Page 451 - The British Big Four

LORD AMHERST (1778) The 24-gun English Armed Transport ves-
sel sits in just 20’ (6m) of water. Her sinking is a mystery, but she was at a depth of 35’ (11m).
being used at the time as a hospital ship to carry the injured from the
Revolutionary War back to England.
DARLINGTON (1886) This 1,990-ton, 285.5’ (87m)English Steamer
lies on her port side in just 15’-30’ (5m-9m) of water beckoning divers
to check out her boilers, winches and prop shaft. She went down with
over 5,000 bales of cotton and 15,000 bushels of grain when her cap-
tain failed to post a lookout when approaching Bermuda’s treacherous
reefs. An unknown Spanish Galleon’s sparse remains are a short swim
away.
MUSSEL (1926) Tragedy struck this double-ended cedar Fishing
Ketch, in which local fishermen lost their lives when their boat sank
on the reef. She sits in sand at a depth of 25’ (8m).
CAESAR (1818) This English Brigantine rests in 35’ (11m) of water
on a sandy bottom, having wrecked while en route from England to
Baltimore. Only part of her cargo of grindstones, vials, clock parts,
glassware, lead oxide and a marble cornice for a Baltimore chapel were
ever recovered.
SAN ANTONIO (1621) This Portugese Nau was under Spanish char-
ter sailing from Columbia to Spain with a load of hides, wool, indigo,
tobacco, sarsaparilla, and 5,000 pounds of gold and silver. 120 sur-
vivors were beaten into giving the location and contents of the ship’s
booty to locals. Bermuda’s governor soon quit his post and disap-
peared with the loot.
BLANCHE KING (1920) This beautiful, four-masted, 1,156-ton, 192’
(58.5m) American Schooner stranded on the reef and sank with her
load of coal. Divers find her retractable keel, machinery and a capstan
HUNTERS GALLEY (1752) This Colonial Sloop was heading from St.
Eustatius, Bahamas to South Carolina, when two separate gales ripped
her rigging. The captain headed for Bermuda for safety and repairs
when a third gale put her on the reef 200 meters offshore in just 12’
(4m) of water. Only some ballast and timbers remain.
AIRPLANE WRECK This World War II B-29 Bomber survived the
war, but crashed into the sea after take-off in 1961. All eight on board
jump to safety before she hit. Divers enjoy exploring her fuselage,
wings and propellers, which sit at 30’ (9m) depth.
NORTH CAROLINA (1880) At 533 tons and 205’ (62m) in length this
beautiful English Iron Barque creates a beautiful dive as she sits up-
right at 25’-45’ (8m-14m) deep. The year she sank a valiant salvage at-
tempt was made, but her anchor tore loose as she was being refloated,
and it busted right through her hull, so she sank for good.
MARY CELESTIA (MARI CELESTE) (1864) She was a 207-ton Con-
federate Paddle Steamer that was a blockade runner, carrying beef,
bacon, ammunition and rifles to the short-handed confederates. The
Pilot had just proclaimed, “I know every rock here as well as I know
my own house.”, and then the ship struck a rock and sank in minutes.
The cook ran down below for personal belongings, and never made it
out alive. She sits at 55’ (17m) depth in a sand hole, covered by sand.
But Her paddlewheels and engine are extraordinarily photogenic for
exuberant divers.