US: Wreck of 'Hydrus' vessel discovered after 102 years - video

The Great Lakes region in the USA hides in its abysmal depths the wrecks of more than 6,000 vessels that have sunk there since the 17th century. Some of them have already been found by divers, what is more, some of them can be seen from the surface in good weather. However, most of them are still waiting to be discovered. From this list we can already cross out the “Hydrus”, which sank during a storm in 1913.

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David Trotter has dedicated 30 years of his life to the search for the missing ship. The first signs of success and the possible finding of a vessel measuring over 132 metres appeared already in July. Until recently, however, the whole matter was kept secret from the media and the public.

The ship found during the fateful voyage was carrying a cargo of iron ore, with which it was heading to the St. Clair River harbour on Lake Huron. It was then that it became one of the victims of the “Great Storm” of 1913, in which more than 250 sailors lost their lives and 19 vessels went down! The sources of that time noted that the wind reached 150km/h and the waves were 10 m high! It was under these conditions that the Hydrus capsized, taking 22 crew members under water. Five sailors who managed to get to the surface froze to death trying to get to shore in lifeboats.

The storm in question, which hit the Great Lakes region, was the largest and most unexpected weather anomaly ever to hit the region. In the consensus opinion of experts, even the most experienced captain with a seasoned crew would have had little to do with such a drastic and sudden change in weather conditions.

Over the past 102 years many of the vessels lost in 1913 have been found, but the ‘Hydrus’ remained elusive until July 2015. The news of its discovery was announced with a delay of several months, as the diving team wanted to explore first and confirm that it was definitely the sought-after vessel. The wreck rests at a depth of 48m approximately 52km offshore.

During the dives it was established that both the size of the wreck, the number of manholes and the contents of the hold were correct. In the engine room, in turn, the divers found a plaque covered with mussels, from under which the inscription “Hydrus” was visible. The freezing waters of Lake Huron are excellent for preserving wrecks lying at its bottom, which gives us hope that the found wreck will provide a lot of interesting information frozen in time. The vessel itself is in excellent condition and can also be explored inside.

Source: smithsonianmag.com