USS Hamilton and USS Scourge shipwrecks (approximate location)

Canada / Ontario / Beamsville /
 military, place with historical importance, shipwreck
Two small U.S. warships that were part of Commodore Chauncey's squadron.
The were both overcome by a sudden storm in 1813 with almost no survivors.

The wrecks caused an international senstation when they were discovered in the 1970s by a St. Catharines Dentist Dan Nelson and later visited by National Geographic team, and also Jacques Cousteau but no funds available prevented any further raising of the vessels or artifacts.

Alledged looters have removed a sword handle from one of the historic wrecks and caused other damage.

The remains of the U.S. sailors emtombed in the wrecks and area of the wrecks have not been removed and are now unseen by the coverage of the zebra mussels. No progress has been made on a museum in Hamilton.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   43°18'11"N   79°32'42"W

Comments

  • I Have been following the progress of preserving the Hamilton and Scourge sith much interest; and I must say that I am so terribly disappointed. Here we have two wonderful arifacts of not only the War of 1812, but of early nineteenth shipbuilding techniques in general; and we are allowing them to sip away into ablivion and at the mercy of apathy and mussles. This should be a national concern for not only Canada, but also for the United States. As far as I'm concern, I blame the U.S. Navy for not taking a greater interest in preserving its heritage and respect for those dead sailors who had given their ultimate sacrifice. Moreover, I have not witness any attempt via the media to rally support for their preservation. Truly this is a sad commentary for both nations, which claim to be sensitive to the sacrifices of their forefathers.
  • With respect to the sailors that lost their lives. Do we know if these sailors drowned or were they entombed within the wreck. If they were drowned outside the ship, which would make since, is the wreck considered a grave site?
This article was last modified 11 years ago