A Nor'easter Just Uncovered a 142-Year-Old Shipwreck on Nantucket
Last weekend's powerful nor'easter exposed a centuries-old shipwreck on the shore of Nantucket. Here is a look at the history of this schooner and how the recent storm uncovered it.
Weekend Nor'easter Uncovered a Shipwreck Dating Back 142 Years
It was 142 years ago that gale-force winds caused a wooden schooner to run aground on the south shore of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. The winds from the recent nor'easter were able to wash away enough of the sand to uncover what was left of the shipwreck.
The weekend storm stripped away sand from a bluff near the Point of Breakers, bringing part of the ship into view. According to observations from the National Weather Service (NWS), winds hit 49 mph on Nantucket, with a peak gust coming in at 64 mph at Nantucket Memorial Airport.
The storm also unleashed nearly 2.5 inches of rain over 48 hours, pairing with the wind-driven rough surf to push away sand from the south shore of the island. Minor flooding and beach erosion were also recorded along parts of the waterfront as the first nor'easter of the season roared up the East Coast with a vengeance.
Jason Graziadei, editor-in-chief of the Nantucket Current, said that Nantucket resident David DeHart first alerted him to the timbers coming out of the water. Graziadei said that he drove out to the bluff to confirm the discovery.
Experts believe that the wreckage could be what was left after the Warren Sawyer schooner drove into the shore near Miacomet Beach on December 22, 1884. The recently exposed wreckage is in the same spot where wooden fragments surfaced a few years ago. Researchers studied photographs and pieces of archaeological evidence to determine that those fragments were most likely part of the three-masted schooner.
David Robinson, director and chief archaeologist for the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, told the Current that the wreckage was in the same place, making it a "logical conclusion" that the discovery is tied to the wreckage found in 2022.
About the Warren Sawyer Schooner
The Warren Sawyer was en route from New Orleans to Boston when the gale-force winds blew it off course just shy of its final destination. The schooner pitched and rolled in the rough surf; however, Captain Edwin L. Saunders and his seven crew members were safely rescued by the Surfside Lifesaving Station. The ship was transporting 1,115 bales of cotton and 28 tons of scrap iron when it ran aground.
A small part of the bow was all that remained of the Warren Sawyer after Mother Nature had its way. Rescuers reached the schooner and rigged a line of buoys to bring the crew to safety. Salvage crews then worked for two weeks using ox teams and the railroad line to bring the valuable cotton bales to land. The shipwreck drew curiosity from locals who hopped on trains to visit the crash site and watch the recovery efforts unfold.
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