Diving With a Purpose: Hannah M. Bell Shipwreck Site Investigation

Diving With a Purpose’s Rebecca Hunter maps the Hannah M. Bell.

Prepared by: Matthew Lawrence1, Brenda Altmeier2, Erik Denson3, Jay Haigler3, Kamau Sadiki3, and

Ken Stewart3

1Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 175 Edward Foster Road, Scituate, MA 02066 2Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 95230 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037 3Diving With a Purpose 1309 Jackson Street, Nashville, TN 37208 For: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Survey and Inventory Permit FKNMS-2014-176

May 2016

Acknowledgements Many individuals contributed to the success of this project. The authors are grateful to the following individuals and organizations: Gayle Patrick for her consummate drafting and CAD skills. Diving With a Purpose Instructors and Advocates who mapped the Hannah M. Bell – Dr. Jose’ Jones, Gayle Patrick, Ernest Franklin, Rebecca Hunter, Melody Garrett, Andrew Lyons, Addelair Guy, Kim Walker, Albert Dobbins, Kevin Blaustein, Barry Handy, Shirikiana Gerima, John Buchanan, Bernard Allen Heeke, Chris Searles, Justine Benanty, Ronald Reese, William Cox, Kramer Wimberley, Lisa McLoughlin, Ken Futch, Dawn Ross, Riane Tyler, Walter Mason, and Paul Washington Captains and crew of the Rainbow Reef Dive Center’s charter vessels. Captain and crew of Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort charter vessel Just In Time. The National Park Service’s Florida Bay Interagency Science Center for providing meeting space and accommodations. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Staff – James P. Delgado, PhD., Lauri MacLaughlin, Bill Goodwin, Mary Tagliareni, and Donald Mooney Last but not least, thanks to Steve Mulholland who made sure the project went smoothly in numerous ways.

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1. Project Title Diving With a Purpose: Hannah M. Bell Shipwreck Site Investigation 2. Executive Summary Avocational archaeologists from Diving With a Purpose (DWP), supported by Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ (ONMS) resource managers and archaeologists investigated the sunken remains of a large ferrous-hulled vessel grounded on Elbow Reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Long known as “Mike’s Wreck,” ONMS staff felt that the site designated MO02353 in the Florida Master Site File could be identified through historical and archaeological research. To achieve this end, DWP brought a cadre of trained avocational archaeologists and trainee avocational archaeologists to the Florida Keys to conduct fieldwork on the site. The fieldwork’s goals were to identify the vessel, create a comprehensive site map for sanctuary management and recreational diver interpretation, and ascertain how the vessel fit within the cultural landscape of Elbow Reef. During three fieldwork sessions between September 2012 and May 2015, DWP and ONMS staff mapped the site, documented the shipwreck with photography and videography, and determined that it was the remains of the steel–hulled, twin screw steamship Hannah M. Bell lost on Elbow Reef in 1911. Furthermore, documentation of the steamship’s remains revealed significant levels of contemporary salvage that when combined with the vessel’s historical record shed light on the last chapters of Florida Keys wrecking history on Elbow Reef. 3. Previous Archaeological Research at Elbow Reef Considerable archaeological research has been focused on Elbow Reef. Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science first undertook historical research and archaeological site documentation of the City of Washington shipwreck in July 1996. The City of Washington was built on the Delaware River, at Chester, Pennsylvania. The Roach shipyard launched the 300-foot long steamship in August 1877 for Alexandre and Sons to run between New York and Cuba. Competition between steamship lines to Cuba led to the dominance of the Ward line which bought out Alexandre & Sons in 1888. Ten years later, the City of Washington was anchored in Havana Harbor the night the USS Maine exploded. Its crew launched boats and helped rescue sailors in the water. Chartered from the Ward line (New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company) as a troop transport during the Spanish American War, City of Washington carried U.S. soldiers to Cuba for the island’s invasion. By 1908, the steamship no longer met the needs of the traveling public and by 1911, the Luckenbach Steamship Co. had stripped out the steamship’s machinery and removed its upper deck as it was converted to a schooner barge (Indiana University 1996). After many successful trips through the treacherous Florida Straits, a violent electrical storm caused the tug Luckenbach #4 and its consort barges Seneca and City of Washington to ground on Elbow Reef in July 1917. The tug and Seneca refloated undamaged on the next high tide, but City of Washington was stuck fast. The USCG Cutter Tampa (ex. Miami) and Luckenbach #4 tried to pull it off the reef, but were unsuccessful. Valued at $266,000 with 3500 tons of coal valued at $17,500 in its hold, City of Washington was a total loss (Indiana University 1996). The Indiana University investigation documented the wreck’s greatly deteriorated hull structure and biologic assemblage. These efforts led to an overall site plan and established the site’s

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identity and significance. University archaeologist Charles Beeker applied the National Register of Historic Places listing criteria to the site and determined that the shipwreck was potentially eligible for listing under Criteria A. In 2009, members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) joined ONMS Nautical Archaeology Society Tutors for NAS Part I training on the wreck. Site assessment dives by ONMS staff revealed aspects of the site formation process that pointed to salvage not otherwise documented in the historical record. Furthermore, the adaptation of the City of Washington to a schooner barge and the resulting removal of its steam machinery prior to its sinking provided an interesting contrast to the post-wrecking machinery removal that occurred at other shipwrecks on Elbow Reef. The City of Washington is one of the FKNMS Shipwreck Trail dive sites, and as such, is one of the most visited shipwrecks in the sanctuary.

Figure 1. The City of Washington (courtesy of Steamship Historical Society of America).

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Figure 2. City of Washington interpretative site map produced by Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science (courtesy of Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science).

Figure 3. Tug Luckenbach #4 (U. S. Navy History and Heritage Command).

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Figure 4. U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa (U. S. Navy History and Heritage Command).

Figure 5. NABS divers mapping the City of Washington (Tane Casserley, ONMS). Archaeological research on Elbow Reef continued with PAST Foundation and Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeology Team (ADMAT) field projects on the wreck of the Tonawanda in 2007 (Cobb et al. 2007; ADMAT 2007). These projects recorded the site with photographs and video as well as diver measurement techniques. The shipwreck was also visited by ONMS

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archaeologists and resource managers in 2009, who conducted an overall site reconnaissance including site photography and videography. All of the above investigations found the remains of a wooden-hulled vessel lying in a sandy pocket in 20 feet of water heavily colonized with marine life. The archaeological remains were dominated by a skeletonized keelson and engine bed created by the presence of large drift pins exposed by the deterioration of the vessel’s wooden timbers. Numerous concreted iron fastenings, fittings, and strapping lay in a thick pile surrounding the engine bed structure.

Figure 6. Panoramic image of the Tonawanda shipwreck (Matthew Lawrence, ONMS).

Figure 7. Tonawanda’s drift pins provided evidence for the dimensions of its keelson and engine bed (Matthew Lawrence, ONMS).

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The Tonawanda was a three-masted schooner-rigged screw steamer built by William Cramp and Son in Philadelphia and launched in 1863. The wooden hulled vessel measured 175 feet long with a nearly 30-foot beam (American Lloyds 1864). Its vertical direct acting steam engine turned a 10.5-foot diameter propeller that could push the steamer at 15 knots. The U. S. Navy purchased the vessel on 27 June 1863, re-named it USS Arkansas, and used it to re-supply the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron before it was sent to the Western Gulf Blockading squadron outfitted with 5 cannon and a complement of 88 sailors. Stationed at Ship Island, Mississippi, USS Arkansas participated in General-in-Chief Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan to blockade southern ports. The steamship captured at least one blockade runner, the schooner Watchful, carrying arms for the Confederacy. However, enemy action proved to be the least dangerous aspect of its service. Mosquitos were far more dangerous to its sailors. Mosquito-borne illness was rampant and fever took 15 sailors within the first weeks of October 1864 (Scott 1995:18). The statistical data for U. S. ships presented in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion described USS Arkansas as a barkentine-rigged steamer, which more closely matches the only known image of the vessel held at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. (Cobb et al. 2007).

USS Arkansas was decommissioned on 30 June 1865 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire and sold to George Leach for $40,100, who operated it as part of the Philadelphia & Southern Mail Steamship Co. of Philadelphia. By early 1866, the steamer had entered into trade between Boston and Havana, Cuba. Enroute to Havana under command of Captain John Berry, Tonawanda grounded on Elbow Reef on 27 March 1866 with a cargo of fish and potatoes. After struggling for 2 days to refloat his steamship, Berry turned Tonawanda over to Captain Lewis Pierce of the Three Brothers, a 29-ton vessel with a crew of 9. Over the next several days the wrecking schooners Alabama, Rosalee, Eliza Catharine, and Augusta joined the Three Brothers removing cargo and salvaging the steam machinery. By 9 April, the wreckers had completed their work on Tonawanda’s machinery. For their efforts, the Key West Admiralty Court awarded 30 wreckers $13,927.52 and $1,614.25 went to Tonawanda’s owners from the sale of the salvaged goods and machinery (Scott 1995:19-21). In an interesting note on the inside game of the Keys salvage industry, Captain Pierce lost his salvage license later that year after it was revealed that he had paid a $10,000 kickback on a $25,000 salvage award to the master of the steamship General Meade that he had successfully pulled off the Florida Reef (Viele 2001:184). 3. Research Design Project personnel visited both the City of Washington and Tonawanda sites and a third shipwreck known locally as “Mike’s Wreck” in May of 2009. The density of wrecks within a small area and similarities between the wrecks suggested interesting research questions that could illuminate the cultural landscape of Elbow Reef. In particular, the City of Washington and Mike’s Wreck, both large, ferrous-hulled, engine-powered vessels, have markedly reduced structure as compared to their expected construction. Was the condition of the extant remains due to the intense wave action the Florida Keys reef crest experiences during a storm, or had the shipwrecks been extensively salvaged? The City of Washington’s wrecking circumstances are well established, but as the identity of Mike’s Wreck had not been ascertained, insight into the salvage activity on Elbow Reef was limited. To illuminate this aspect of the Florida Keys cultural history this project sought to answer the following research questions:

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1. What is the identity of Mike’s Wreck? 2. Are the reduced extant remains of Mike’s Wreck and City of Washington a result of contemporary salvage or natural processes? 3. Is there evidence of specific salvage techniques used on Mike’s Wreck? 4. Are shipwreck materials found in elsewhere in the sanctuary related to Elbow Reef wrecks? 5. What are the characteristics of other archaeological sites at Elbow Reef and is there evidence of salvage at these sites? 4. Historical Research Numerous vessels have grounded at Elbow Reef. Not all entered the archaeological record as shipwrecks as some vessels were re-floated. Even a vessel that was ultimately re-floated may have deposited portions of its structure or cargo on the reef during the wrecking process or subsequent salvage. Archival sources indicate that the vessels in the following table all struck Elbow Reef in the latter half of the nineteenth or twentieth centuries (Hambright 1988). Table 1. Vessels that grounded on Elbow Reef post-1850. Name Wrecking Date Character Disposition Elizabeth Bruce 1/14/1854 Ship Total loss Helen E. Booker 5/1/1857 American Ship - wooden hull Total Loss, some

cargo salvaged Adelayda 3/26/1863 Schooner Total loss Tonawanda 3/29/1866 American Steamship -

wooden hull Total loss

Wandering Chief 9/24/1894 British Bark Total loss Acorn 2/11/1885 British Steamship - metal hull Total loss Panama 10/4/1892 Spanish Steamship Re-floated Springwell 10/6/1896 British Steamship Re-floated Mayfield 11/28/1896 British Steamship Re-floated Mount Oswald 12/20/1900 British Steamship Re-floated Hannah M. Bell 4/3/1911 British Steamship - metal hull Total Loss City of Washington 7/10/1917 Steamship converted to a

schooner barge - metal hull Total Loss

Luckenbach #4 7/10/1917 American Tug Re-floated Seneca 7/10/1917 Steamship converted to a

schooner barge Re-floated

Quoque 1/15/1920 American Steamship -wooden hull

Total Loss

After comparing the observed characteristics of Mike’s Wreck to the above list of potential wrecks, project personnel suspected that the Hannah M. Bell was the most likely candidate for Mike’s Wreck. However, without documenting the dimensions of the shipwreck and its construction particulars, the identification was unsubstantiated supposition. Furthermore, the potential existed that the shipwreck was an as yet unidentified casualty of Elbow Reef. Prior to returning to the field, project personnel sought to document the history of the Hannah M. Bell.

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The Hannah M. Bell’s History Ropner and Son of Stockton-On-Tees, and launched the Hannah M. Bell into the Tees River on the northeast coast of England on 20 March 1893. The vessel measured 315 feet between perpendiculars, had a breadth of 40.5 feet and a moulded depth of 23 feet 7 inches. The steamship’s two triple-expansion engines, manufactured by Blair and Co. Ltd, also of Stockton-On-Tees, generated 1,000 indicated horsepower from two boilers working at 160 lbs. of pressure. The Hannah M. Bell Steamship Co. Ltd. named the steamship after the woman who christened it (Neal 1894).

Figure 8. Ropner and Son shipyard with the sheerlegs of Blair and Co. Ltd., engine builders in the background (Alan Betteney, Shipbuilding in Stockton and Thornaby).

Following its launch, the Hannah M. Bell made frequent transatlantic trips between European ports, the U. S. East and Gulf Coasts, and Caribbean and South American ports carrying a variety of bulk cargos. The steamship carried cotton cargoes from Pensacola to Venice, Italy, sugar from Cuba to Boston, and naval stores from Pensacola, Florida to Hamburg, Germany and Liverpool and Bristol in the United Kingdom. During these trips, Hannah M. Bell often stopped in Norfolk or Newport News, Virginia to fill its coal bunkers or take on a coal cargo (Newport News Daily Press 7 September 1899, 2 May 1905, 16 February 1907, 25 August 1908). The Hannah M. Bell experienced a variety of stormy or strange weather events during its passages. The steamer’s crew suffered through a particularly hellish trip in February 1907 as it traveled from Cuba to Boston. Several sailors suffered from exposure and frostbite as a winter storm battered the steamship, delaying it for 5 days (Boston Daily Globe 21 February 1907). While steaming 50 miles off Cape Hatteras in November 1909, the steamship encountered the largely spent remains of a hurricane. Six waterspouts appeared in the vicinity of the vessel and appeared to head towards it. Captain Cooper responded to the menace by firing at the waterspouts with his shotgun. Surprisingly, the fusillade had its desired effect and the funnels

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dissipated before reaching the steamship (Boston Daily Globe 15 November 1909; New York Tribune 15 November1909).

Figure 9. British steamship Hannah M. Bell (Harold Appleyard, www.teesbuiltships.co.uk). Prior to its final grounding on Elbow Reef, the Hannah M. Bell was nearly lost two other times during its travels in the vicinity of southern Florida. The first time, the steamship grounded near the Marquesas Key in the Florida Keys in September of 1899 while loaded with cotton (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot 7 September 1899). The steamer ran aground again in March 1907 off Miami, Florida. This last mishap resulted in legal proceedings that changed Florida law. At the time, only pilot commissioners could serve on a board of survey in any of Florida’s ports. When the Hannah M. Bell grounded outside of the shipping channel into Miami, a Captain Anderson, who was not a pilot commissioner, surveyed the vessel after it was refloated and brought into the port. He was arrested for his action and detained. Anderson and his attorneys filed a writ of Habeas Corpus, and successfully argued before a judge that the pilot commissioner requirement was unconstitutional (Pensacola Journal 25 and 30 May 1907). On its last voyage, the Hannah M. Bell’s first arrived in U. S. waters at Boston, and then stopped in Newport News to load coal on its way to Vera Cruz, Mexico. Off the Upper Florida Keys, bad weather grounded the steamer on Elbow Reef on 4 April 1911. In the hours immediately following its grounding, the steamer Eva stood by while a wrecking company was notified. The U. S. Revenue Cutter Forward steamed to Elbow Reef to render assistance on the afternoon of 4 April from Key West (Macon Daily Telegraph 5 April 1911). Upon arriving on scene, the USRC Forward reported that the steamer’s number 1 and 2 holds had 18 feet of water in them and the engine room was flooded. The Forward took off thirteen members of the crew and brought them into Key West (Boston Globe 7 April 1911). Captain Thomas and a few crewmen remained aboard to assist with salvage attempts. By 7 April, local wreckers felt that the ship could not be refloated and abandoned their efforts (Macon Daily Telegraph 8 April 1911). Representatives of

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Lloyd’s and the steamer’s owners journeyed to Miami to assess the situation, but by 1 May the vessel had broken apart in heavy weather (Miami Herald 20 and 25 April 1911). Captain Thomas and the remaining crew left the vessel as it went to pieces (Philadelphia Inquirer 1 May 1911).

Figure 10. The USRC Forward (USCG Historian’s Office). Hannah M. Bell re-entered the news in January 1913 following the arrest of three individuals involved in the illegal salvage of the steamship. Charles Cook and Sam Freas were charged with plundering the wreck and taking four engines and two winches. Burt Smith was charged with failure to appear in court to testify against Cook and Freas. Mr. Smith was an African-American employee of Charles Cook who was onboard the tug Katherine K when the alleged theft took place. Cook owned a dredge into which he installed the salvaged equipment (Miami Herald 28 February 1913).

Figure 11. The tug Katherine K (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command).

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An article published in the Delaware County Daily Times, on 16 August 1915 reported information on wrecks currently visible on the Florida reef. The report gave the geographic location of the Hannah M. Bell as: 25 degrees 8’38” north longitude by 80 degrees 15’ 21”. The same geographic coordinates were published for the Hannah M. Bell in the 17 December 1913 issue of the Tampa Tribune. This report also described the vessel’s current state. “On the Elbow in 3 fathoms of water; the hull is headed S. ½ E. mag.: is rust-colored, and is broken in two forward of the mainmast; has black stack, with broad white band near top, two masts standing, mainmast listed about 25 degrees.” The U. S. Navy’s Hydrographic Office updated its South Florida Notice to Mariners in October 1914 with an addendum that describes the stern of the Hannah M. Bell as “disappearing” sometime during 1913. Amazingly, the Hannah M. Bell contributed to the loss of another vessel in January 1920. The U. S. Shipping Board Steamer Quoque wrecked directly on top of the sunken remains of the Hannah M. Bell. The wooden-hulled Quoque could not be refloated even after its crew threw 100 tons of its coal cargo overboard. High seas running at the time battered apart the steamer (Miami Herald 16 January 1920).

Figure 12. The steamship Quoque reportedly sank on top of the Hannah M. Bell (courtesy of

Columbia River Maritime Museum). 5. Site Investigation Description Objective summary The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) is required by the National Marine Sanctuaries Act and ONMS Regulations to comply with the laws and regulations of the Federal Archaeological Program including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). In particular, Section 110 of the NHPA directs the ONMS to inventory the historical properties within its boundaries and assess those properties for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility. As Mike’s Wreck was a popular destination for recreational divers, but had not been archaeologically investigated, it was an ideal candidate for archaeological site

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documentation and interpretation. Therefore, the project’s principal investigators (PIs) sought to identify the vessel, document its remains, determine its period of use, and assess its potential eligibility for the NRHP. The archaeological site documentation was accomplished through scuba diving investigation, whereby divers drew measured sketches and took baseline trilateration and offset measurement to gather information for an overall plan view site map. Additionally, divers used underwater still and video cameras to document the vessel’s remains and the work undertaken by the dive team.

Description of the project location The project took place on Elbow Reef approximately 6 nautical miles east of Key Largo, Florida in the Federal waters of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Shipwreck MO02353 lies within the Elbow Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area and is south of mooring buoy E7. The following geographic locations (Table 2) were determined for the shipwreck utilizing a Garmin Montana 600 hand-held GPS receiver encased in a waterproof bag and swum over the wreck on the surface. Location accuracy was improved using the GPS receiver’s waypoint averaging function. Locations reference the WGS84 Datum. Table 2. Geographic coordinates of the Hannah M. Bell. Location Description Latitude Degrees Minutes North Longitude Degrees Minutes West Hannah M. Bell Bow 25-08.642 80-15.446 Hannah M. Bell Stern 25-08.679 80-15.411 Mooring Pin E7 25-08.686 80-15.417

Figure 13. Satellite image of the reef line off northern Key Largo. Elbow Reef is in the white

box (Google Earth).

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Figure 14. Close-up satellite image of Elbow Reef (Google Earth).

Figure 15. Diagram of the Elbow Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. The Hannah M. Bell is

the wreck symbol adjacent to the lighted marker (FKNMS).

Figure 16. View of the Lighted Marker 6 from the mooring adjacent to the wreck (Brenda

Altmeier, ONMS).

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Description of the archaeological site Following the first site reconnaissance dives, archaeologists characterized Mike’s Wreck as the remains of a large iron or steel-hulled vessel measuring approximately 300 feet long with suspected engine propulsion. Continued archaeological investigation has revealed that its lower hull and portions of its port side were extant up to a point indicating the vessel had at least two decks (see Figure 17). The vessel had riveted construction with ferrous framing in a variety of shapes including “T” and “I” cross sections with rounded edges (see Figure 18). The shipwreck lies on a southwest to northeast longitudinal axis with its bow at the southeast end. Its bow was easily identified as such by the 23-foot long cutwater that had collapsed towards the vessel’s port side (Figure 19). The bow was the shallowest portion of the wreck lying in fifteen feet of water. As compared to the extant yet collapsed bow structure, the vessel’s stern lacked diagnostic material such as a rudder, skeg, transom or other features normally found at a vessel’s stern. The stern hull plating was fragmented into small and large disarticulated sections. In the sternmost third of the ship, variations in the framing pattern revealed areas where heavy boiler and machinery components were housed along with poured cement ballast (See Figure 20). The framing pattern also revealed support structures for twin propeller shafts in the stern.

Figure 17. View of Mike’s Wreck interior construction and multiple decks still extant along

the shipwreck’s port side (Matthew Lawrence, ONMS).

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Figure 18. Evidence of riveted hull construction techniques on Mike’s Wreck (Matthew Lawrence, ONMS).

Figure 19. The shipwreck’s cutwater rises to within a few feet of the surface (Matthew

Lawrence, ONMS).

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Figure 20. Divers mapping the framing pattern transition indicative of an engine powered

vessel (Matthew Lawrence, ONMS). Description of natural resources A living soft and stony coral reef surrounds the Hannah M. Bell’s starboard side, while a coral rubble field extends away from its portside. Stony and soft corals, sea fans, and other encrusting invertebrates cover the vessel’s remains. Reef fishes including french grunts, yellowtail snapper, parrot fish, and yellow goatfish inhabit the site. Larger predators, including green moray eels, tarpon, snook, nurse sharks, and eagle rays all were observed by divers during site documentation dives.

Methodology The project sought to answer the above research questions by creating a comprehensive plan-view map of the shipwreck site. Due to the site’s shallow location, benign environment, and available resources, the project’s principals chose to utilize standard open-circuit SCUBA gear to conduct diver site mapping. Prior to initiating mapping, the ONMS PI’s installed a fiberglass baseline tape measure graduated in tenths of feet along the vessel’s centerline. Each end of the baseline was supported by tripods created from copper-clad grounding rods to achieve a straight line and minimize disturbance of the benthic organism living on the site. In 2012, researchers installed the baseline zero at the engineering space framing transition and extended it out to the vessel’s stern. This arrangement was chosen to focus mapping efforts in the stern section. In 2014, the baseline zero was set just forward of the vessel’s cutwater and it ended

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at the engineering space framing transition to focus efforts towards the vessel bow. During the final investigation in 2015, the baseline zero was again set forward of the vessel’s cutwater and it ended at the extent of articulated structure in the stern. Dive teams consisting of a minimum of two divers were assigned to map sections of the ship delineated by the baseline. The divers began mapping by drawing measured sketches of their section. These sketches were then located in relation to the baseline with offset and/or trilateration measurements to the baseline. Due to the shipwreck’s size, divers often created multiple measured sketches with baseline measurements. After completing diving for the day, teams transferred their measured sketches to large sheets of graph paper. Each measured sketch and baseline measurements was converted to a scaled drawing with appropriate orientation and distance to a baseline indicated on the graph paper. Each team received an appropriately sized piece of graph paper to draw the section they were responsible for completing. During the 2012 and 2014 project, the scaled drawings were made at a scale of one-inch to one-foot. At this scale, the PIs found that the scaled drawing required prohibitively large sections of graph paper. In 2015, the PIs revised the scale of the drawing created during that session to one-inch to two feet to handle the large size of the shipwreck. Once the field session was completed, Brenda Altmeier scanned the scaled drawing and turned them over to Gayle Patrick, DWP’s resident architect. Utilizing AutoCAD software, Ms. Patrick digitized the individual scaled drawings and assembled the digitized section into a draft site map. Inconsistencies between sections were analyzed and refined using plan view site imagery to create the project’s final site map (Figure 21). While participants sought to record as much detail as possible, the vessel’s massive size and the limited number of dive days available resulted in the omission of some pieces of wreckage from the site plan. The omitted sections were disarticulated hull plating and frames farthest from the vessel’s centerline. The project utilized only non-intrusive site mapping techniques and documented all artifacts in-situ. No artifacts were recovered in while conducting this project. The archaeological site map created during the project was saved in AutoCAD’s .DXF file format and is spatially scaled and geo-referenced. The site plan was also converted into an ArcGIS shapefile for inclusion in FKNMS geographic information system (GIS). Manipulation of the data in the GIS will allow for the spatial comparison of the site to other Elbow Reef shipwrecks. Analysis of this spatial component allows for characterization of the cultural landscape of salvage on Elbow Reef.

Vessel and equipment used in this survey The ONMS and DWP chartered several commercial dive charter vessels to transport personnel to the site. In 2012, Amoray Dive Resort’s Just In Time transported divers to Elbow Reef. In 2014 and 2015, several different dive boats operated by Rainbow Reef Dive Center carried the project’s team. All project divers utilize standard open-circuit SCUBA gear, fiberglass tape measures and folding rulers graduated in tenths of feet, and recording slates with Rite in the Rain Duracopy synthetic paper to record measurement and draw measured sketches. Project personnel

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also used a variety of underwater cameras ranging from compact digital cameras, to GoPros, and housed digital SLR cameras to document the site and the work being performed. 6. Personnel The project’s Lead Principal Investigator was Matthew Lawrence, ONMS archaeologist at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Co-PIs included Brenda Altmeier, FKNMS’s maritime heritage coordinator and DWP Lead Instructors Erik Denson, Jay Haigler, and Kamau Sadiki. Denson, Haigler, and Sadiki oversaw the training of the advocates who participated in the project. Ken Stewart, DWP’s Program Director, was largely responsible for arranging and organizing project logistics during the 2014 and 2015 field projects. The following table lists the project participants during the 2012, 2014 and 2015 fieldwork. Table 3. Project participants by year. 2012 Brenda Altmeier Erik Denson Ernest Franklin Jay Haigler Matthew Lawrence Lauri MacLaughlin Kamau Sadiki Paul Washington 2014 Brenda Altmeier Justine Benanty Kevin Blaustein John Buchanan William Cox Erik Denson Albert Dobbins Ernest Franklin Melody Garrett Shirikiana Gerima Addelair Guy Jay Haigler Barry Handy Bernard Allen Heeke Rebecca Hunter Dr. Jose’ Jones Matthew Lawrence Andrew Lyons Gayle Patrick Ronald Reese Kamau Sadiki Chris Searles Ken Stewart Kim Walker 2015 Brenda Altmeier John Buchanan Erik Denson Albert Dobbins Ernest Franklin Ken Futch Melody Garrett Shirikiana Gerima Jay Haigler Rebecca Hunter Dr. Jose’ Jones Matthew Lawrence Andrew Lyons Walter Mason Lisa McLoughlin Gayle Patrick Dawn Ross Ken Stewart Riane Tyler Kim Walker Kramer Wimberley

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7. Site Map

Figure 21. The Hannah M. Bell plan view site map created by DWP and ONMS.

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8. Assessment Following the archaeological site investigation of Mike’s Wreck in 2012, project personnel compared the site’s characteristics to the Hannah M. Bells historical record and to the other reported losses on Elbow Reef. Aside from the City of Washington, no other 300-foot long ferrous-hulled vessels became total losses on Elbow Reef. Some consideration was given to the possibility that the City of Washington shipwreck had been misidentified; however, that site’s characteristics better match its historical record. Site MO02353’s 298-foot articulated length compared very favorably to the Hannah M. Bell’s historically reported 315-foot length between perpendiculars, especially given the reduced and disarticulated structure at its stern. Likewise, the wreck’s 42-foot estimated breadth was very close to the Hannah M. Bell’s maximum 40.5-foot breadth. The 1.5-foot discrepancy was likely due to the wreck’s splayed-out remains and lack of parallel sides to measure. Construction characteristics documented on the wrecked vessel match the riveted steel construction and web-frame design reportedly used to construct Hannah M. Bell. Furthermore, the shipwreck’s framing pattern indicated that it had two engines and two propeller shafts. Small pockets of coal and a few large nodules found in the wreckage were consistent with the Hannah M. Bell’s final cargo; however, laboratory analysis was not undertaken to match the coal to coal fields serviced by the Newport News coal docks. Ultimately, locating coal at the site did not confirm the steamship’s identity as the coal could have also come from the steamship Quoque that wrecked in the same location in 1920. In summation, no observed feature on the shipwreck contradicted what is known of the Hannah M. Bell from the historical record, thus the PIs are confident in its identification. Further bolstering the site’s identification, the historically reported position of the wreck was only 530 feet east of the shipwreck’s bow. The plan view site map provides evidence of the site formation processes that created the shipwreck enjoyed today. While the wreck lies in a high-energy environment, its lack of machinery and other mechanical features can only be attributed to extensive salvage. The vessel’s bow, the shallowest portion of the site, had the most complete hull structure, albeit broken outwards and largely flush with the seafloor. This area’s arrangement, while likely impacted by salvage as its anchors, chain, and windlass are gone, is more likely the result of wave action on the shallow reef. In contrast, Hannah M. Bell’s stern, which lies in twice the water depth, is far more fragmented. Salvage removed its rudder, propellers, propeller shafts, shaft supports, steering gear, steam engines and boilers. The massive weight of these items would have required the use of a heavy derrick suspended from a large salvage vessel and caused the extensive demolition of its stern structure. The fragmented nature of Hannah M. Bell’s stern may also be due to the impact of the Quoque. The project was unable to corroborate the historical report of the steamship Quoque wrecking on the Hannah M. Bell. Divers did not identify any of the ferrous site features as having come from another vessel. Even though, the wooden hull of the Quoque would have been highly fragmented and less likely to survive, considerable quantities of ferrous fittings, not to mention steam engines and boilers would have persisted. Since these features were not located it suggests that even more extensive salvage activity occurred on the Hannah M. Bell or in its immediate vicinity. There is not another known deposit of this material elsewhere on Elbow Reef.

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Following the project’s historical and archaeological investigation, the PIs assessed the shipwreck against the listing criteria for the National Register of Historic Places. The archaeological remains of the Hannah M. Bell are potentially significant at the state level under NRHP Criteria A and D with the period of significance being the years 1893 – 1913. The vessel is significant in the areas of Maritime History and Historic, Non-Aboriginal Archaeology. The shipwreck should be classified under the historic function of water-related transportation. The Hannah M. Bell’s significance under Criterion A results from its association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of U. S. history. Its operation as a transatlantic tramp steamer connected U. S. citizens and industries in a commercial web with European and South American business and industries. While unable to engage in the American coastwise trade, the steamship exported U. S. generated bulk and raw material across the Atlantic Ocean to foreign manufacturing centers. While in U. S. ports, the Hannah M. Bell engaged with American maritime industries that brought foreign raw materials and manufactured goods into U. S. markets. As the steamship navigated America’s waterways, it encountered numerous impediments representative of the difficulties faced by all mariners navigating the Atlantic Seaboard. The Hannah M. Bell’s significance under Criterion D results from its ability to yield information important to history. Archaeological study of the shipwreck has begun to reveal the activities of salvagers on Elbow Reef. Florida Keys wrecking was a lucrative business that contributed significantly to the economy of the Keys and served as a lifesaving service. While historical study of the nineteenth century salvage industry has revealed facets of this community-based enterprise, much less is known about the increasingly mechanized salvage that took place after 1900. Archaeological study of Hannah M. Bell and other Elbow Reef shipwrecks using a landscape approach reveals commonalities and distinctions between the wrecks and suggests that Elbow Reef was a locus of this work. Further study may yield information on the techniques employed to salvage vessels in a challenging exposed reef crest environment. 9. Conclusion Following the fieldwork conducted on this site, word spread to local dive charter operators that Mike’s Wreck had been identified and they began advertising trips to the Hannah M. Bell. To further the spread of this information, DWP and the ONMS plan to distribute this report to the local diving community so that they can share specifics about the vessel’s history and a site map in dive briefing. Ideally this will enhance their patron’s experience and appreciation for FKNMS’s maritime heritage. While not a new artificially-sunk shipwreck, so desired by dive charter businesses to increase visitation to the Florida Keys, this “new” dive opportunity provides another reason to visit spectacular Elbow Reef. Rather than investing millions of dollars to clean and sink vessels, and the much debated environmental and economic impact of doing so (Broughton 2012), this report’s authors believe that many “real” and as yet unidentified shipwrecks exist on the Florida Reef that deserve study. Through this research, the Florida Keys community can benefit from increased awareness of their cultural identity and expanded cultural heritage tourism opportunities. DWP and the ONMS plan to continue their maritime heritage research collaboration by mapping other Elbow Reef shipwrecks.

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10. References Cited Books and Manuscripts ADMAT (Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeology Team) 2007 Florida Keys 2007 Maritime Archaeological Field School, http://www.admat.org.uk/keys1.htm. Accessed on 11 February 2016. American Lloyds 1864 Register of American and Foreign Shipping – Tonawanda Entry Broughton, Kathy 2012 Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Science Review of Artificial Reefs. Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-12-05. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. Cobb, Jessica, James A. Davenport V, Sam Erdman, Doug Faunt, Rayanne L. Gordon, Adam Kowalski, Marcus Massom, Mark A Melancon, James L. Waterbury, Keith Young, Alexander Zywot, Annalies Corbin, Anne Corscadden, and Andrew W. Hall 2007 Preliminary Site Report on the Shipwreck Tonawanda, unpublished report from the Past Foundation to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, in fulfillment of permit FKNMS-2007-074. Hambright, Tom 1988 Index of vessel casualties developed from the Admiralty records for the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Monroe County Public Library, Key West, Florida. Republished in the website, http://www.treasuresites.com , Accessed on 12 September 2012. Indiana University 1996 City of Washington Shipwreck Report. http://www.indiana.edu/~r317doc/trail/cowpap.htm. Accessed on 12 September 2012. Neal, William G. (editor) 1894 Launches and Trial Trips, 1 April 1893. The Marine Engineer; a Monthly Journal of Marine Engineering, Shipbuilding, Steam Navigation and Electrical Engineering. London. Scott, Thomas 1994 Histories and Mysteries – The Shipwrecks of Key Largo. Best Publishing Co., Flagstaff, Arizona. Secretary of the U. S. Navy 1914 Addenda to H. O. Publication No. 64 of 1907, West Indies Pilot, U. S. Navy Hydrographic Office. Viele, John 2001 The Wreckers: The Florida Keys Volume 3. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, Florida.

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Newspapers Boston (Massachusetts) Daily Globe 21 February 1907 “Water Front Items” 15 November 1909 “Water Front Items” 7 April 1911 “Wreck on Florida Reef” Delaware County (Chester, Penn.) Daily Times 16 August 1915 “Marine Notes” Macon (Georgia) Daily Telegraph 5 April 1911 “British Steamer is on Dangerous Reef” 8 April 1911 “Wreckers Abandon the Hannah M. Bell” Miami (Florida) Herald 20 April 1911 “Will Attempt to Save the Wrecked Steamer” 25 April 1911 “Personal Mention” Newport News (Virginia) Daily Press 7 September 1899 “British Steamer Ashore” 2 May 1905 “Marine Notes” 16 February 1907 “Shipping Report, Friday 15 February 1907 25 August 1908 “Coal for West Indies” New York Tribune 15 November1909 “Shotgun Breaks Waterspouts” Norfolk (Virginia) Virginian-Pilot 7 September 1899 “British Steamer Ashore” Pensacola (Florida) Journal 25 May 1907 “Pilots Have No Exclusive Privilege” 30 May 1907 “Salvage Law is Not Good” Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Inquirer 1 May 1911 “Marine Notes of Interest” Tampa (Florida) Tribune 17 December 1913 “Waterfront Gossip”