Steamer Nevada (1868)

Steamer Nevada (1868)

Preliminary Notes:

• Owner: Messers F. Alexandre & Sons.
• Voyage: New York to Veracruz via Havana
• Cargo: General Goods (some current theories are munitions)
• Location: Diamond Shoals, five miles from Frisco and Hatteras, NC.
• Events: Nevada was sent to Veracruz via Havana and Sisal for a pleasure cruise. (New York Herald 1868:pg. 4) Half past midnight on June 5, the ship entered Diamond Shoals covered in fog. The captain ordered the cargo to be shifted so she can be maneuvered safely until the fog cleared, where he ordered the anchor to be dropped onto one of the boats, which capsized and caused a man to drown. Passengers were sent to shore while the Nevada continued to sink, taking its cargo with it. No other losses occurred and the cargo that sank was considered insured. Investigations determined that the accident was caused by fog, strong currents, and human negligence on the captain’s part.

Source: https://www.divehatteras.com/nevada.html

Source: https://www.outerbanks.com/diamond-shoals.html

Wreck Site details:

Nevada rests off the coast of the Outer Banks, only a few miles from Frisco and Cape Hatteras, in an area is known as Diamond Shoals, The Diamond shoals are a cluster of shifting sandbars that are constantly changing formation and death, leading up to 600 wrecks. This has earned the area the name “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. Nevada rests at a depth of about 75 feet, in an area of the shoals known as the bad bottom, where the sands are muddier and it reduces the visibility to 30 ft. The wreck was identified by diver Steven Lang with a spoon with “Nevada” inscribed. Official confirmation was made when he matched the machinery of Nevada to the American Lloyd’s of London Records. The ship was mostly wooden, which has since deteriorated, leaving only the mechanical skeleton and some general cargo with the single cylinder steam engine as it marker. Artifacts that have been found there include brass lantern pieces, rifle remnants, and a large amount of urns, giving it the name “the Urn Wreck”. Items of value included several large round disks, later identified as train car wheels, a boiler, and two steam piston engines. Nevada can offer insights to the history of merchant shipping and marine technology due to the train parts found and possibly being among the first US merchant ships to use a steam engine for civilian purposes.

Reference:

New York Herald

1868. The Sinking of the Propeller Nevada. New York Herald 11 June. pg 4; New York, NY