea to raise it grew and seemed more like a reality. Last Tuesday, the group met with more government officials, including County Executive Chris Collins and representatives from both U.S. senators, several congressmen, and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Committee. "When Collins saw the shipwreck, he liked it very much," Clyne said, "He saw the potential of this down the line and the effects it would have on Buffalo as a tourist destination."
Since the ship is in great condition, raising it seems to be a real possibility, though a very expensive venture. Clyne said North East Research would, however, rescue the ship at its own cost and plans to give the artifact to the city for a 99-year lease costing just one dollar. Clyne said he believes the expense would be worthwhile in the end because the ship could become a destination for history buffs nationwide - even more so than other gems like the Alamo or the Liberty Bell. "This ship is Buffalo. This is the ship that began the City of Buffalo with its commerce and its trade all throughout the Great Lakes region," Clyne said.
The only major issue is the zebra mussels that have attached themselves all over the ship. While scraping them off will be a time-consuming task, Clyne said it could also be an educational opportunity. After placing the ship in its waterfront tank, divers could scrape off the mussels to salvage the wreck, thus giving the public a glimpse at how ships are salvaged.
While it's certainly not definite, this exciting plan is starting to take shape. "Compared to other national monuments that we have out there, I don't think you could find one that carries the legacy of one particular city as much as this does," Clyne said. "It's only limited to your imagination what this shipwreck could bring to the City of Buffalo."
(Top photo: "Buffalo's Missing Icon," Steve Gatto. Middle photo: Stern windowns, Steve Gatto. Bottom photo: Ship's bow, Pat Clyne.)
While it will be cool to have, I think its beyond absurd to think it will become a tourist attraction on the scale of the alamo or liberty bell.
The ship has no particular historical importance that sets it apart from any of the hundreds or possibly thousands of shipwrecks across the great lakes
Ike, this is much more exciting than the Liberty Bell. (Actually, just about anything is more exciting than the Liberty Bell.)
Maybe this tank could serve as a political dunk tank, too. Now, there's a regional attraction.