|
Some of our Local Wrecks: - Almirante
- American Oil Barge
- Astra
- City of Athens
- Gloria
- Great Isaac
- Jacob Jones
- John Marvin
- Lemuel Burrows
- San Saba
- San Jose
- Viscaya
Almirante The Almirante was a steamship bound for Panama from New York with a full cargo working for the United Fruit Company. The USS Hisko rammed the vessel resulting in the ship sinking within 4 minutes. Surprisingly, only 5 people were lost out of 105 crew and passengers due to the prompt rescue from the Lifesaving Corps out of Atlantic City. This wreck is commonly called the "Flour Wreck" because of the white foam that washed ashore after the Almirante sank. A large portion of the Almirante's cargo was flour, resulting in the local beaches being covered with a doughy, frothy mess for days after the wreck. The nickname the "Flour" stuck because of the resulting debris on the beach. This wreck lies in 60-70 feet of water. It has twice been blown up and wire dragged. In July of 1942, the wreck, being seen from the air was reported as a possible U-boat. The Coast Guard dropped 5 depth charges on it, further destroying it. The Almirante is now mostly low lying wreckage with some identifiable parts such as overlapping hull plates and boilers. This wreck is a great site for student dives because it's shallow, offers artifacts and is an ideal habitat for lobsters and fish.
American Oil Barge Originally constructed as a 3-masted luxury yacht/schooner and named American, the ship was later converted into a barge for use in the transportation of oil. The wreck we know as the American Oil Barge was under tow when she disappeared beneath the waves 8 miles off Atlantic City. Today the wreck lies upright with a relief of 10’. The scattered wreckage of the mid-section provides good habit for lobster and fish.
Astra  This 333 ft long freighter was built in Denmark in 1945 and originally christened Gudnaed. On March 30, 1951 renamed Astra, she was steaming in a dense fog when the freighter Steel Inventor collided with the Astra sending her to the bottom some 8 miles off Atlantic city NJ. Today she sits in 85 ft of water on a clean sandy bottom. Her stern is intact, tilted to the port side. The rest of the ship sits upright with her midsection collapsed.
City of Athens 
Constructed by New York Shipbuilding Company in 1911, and first known as the Somerset her name was changed to the City of Athens. She was 331 ft long and had a 40 ft wide beam. On May 1, 1918 the City of Athens was traveling through a dense fog when she was struck by the French cruiser La Gloire. It was said, "The steel hull of the warship cut through the side of the steamer like it was paper, making a huge hole." The City of Athens sank quickly taking sixty five aboard, down with her. Today the wreck lies in 110 ft of water and generally offers great visibility. Also known as the Ammo Wreck, the 26 Mile Wreck and the Refrigerator Wreck, the four boilers and massive engine provide the site with its highest relief. Divers enjoy this wreck due to the numerous finds of artifacts and trinkets.
Gloria (Lake Frampton) For years, divers visited a steel wreck some 10 miles off Atlantic City known locally as the Gloria, or Glory Wreck. Noted marine historian Gary Gentile has done extensive research and has now believes that the wreck known as the Gloria is actually the Lake Frampton. Descriptions of both wrecks are included here until positive identification is confirmed. Built in 1901, the Gloria was 243 ft long and displaced 2,183 tons. On June 18, 1921 sailing from New York to Houston with a cargo of iron, the Gloria sank. Apparently she started to take on water and her pumps could not keep up. All of the crew got off safely in a life raft and rowed for over a day before reaching Barnegat's shore. Built in 1918, the Lake Frampton was 251' long and had a beam of 43'. She was sunk on July 12, 1920 after colliding with the passenger-freighter Comus. To add to the confusion, the wreck is also often called the Kennebec. Today she can be found in 70 ft of water and offers a great site to dive. Her remains are scattered and low lying due to being demolished as a hazard to navigation.
Great Isaac The Great Isaac was a 185 ft long, 37 ft wide V-4 ocean going tug. General Ship and Engine works in Boston, Massachusetts finished construction in 1944. While towing the Thomas M Cooley through a dense fog bank on April 16, 1947, the Great Isaac was struck on her port side by the Norwegian freighter, Bandeirante. Captain McCleary and his 27 crew abandoned ship and luckily were picked up by the Bandeirante where they watched their vessel sink before their eyes. Today you can dive this fantastic three dimensional shipwreck which remains totally intact. She lies in 85-100 ft of water on her port side and is buried so that only half of her hull rises above the sea bed. Experienced wreck divers often penetrate this wreck looking for artifacts and lobsters. It's a wonderful wreck to dive but do remember it is easy to get disoriented due to its extreme angle at which the vessel lies.
Jacob Jones 
Constructed in 1919 by the New York Shipbuilding corporation in Camden NJ, she was 314 ft long and displaced 1,090 tons. The Jacob Jones could reach a top speed of 35 knots and was armed with four four-inch guns, two three-inch machine guns and twelve twenty one-inch torpedo tubes. While on patrol in Cape May waters, the Jacob Jones was hit by two torpedoes fired from U-578 on February 28, 1942. The bridge and bow section sank immediately, with the remaining stern section floating for about 45 minutes. As the stern section began to sink, her depth charges went off killing more people aboard life rafts. The final count of survivors totaled twelve thus leaving over 130 lives lost. The Jacob Jones now peacefully rests in 120 ft of water. There are three different sections of the wreck, the stern is probably the most visited piece, and the bridge and bow sections which are small and hard to locate.
John Marvin 
The John Marvin was a clammer that sunk off Atlantic City in the winter of 1991-1992. She sits upright and intact in 70 feet of water. This wreck offers a great opportunity for the photo enthusiast and is also a hot spot for gathering lobster, catching fish and collecting mussels. Some wreck penetration is also possible for those certified.
Lemuel Burrows  This steel hulled American collier was built in 1917. Originally named the Deepwater, she was 438 ft long with a width of 63 ft. On March 14, 1942 the U-404 torpedoed the Lemuel Burrows. The three torpedoes were enough to send the vessel and twenty of her crew to their watery grave. Later this wreck was wire dragged so as not to be a hazard to navigation. Also known as the Collier Wreck, the Lemuel Burrows remains can be found in 80 ft of water.
San Jose The San Jose was under wartime blackout when colliding with the Santa Elisa. The collision sent the San Jose quickly to the bottom with the Santa Elisa remaining on fire but still afloat. Due to the ongoing war, no attempt was made to salvage the San Jose despite the relatively shallow depth of the wreck. The wreck was wire dragged in 1950, reducing the height of any existing wreckage to less than 20’. Today the San Jose is an exciting wreck to explore. Lying in 110' of water 12.5 miles off Atlantic City, the wreck is visited by both fisherman and divers. The stern is the most recognizable section, upright, with a huge steering quadrant visible. The midships lie partially on their starboard side, with two large masts stretching out into the sand. Known as a good lobster wreck, it also provides mussels and fish.
San Saba  This freighter was built in 1879 and was originally named the Colorado. In 1915 after fire gutted the vessel she was rebuilt and renamed the San Saba. On October 4, 1918 the San Saba struck a mine laid by the U-117. Th ship broke in two and sunk in less than 5 minutes. Only three men survived from a crew of 34. The San Saba was 306 feet long and had a 39 foot beam. Today the wreck sits in 80 ft of water off of Barnegat. Known locally as the Magnolia Wreck, divers still recognize her boiler and propeller even though she is broken down and scattered through out the ocean floor. The wreck is in two pieces, the frequently dove stern section which still offers great opportunities for the artifact collector, and the low lying remains of the bow less than a hundred feet away.
Vizcaya Constructed in 1872 as the Santander, the Vizcaya was renamed in 1884. The Vizcaya left her New York dock bound for Havana in October 30, 1890. She had on board sixteen passengers and a cargo of merchandise. On November 1, the four mastered coal schooner Cornelius Hargraves collided with the Spanish liner sending both ships to the bottom. The news reached New York City the following morning. A total of sixty eight people lost their lives from the collision. Now resting in 85' of water, the Vizcaya remains a favorite for artifact seekers as relics are still found by those willing to fan the sands in search of treasures. The boilers and engine provide the highest relief, with a jumble of deck beams and hull plates spread out over a wide area providing the lobster hunter with equal opportunities. |
