 |
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
Summer 2002
Fall 2002
Summer 2001
Fall 2001
Summer 2000
Fall 2000
Week Four Highlights
Our New Wreck Site
At the end of week three the plan was to focus on Wreck #6 near Castle Island. Based on information obtained last week from local informants our new focus is a sunken barge located north of Castle Island. This is now identified as Wreck #10. Wreck #10 is located in about eight feet of water. It was possibly used as a ferry after a tremendous storm destroyed all the bridges into Washington in 1913.. This storm is well known to local inhabitants and rivals Hurricane Floyd as the most destructive storm to hit Washington in recorded history. Although much research needs to be accomplished before any confident identification can be suggested, we suspect this barge might have been used to ferry people and supplies across the Pamlico while the bridges were being rebuilt. The archaeological investigation of the site will shed important light on the use of this vessel on the river.
The side scan sonar image of the barge.
Daily Routine
Each day we leave campus around nine for the forty minute drive to Washington. Once there our first goal is to set up the public display tent and pack the Privateer for the short ride over to the base of operations. One person stays behind at the tent to answer questions and provide information to the public. The site is located across from the popular waterfront park where families come to eat lunch and walk along the water. The Visitor's Center and Estuarium are also located here. In the river the students take turns mapping the wreck site. The pontoon is anchored near the wreck and each student is assigned a section. These maps will be combined into one site map and incorporated into a final field report generated in the fall by Professor Rodgers and some of the field school students. During week five we will be taking the Perkins out in the sound to practice with the side scan sonar so a large part of this week was spent getting her shipshape.
The Sterlings visit with the students. From L-R: Matt Lawrence, Mike Hughes, Heather Cain, Russ Green, Dave Miller, Elizabeth Sterling, Brad Rodgers (in back), Hugh Sterling, Giovanni Wagemans (in back), MJ Harris, Stephen Hammack. Kneeling: Marc Porter.
Further Information
This photo from 1913 shows a ferry barge being pulled across the Pamlico. Castle Island can be seen in the background. This photo was provided by Hugh and Elizabeth Sterling.
Locating Wreck #10
Once we learned about the existence of this wreck site our first priority was to locate it. To accomplish this we used side scan sonar. Side scan sonar basically takes sonar 'pictures' of the river or ocean bottom and locates anything that might be standing up off the bottom, such as a shipwreck. Brad and Frank Cantelas, the staff archaeologist for the Maritime Program, documented the wreck using the side scan and plotted its position using GPS data. Once this was done a team of divers went out to mark the site with buoys. Then a base line was run down the center of the wreck and cross lines were laid out at ten foot increments perpendicular to the base line. Once these were in place we could begin mapping the wreck site.
Mike Hughes, one of the crew chiefs this season.
Visitors to the Site
Dozens of people stopped by this week to see what we were doing. This includes some members of the Washington community who are very knowledgeable about local history and the activities along the river. Among our visitors were Hugh and Elizabeth Sterling. Mr. Sterling was born in 1913, the year of the big storm, and was able to supply us with a great deal of useful information about the river, including the location of Wreck #10. This week the Sterlings were kind enough to bring along some photos of the 1913 damage including a barge similar in shape to Wreck #10. A special thanks to the Sterling family for this information. Overall the public display tent is a big success!
Marc Porter prepares for another day on the water by taking a quick nap.
 |
Department of History |