Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Perhaps the mast came loose (due to ice or a storm or the general deterioration of the wreck) and floated to the surface? If one end was tangled in the rigging or other debris on the wreck, that could have caused it to float upright and protrude from the water as if it was still standing.

In that case, I would agree with you. The only problem I have is the masts standing up for nearly a decade. Storms, ice, and salvagers usually blow them down especially if they are a hazard of navigation. I have not seen the wreck of re David Wells to tell what has happened. I had dove re Wells Burt and can tell you mother nature tore her up pretty good. Now I had dove wrecks from the 1860s/70s to tell that iron ore looks like a shiny rocks in the bottom, not powdered. Also from my research (being a shipwreck hunter), I have seen spots of misinformed or fabricated press stories. Such as the wreck of the Searchlight which was supposedly washed ashore after the storm of 1913 and sank in 1906 or the wreckage of the Hydrus and Argus being washed ashore at the same place at the same time. We can never know what the report was based off of. I would interested to see if the masts are still part of the wreck.

[quote="Guest"]Jared,
The wreck is the David Wells and not the Wells Burt. The wreck believed to be the David Wells is still shallow enough to easily be damaged by bad storms. However, the newspaper article implied that the mast was still in place and the part sticking out of the water hadn't just floated to the surface. My main reason for asking is that I tend to not believe most newspaper accounts and was just wondering if this sounded logical. The wreck believed to the the David Wells is sitting upright and very deeply embedded in the bottom. Her bow is split open so there is about 20 feet between the port and starboard sides of the bow. There is no visible sign of the masts.

Thanks for your input.[/quote]

If the vessel is shallow enough to be damaged by bad storms, she is shallow enough to be regularly lifted off of the bottom. If that is the case, and her cargo is iron ore, her center of gravity is going to remain below her center of buoyancy, even while submerged completely. As a result, she is gradually going to work herself into an upright position. It would only be a matter of time. As she is presently sitting upright on the bottom, but deeply embedded, I see no reason to disbelieve the news report of the appearance of a spar above water nine years after the sinking.

Jared,
The wreck is the David Wells and not the Wells Burt. The wreck believed to be the David Wells is still shallow enough to easily be damaged by bad storms. However, the newspaper article implied that the mast was still in place and the part sticking out of the water hadn't just floated to the surface. My main reason for asking is that I tend to not believe most newspaper accounts and was just wondering if this sounded logical. The wreck believed to the the David Wells is sitting upright and very deeply embedded in the bottom. Her bow is split open so there is about 20 feet between the port and starboard sides of the bow. There is no visible sign of the masts.

Thanks for your input.

The answer is simple. The reason why the spar floated to the surface is because of her shallow depth. The Burt sank in shallow enough water to be affected by storms. If the waves are big enough, they will tear the wreck apart like she is today. Also it could be a case if yellow journalism or misguided information.

I would believe that if the iron ore was in the form of pellets, being as heavy as they are. If the ore was in "fines" or rough powder form, that may be open for discussion. In its raw powder form, it would be easier washed away by currents, no? Pelletizing came along much later.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the loss of the schooner David Wells with all hands and a cargo of Iron ore. Some sources report that 9 years after the sinking, a spar appeared sticking up out of the water in the spot where the Wells was believed to have sunk so they thought the wreck had righted herself. Does this sound reasonable or possible to anyone. With a cargo of ore, it seems like once the wreck was in place for a while, it would be highly unlikely that it would ever right itself. I would love to hear other's thoughts on this.