New Jersey's Sunken Secrets
By: Julia Ventrone
While the Outer Banks earned the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic” due to its frequent shipwrecks, New Jersey’s coast is not too far behind. With more than 4,000 recorded shipwrecks, according to the NJ Maritime Museum’s Shipwreck Database, our treacherous waters are not for the inexperienced to navigate.
NOTEABLE SHIPWRECKS
While thousands of ships have met their end along NJ’s coast, a few stand out for their lasting impact. Among the most notable are the SS Atlantus, SS Morro Castle, and the Powhattan.
SS Atlantus
Built in 1918 with concrete because of WWI steel shortages, the SS Atlantus served briefly to transport troops and supplies. In 1926, a storm broke its mooring lines, driving it aground, according to Cape May Magazine. Today, its decaying concrete hull remains visible off Sunset Beach in Cape May as a popular roadside attraction.
SS Morro Castle
In September 1934, the SS Morro Castle, an ocean liner traveling from Havana to New York City, caught fire off Long Beach Island in a severe storm. The fire killed 137 passengers and crew members. The burning ship drifted ashore and grounded right near the Asbury Park Convention Hall, drawing hundreds of thousands of onlookers before it was eventually removed.
Powhattan
In 1857, a Nor’easter swept through the New Jersey coast and ran aground the packet ship Powhattan. The vessel was carrying over 300 German immigrants to New York when it was destroyed in the shoals off Beach Haven. Tragically, as the ship broke apart under the battering waves, all passengers and crew lost their lives, according to “A Storm at Sea: The Powhattan Disaster,” a YouTube video by Lance Geiger.
ARTIFICIAL REEFS
But did you know some of these wrecks were intentional? Not quite in the way you may be thinking. In 1984, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection created the New Jersey Artificial Reef Program. Spanning 17 dropping sites off the NJ coastline as of today, 164 ships have been intentionally sunk to the ocean floor to build more habitats for ocean wildlife, according to the NJMM’s Artificial Reef Shipwreck database. Different creatures, including black sea bass, tautog, summer flounder, lobster, and various crabs, benefited from the materials found on these various vessels, according to the NJDEP.
Along with major vessels, “Artificial reef building materials have ranged from concrete reef balls to decommissioned New York City subway cars, and even retired Army tanks,” according to Where Steel and Concrete Meet Sea: Artificial Reefs Along the Atlantic Coast by Cindy Sandoval. These items are completely stripped until nothing but concrete or metal remains, creating a breeding ground for various forms of marine life.
So while some sunken ships tell a tragic story, others are bringing new life to the Atlantic. You might not want to search all of these sunken vessels for hidden treasure, but that is not to say some ships off the NJ coast didn’t go down with valuable goods for the taking.
TREASURE HUNTING UNDER THE SEA
Four ships off the coast of New Jersey and New York are said to have some lost treasure within their hulls. And while some are inaccessible, many divers and maritime enthusiasts have not thrown in the towel just yet. As some say, the tides are always changing, so treasure can be within reach for those willing to dive deeper.
Sindia
Just under the sandy beaches of Ocean City lies a 3,068-ton sailing ship called the Sindia. Built in Ireland in 1887 by the same shipyard as the Titanic, this ship sailed between New York City, Shanghai, and Kobe, Japan, transporting valuables such as porcelain, silk, and artwork. That ended when a Nor’easter ran it aground in December 1901. According to Tom Lynskey’s YouTube video “The Mystery of the ‘Sindia’,” however, this is not the whole story. The Sindia, owned by J.D. Rockefeller, was said to be carrying 20 tons of manganese ore on its voyage back to New York City, and although not highly valuable in itself, after many crews were sent to search the ship quickly after the wreck, no manganese ore was found. It is widely speculated that the 20 tons of manganese ore was a cover for 20 tons of silver coins on the ship taken off the wreck quickly and quietly. Many believe that J.D. Rockefeller used this capital to fund his expansion of oil fields in Texas, making him the billionaire we know him as today.
RMS Republic
A White Star Line ship, like the wellknown Titanic, was sailing the Atlantic from New York to various Mediterranean ports on Jan. 22, 1909. Known as the millionaire’s ship, many wealthy Americans traveled to southern Europe during the cold and dreary New York City winters. About 50 miles south of Nantucket and about 150 miles east of Sandy Hook, the SS Florida collided with the port side of the RMS Republic, killing two passengers in the initial strike early on Jan. 23, 1909. The RMS Republic began sinking at about a foot an hour, according to the Oceanliner Designs YouTube channel.
The Republic was carrying around $3 million worth of gold “Double Eagle” coins in addition to 14 tons of gold bars valued at $6 million. The ship sits 240 feet deep in the Atlantic, making recovery difficult for even experienced divers. According to Capt. Martin Bayerle in an EIN Presswire story, “the bullion content is $6.24 billion, before any numismatic premium. At the January record the same metal represents $6.98 billion; at the August price, $5.46 billion.”
Vizcaya
On Oct. 30, 1890, this Spanish passenger steamer collided with the coal schooner Cornelius Hargraves off the NJ coast near Barnegat. Of the 103 passengers aboard, 60 perished, according to Atlantic Divers. Over the years, many valuables have been recovered from the wreck, including numerous coins and silver items. Divers still frequent the site to explore approximately 90 feet below sea level.