((PKG)) GHOST FLEET
((Banner: Ghost Fleet))
((Reporter/Camera: Deborah Block))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Nanjemoy, Maryland))
((NATS))
((Popup Banner: A watery grave of old sunken ships has been
designated the newest national marine sanctuary in the United
States))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
So, we're at Mallows Bay which was just recently designated as a
national marine sanctuary. And what's special about this place is
that it contains over 200 ships that were sunk here. And one
reason they focused on this place is because it's the largest
collection of shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere. And 100 of
those ships is known as the ghost fleet.
((Courtesy: National Archives))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
In World War 1, there was a big effort by the United States to
build a fleet of ships that would help them win the war.
((Courtesy: National Archives))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
So, at 40 ports around the country, they built these wooden
steamships which were the technology of the day. Unfortunately,
those boats were all finished after the war was completed.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner: In 1925, these surplus ships were brought
here and intentionally sunk))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
Now if you look at an aerial photograph of this area, you can see
just one ship after another, next to each other, creating this
intricate array of reefs in this river and in this bay.
You can see this ship in front of us. It's the only metal ship here.
But that's an old ferry and that used to ferry people from the
eastern shore of Virginia across to Norfolk. And this is a tidally
influenced river and bay. So, as the tide goes out, the ships come
up,
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
and it's a great experience to kayak around these ships
to see the wildlife, to learn about the history and get some
exercise.
((NATS))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
What you're looking at in front of us is the hull of an old ship, one
of these steam ships, and that piece of
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
stone sticking out there was originally in the bottom or the hull of
the ship and it was balancing the ship.
((NATS)
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
We noticed a lot of them are like floating flower pots. They're full
of vegetation and
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
it's tremendous for the environment. They're actually cleaning the
water. They're providing habitat. They're actually helping with
climate change.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
Because it's underwater, it doesn't receive as much oxygen and
so, the decay rate is a lot slower. It's also salt water which further
reduces the rate of decay.
((NATS)
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
We have nothing from World War 1. I mean really nothing left
and that's why this is so important. It's the largest collection of
World War 1 vessels
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
and the fact that they were built for one purpose. They never told
the poor guys who were going to serve on it that they expected a
lot of them to be expendable. They were just figured if they built a
thousand of them and 600 made it across, then they could get
bundles to our allies.
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
They didn't tell these guys, which I think they all know when they
sign up, that by the way, you are government property and you
are expendable. But, you know, when you think about it that way,
that's why these ships were built so quickly and so cheaply, is that
they largely looked at, if we build enough of them, the U-Boats
won't get them all.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
So, it's so scary in that regard. But it's, this is the only place you
can see the size of these vessels and the size of the collection
and the fact that they are a cross-section of a different number of
designs, it is like one big museum.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
((Banner: Ghost Fleet))
((Reporter/Camera: Deborah Block))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Nanjemoy, Maryland))
((NATS))
((Popup Banner: A watery grave of old sunken ships has been
designated the newest national marine sanctuary in the United
States))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
So, we're at Mallows Bay which was just recently designated as a
national marine sanctuary. And what's special about this place is
that it contains over 200 ships that were sunk here. And one
reason they focused on this place is because it's the largest
collection of shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere. And 100 of
those ships is known as the ghost fleet.
((Courtesy: National Archives))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
In World War 1, there was a big effort by the United States to
build a fleet of ships that would help them win the war.
((Courtesy: National Archives))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
So, at 40 ports around the country, they built these wooden
steamships which were the technology of the day. Unfortunately,
those boats were all finished after the war was completed.
((NATS))
((Popup Banner: In 1925, these surplus ships were brought
here and intentionally sunk))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
Now if you look at an aerial photograph of this area, you can see
just one ship after another, next to each other, creating this
intricate array of reefs in this river and in this bay.
You can see this ship in front of us. It's the only metal ship here.
But that's an old ferry and that used to ferry people from the
eastern shore of Virginia across to Norfolk. And this is a tidally
influenced river and bay. So, as the tide goes out, the ships come
up,
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
and it's a great experience to kayak around these ships
to see the wildlife, to learn about the history and get some
exercise.
((NATS))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
What you're looking at in front of us is the hull of an old ship, one
of these steam ships, and that piece of
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
stone sticking out there was originally in the bottom or the hull of
the ship and it was balancing the ship.
((NATS)
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
We noticed a lot of them are like floating flower pots. They're full
of vegetation and
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
it's tremendous for the environment. They're actually cleaning the
water. They're providing habitat. They're actually helping with
climate change.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
((Joel Dunn, President, Chesapeake Conservancy))
Because it's underwater, it doesn't receive as much oxygen and
so, the decay rate is a lot slower. It's also salt water which further
reduces the rate of decay.
((NATS)
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
We have nothing from World War 1. I mean really nothing left
and that's why this is so important. It's the largest collection of
World War 1 vessels
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
and the fact that they were built for one purpose. They never told
the poor guys who were going to serve on it that they expected a
lot of them to be expendable. They were just figured if they built a
thousand of them and 600 made it across, then they could get
bundles to our allies.
((Courtesy: Duke University Marine Lab))
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
They didn't tell these guys, which I think they all know when they
sign up, that by the way, you are government property and you
are expendable. But, you know, when you think about it that way,
that's why these ships were built so quickly and so cheaply, is that
they largely looked at, if we build enough of them, the U-Boats
won't get them all.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))
((Susan Langley, Underwater Archaeologist))
So, it's so scary in that regard. But it's, this is the only place you
can see the size of these vessels and the size of the collection
and the fact that they are a cross-section of a different number of
designs, it is like one big museum.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Kurt Schwoppe))