Inspection of Wooden Beams Unveiled by Nor’easter
The Egan Maritime Institute plans to investigate weathered wooden beams exposed on a Nantucket beach following a powerful nor’easter. These beams could be remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck. The Institute will survey the site and collaborate with state underwater archaeologists to identify the vessel.
The exposed beams emerged near previous finds believed to be from the Warren Sawyer, a schooner lost in 1884. The beams, fastened by rusted iron, remain unidentified. Heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous surf from the nor’easter battered Northeast coastlines, causing floods and power outages. The storm washed several boats ashore, raising concerns about coastal erosion.
The Story of the Warren Sawyer
The Warren Sawyer ran aground on December 22, 1884, while transporting cotton and scrap iron from New Orleans to Boston. The schooner’s captain and crew were rescued. Islanders salvaged cotton using oxen and skids. A storm in January 1885 tore the ship apart, scattering debris across Miacomet Beach. Pieces believed to be from the ship still emerge today.
Uncovering a Piece of History
Jason Graziadei, editor of Nantucket Current, discovered the beams with his son during the storm. Located beneath a beach driving route, the find surprised Graziadei. He posted videos of the wreckage online. His son inquired about the ship’s history and why it ran aground. The exposed wreck remains untouched by time.
State archaeologists previously inspected sections of the Warren Sawyer hull on Miacomet Beach. Sands have buried parts of the site again.
Preserving Nantucket’s Maritime Heritage
Nantucket, known as one of the ‘graveyards of the Atlantic,’ has around 750 estimated wrecks in its waters. Last year, a World War I-era fishing boat was identified off Nantucket’s coast.
Visitors are asked not to disturb the newly exposed wreckage. State law prevents removal or damage to underwater archaeological resources.
The Inquirer and Mirror in 1945 described Patrolman Eugene Clisby’s sighting of the Warren Sawyer’s lights amid a rage-filled surf. The ship was enveloped by the sea, with only its masts visible. Through remarkable efforts, all crew members were saved by morning.