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Remains of lost 1800s whaling fleet discovered off Alaska’s Arctic coast
NOAA ^
| January 6, 2016
| unattributed
Posted on 01/08/2016 12:24:03 AM PST by SunkenCiv
The shipwrecks, and parts of other ships, that were found are most likely the remains of 33 ships trapped by pack ice close to the Alaskan Arctic shore in September 1871...
The ships were destroyed in a matter of weeks, leaving more than 1,200 whalers stranded at the top of the world until they could be rescued by seven ships of the fleet standing by about 80 miles to the south in open water off Icy Cape. No one died in the incident but it is cited as one of the major causes of the demise of commercial whaling in the United States...
Using state-of-the-art sonar and sensing technology, the NOAA team was able to plot the âmagnetic signatureâ of the two wrecks, including the outline of their flattened hulls. The wreck site also revealed anchors, fasteners, ballast and brick-lined pots used to render whale blubber into oil...
On Sept. 12, 1871, the captains of the 33 whaling ships caught in the ice convened aboard the Champion to consider their options for saving the 1,219 officers, crew, and in some cases, families, from their fate. Although, their situation was dire, there was some small glimmer of hope for rescue by seven nearby ships.
However, to save such a large party, the rescuing whale ships had to jettison their precious cargoes of whale oil, bone and their expensive whaling gear to make room for the survivors. The rescue ships were able to sail safely out of the Arctic and back to Honolulu, where hundreds of native Hawaiian whalers aboard the stranded vessels lived, while others sailed on to San Francisco, New Bedford and other cities.
(Excerpt) Read more at noaanews.noaa.gov ...
TOPICS: History; Science
KEYWORDS: alaska; arctic; california; friendlyarctic; godsgravesglyphs; hawaii; honolulu; massachusetts; newbedford; sanfrancisco
Courtesy of Robert Schwemmer Maritime Library
1
posted on
01/08/2016 12:24:03 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
To: SunkenCiv
My favorite! Bookmark for tomorrow!
2
posted on
01/08/2016 12:26:14 AM PST
by
IwaCornDogs
("There Will Be Bamboozeling" ~ Nobama 08')
To: SunkenCiv
Too bad Al Gore wasn’t around to tell them that burning all that whale oil would melt the Arctic.
3
posted on
01/08/2016 12:27:41 AM PST
by
EternalVigilance
('To secure the Blessings of Liberty to our Posterity.')
To: IncPen
4
posted on
01/08/2016 12:29:12 AM PST
by
Nailbiter
To: EternalVigilance
I clipped out the crap about how this research was only possible because of climate change.
5
posted on
01/08/2016 12:29:38 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
To: IwaCornDogs
6
posted on
01/08/2016 12:32:51 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
To: SunkenCiv
No one died in the incident but it is cited as one of the major causes of the demise of commercial whaling in the United States... I guess crude oil had nothing to do with it?
7
posted on
01/08/2016 12:57:39 AM PST
by
Cowboy Bob
(With Trump & Cruz, America can't lose!)
To: Cowboy Bob
exactly this.
whalers dying is not the reason it stopped...it was the creation of the oil barrel as an easy way of transporting something cheaper and more abundant.
so you know what saved the whales...oil did....
8
posted on
01/08/2016 1:06:10 AM PST
by
Irishguy
To: Cowboy Bob
9
posted on
01/08/2016 1:43:58 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
To: SunkenCiv
The USA is $25 trillion in debt. Prioritize.
10
posted on
01/08/2016 2:34:38 AM PST
by
namvolunteer
(Obama says the US is subservient to the UN and the Constitution does not apply. That is treason.)
To: Irishguy
so you know what saved the whales...oil did.... Capitalism did.
11
posted on
01/08/2016 2:50:31 AM PST
by
Pontiac
(The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
To: SunkenCiv
Wow...just another story to add you my portfolio on “why I hate cold weather”. Yikes!
12
posted on
01/08/2016 3:18:56 AM PST
by
Caipirabob
(Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
To: SunkenCiv
I love how these “discoveries” always happen around a movie release.
Mars, whales....what next
13
posted on
01/08/2016 4:01:59 AM PST
by
icwhatudo
(Low taxes and less spending in Sodom and Gomorrah is not my idea of a conservative victory)
To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
14
posted on
01/08/2016 4:24:36 AM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
To: SunkenCiv
Quick send in the anti-whaling protesters! (sarcasm)
15
posted on
01/08/2016 5:13:22 AM PST
by
GreyFriar
(Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
To: SunkenCiv
"With less ice in the Arctic as a result of climate change, ..."
Dear Lord... ruins the reading experience, I can't even continue now that I know it was written by a buffoon.
16
posted on
01/08/2016 5:29:11 AM PST
by
FunkyZero
(... I've got a Grand Piano to prop up my mortal remains)
To: SunkenCiv
And we appreciate that clipping, Civ.
17
posted on
01/08/2016 5:56:46 AM PST
by
Bigg Red
(Keep calm and Pray on.)
To: Nailbiter
I thought this was a Hillary thread...
18
posted on
01/08/2016 7:33:05 AM PST
by
IncPen
(Not one single patriot in Washington, DC.)
To: SunkenCiv
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