Naturally, the Titanic has become the most well-known sunken ship. Many books and movies are written about it because of the boasts the owners made before going out to sea. They bragged about its invincibility, and the elite who boarded the ship were only concerned about the amenities. These included a squash court, Turkish baths, gym and swimming pools. The owners were so convinced of the ship's safety that there were not even enough lifeboats. As seen in the movies, the most unfortunate aspect of this event were the large number of immigrants in the lower levels who had little chance of remaining alive. In all, 1,500 people died. Robert Ballard eventually discovered and investigated this disaster.
Another similar story is that of the Andrea Doria. She was built in Italy, and launched in 1951. Another luxury ship, she could room about 1,240 passengers and 575 crew members. Five years later, on July 25, 1956, the Andrea Doria was traveling through a very thick fog and collided with the Swedish freighter Stockholm. Apparently, the crew on both of the ships read the radar incorrectly. When leaving, there were 1,134 passengers,190 in first class, 267 in the cabin, and 677 in tourist and a crew of 572. A total of 52 people died, all from the collision. The extent of damage made the Andrea Doria lean so far over that it began to flood. Half of the life boats could not be reached. It was not long before the crew knew the ship would not stay afloat. Meanwhile, the Stockholm did not sink and helped in the rescue. A number of other boats and ships answered the SOS. The debate about the cause of the collision between the two ships continues to this day.
Many people enjoy diving and exploring sunken ships. One of the favorites is the British RHM Rhome that went down off the Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands in 1867 during a hurricane. The ship was 310 feet long and brought mail and upper-class passengers to and from England to the Virgin Islands. The storm winds were more than 100 miles per hour and the waves were about 25 feet high. Between the rain, wind and fog, the captain could not see a thing. He ended up on top of the dangerous Black Rock, and the ship was split in two. The captain fell overboard and was never seen again. It is no wonder that most of the passengers did not survive: The crew, in order to increase the passengers' safety, tied them to their beds and locked them in their cabins. Only 23 people did not die. Today, divers enjoy swimming through Rhome's bow and under the 15-foot propellers. They also like that they are seeing where the 1977 film "The Deep" was filmed. The divers can also view numerous artifacts around the wreck. Those who have explored the ship numerous times say that they see something new on every dive.
The age of the sunken ships spans all of human history. The Mary Rose, which was built in 1511, was one of the first British battleships able to fire a broadside. King Henry VIII called it "the fairest flower" of any ship that ever sailed the seas. In 1545, the ship heeled over in a high wind and quickly capsized. Water poured into the gun ports. Mary Rose sunk with over 90 guns on the decks. Of the 700 crew members, only 40 survived. It did not take long before the British began to salvage the ship. They brought up some armaments, yards and sails, but stopped work within five years. In 1971, divers found the Mary Rose. After methodically filming and excavating artifacts from the ship, it was brought up in 1982 on live TV. Over 19,000 items were removed, which provided a great deal of information about the people who lived during this historic time.
Archaeologists study these sunken ships and learn a great deal about those who sailed the seas and their culture. It takes a great deal of experience and hard work to analyze these finds. Because of wood-eating worms and other similar organisms, the wood is eaten, and there is only a trace left of the earliest ships. In later ships, for example from the Civil War, archaeologists may find muskets, but they are very fragile because of being in salt water. The scientists have to use special chemicals and put the items in fresh water to eliminate the salts. Spanish gold coins need a different kind of cleaning, as do many other artifacts that are found. With this information, archaeologists gain knowledge about the trade, economy and cargo, as well as information about such areas as medicines, technology and navigation expertise.
