Undiscovered on the seabed for 186 years: US researchers find remarkable shipwreck

Created: 04/01/2022, 04:55

By: Yasina Hipp

Researchers find remains of the "Industry" shipwreck on the seabed.

© NOAA Ocean Exploration

In 1836, the Industry sank off the Mississippi coast.

US researchers discover the old whaler and even come across information about the crew.

Pascagoula (Mississippi) - About 20 meters long, two masts, wooden hull, 207 years old and christened "Industry".

US researchers came across this unknown monster on the seabed of the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Mississippi.

A few days ago, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the discovery of the shipwreck.

According to the researchers, the whaling ship could make a valuable contribution to the processing of American history.

It can help "to learn more about the lives of Black and Native American sailors and their communities, and the immense challenges they faced on land and at sea," said US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Don Graves.

USA: discovery of the wreck

NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad is also enthusiastic about the find and the possible glimpse into the past: "The discovery reflects how African Americans and Native Americans have been successful in the sea economy despite discrimination and other injustices."

The "Industry" was built in 1815 in Westport (Massachusetts) and was designed to catch sperm whales.

At that time, the fat of the whales was mainly needed for the extraction of oil for fuel.

Today, whaling is highly controversial.

For 20 years, the crew of the ship hunted whales until May 26, 1836, when a severe storm caused the ship to sink.

The crew survived the accident, as a librarian at the Westport Free Public Library found out.

The men were picked up by another ship and taken ashore in Westport.

The yellow dot shows the approximate location of the shipwreck.

© NOAA Ocean Exploration

USA: Indigenous, black and white crew

Previous "Industry" crew lists showed that the crew was always made up of blacks, Native Americans, whites, and people of all races.

The list from the day of the sinking is missing, but the researchers assume a similar composition.

The black sailors were lucky in their rescue, said James Delgado, vice president of SEARCH Inc., which is involved in the search: "If the black crew members had tried to go ashore in Mississippi, they would have been jailed under local law.

And if they had not been able to support themselves in prison, they would have been sold into slavery.”

Shipwreck discovered in USA linked to famous sailor

According to the researchers, the sailor and entrepreneur Paul Cuffe also plays a special role in connection with the "industry".

Cuffe's father was a freed slave and his mother a Wampanoag.

His son William was probably navigator on the "Industry".

Paul Cuffe is a "social activist who wanted to find a way to end the slave trade," the researchers and discoverers of the wreck know.

Carl J. Cruz, an independent historian and descendant of Paul Cuffe's family, even draws parallels to the present day with the find: “The news of this discovery is exciting as it allows us to explore the early relationships of the men who served on these ships worked to explore what is a lesson for us today as we address diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace.”

The excitement surrounding the shipwreck is high because the history of the old whaling ship is so closely tied to the history of all of America.

The discovery of "Industry" can certainly help to further process the dark chapter of slavery.

US President Joe Biden recently signed legislation establishing a holiday to mark the end of slavery.