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Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary: Difference between revisions
Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary (view source)
Revision as of 00:30, 26 January 2025
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[[File:Mallows Bay-Potomac River NMS shipwrecks in Mallows Bay.PNG|300px|thumb|A [[Kayaking|kayaker]] among [[shipwreck]]s in [[Mallows Bay]].]] | [[File:Mallows Bay-Potomac River NMS shipwrecks in Mallows Bay.PNG|300px|thumb|A [[Kayaking|kayaker]] among [[shipwreck]]s in [[Mallows Bay]].]] | ||
[[File:Mallows Bay shipwreck kayak.PNG|thumb|300px|Shipwrecks and a [[kayak]] in the sanctuary.]] | [[File:Mallows Bay shipwreck kayak.PNG|thumb|300px|Shipwrecks and a [[kayak]] in the sanctuary.]] | ||
The Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary includes more than 200 historic [[shipwreck]]s, some of them dating as far back as the [[American Revolutionary War]] {{nowrap|(1775–1773)}} and others to the American Civil War {{nowrap|(1861–1865).}}<ref name=chesapeakeconservancyaboutmallowsbay/> However, it is best known for a group of 118 partially submerged shipwrecks nicknamed the "Ghost Fleet" located in Mallows Bay in the sanctuary's northeastern corner.<ref name=chesapeakeconservancyaboutmallowsbay/><ref name=shipwrecks>{{Cite web |title=Shipwrecks |url=https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/mallows-potomac/shipwrecks/ |access-date=October 18, 2024 |website=sanctuaries.noaa.gov|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}}</ref> These wooden-[[Hull (ship)|hulled]] [[steamship]]s were among nearly 300 built at more than 40 [[shipyard]]s in 17 [[State (United States)|U.S. states]] by the [[United States Shipping Board]]'s [[Emergency Fleet Corporation]] between 1917 and 1919, intended for use in | The Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary includes more than 200 historic [[shipwreck]]s, some of them dating as far back as the [[American Revolutionary War]] {{nowrap|(1775–1773)}} and others to the American Civil War {{nowrap|(1861–1865).}}<ref name=chesapeakeconservancyaboutmallowsbay/> However, it is best known for a group of 118 partially submerged shipwrecks nicknamed the "Ghost Fleet" located in Mallows Bay in the sanctuary's northeastern corner.<ref name=chesapeakeconservancyaboutmallowsbay/><ref name=shipwrecks>{{Cite web |title=Shipwrecks |url=https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/mallows-potomac/shipwrecks/ |access-date=October 18, 2024 |website=sanctuaries.noaa.gov|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}}</ref> These wooden-[[Hull (ship)|hulled]] [[steamship]]s were among nearly 300 built at more than 40 [[shipyard]]s in 17 [[State (United States)|U.S. states]] by the [[United States Shipping Board]]'s [[Emergency Fleet Corporation]] between 1917 and 1919, intended for use in World War I.<ref name=mallowsbay/><ref name=pressrelease20190708/><ref name=chesapeakeconservancyaboutmallowsbay/><ref name=shipwrecks/> None of the ships saw action during the war, which ended before the last of them was completed.<ref name=mallowsbay/><ref name=shipwrecks/> | ||
The [[Western Marine and Salvage Corporation]] of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], Virginia, bought most of the ships and [[anchor]]ed them in the Potomac River near Mallows Bay, bringing a few of them at a time up the river to Alexandria for [[Ship breaking|scrapping]] and to [[Marine salvage|salvage]] their [[steam engine]]s, [[boiler]]s, [[propeller]]s, and other metal parts for [[scrap metal]].<ref name=pressrelease20190708/><ref name=shipwrecks/> On occasion the ships anchored near Mallows Bay while awaiting scrapping burned, broke loose, or otherwise became hazards to navigation, so authorities ordered the company to secure them.<ref name=shipwrecks/> The company responded by burning many of them to the [[waterline]], then floating them into Mallows Bay and [[scuttling]] them there.<ref name=pressrelease20190708/><ref name=shipwrecks/> Western Marine and Salvage went [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] during the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], and after that local communities took over the task of salvaging valuable materials from the wrecks.<ref name=shipwrecks/> After the United States entered [[World War II]] in December 1941, [[Bethlehem Steel]] began a third and final round of salvage that lasted for two years.<ref name=shipwrecks/> When this was completed, 118 shipwrecks remained in shallow water in Mallows Bay, constituting the "Ghost Fleet,"<ref name=shipwrecks/> the largest shipwreck fleet in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref name=conservancyvideo/><ref name=chesapeakeconservancydiscovermallowsbay/> | The [[Western Marine and Salvage Corporation]] of [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], Virginia, bought most of the ships and [[anchor]]ed them in the Potomac River near Mallows Bay, bringing a few of them at a time up the river to Alexandria for [[Ship breaking|scrapping]] and to [[Marine salvage|salvage]] their [[steam engine]]s, [[boiler]]s, [[propeller]]s, and other metal parts for [[scrap metal]].<ref name=pressrelease20190708/><ref name=shipwrecks/> On occasion the ships anchored near Mallows Bay while awaiting scrapping burned, broke loose, or otherwise became hazards to navigation, so authorities ordered the company to secure them.<ref name=shipwrecks/> The company responded by burning many of them to the [[waterline]], then floating them into Mallows Bay and [[scuttling]] them there.<ref name=pressrelease20190708/><ref name=shipwrecks/> Western Marine and Salvage went [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] during the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], and after that local communities took over the task of salvaging valuable materials from the wrecks.<ref name=shipwrecks/> After the United States entered [[World War II]] in December 1941, [[Bethlehem Steel]] began a third and final round of salvage that lasted for two years.<ref name=shipwrecks/> When this was completed, 118 shipwrecks remained in shallow water in Mallows Bay, constituting the "Ghost Fleet,"<ref name=shipwrecks/> the largest shipwreck fleet in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref name=conservancyvideo/><ref name=chesapeakeconservancydiscovermallowsbay/> | ||