___________________________________________________________________
News and Views of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
P.O. BOX 11752, Chicago, IL 60611
[email protected]
Vol 21, No. 2
Online in full color at www.uaschicago.org
Spring 2012
______________________________________________________________________________________________
UASC MEMBERS ATTEND
UNDERWATER DETECTIVES (P.7)
early Chicago area scuba diver.
RECAP OF PAST
WORKSHOP ON THE SUBJECT OF
He built his own scuba system
PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY OF
GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECKS (P.4)
TEAM UASC UNDEFEATED AGAIN
AT THE SCUBA OLYMPICS (P.5)
UASC JOAN FORSBERG INTERVIEW
AIRED ON WTTW TV (P.6)
MYSTERY SAILORS OF THE SS
MONITOR (P.7)
January: Popularly known
as "Mr. Canoe," Ralph
Freese has paddled and
promoted our local
waterways for over 50
years. Chicago attained its
prominence due to the
Chicago River and the
portage that connected it to
the Illinois and Mississippi
River systems. Ralph's
historical review and canoe
projects were also
accompanied with the
revelation that he was an
from war surplus parts. He was
investigating local quarries at
the dawn of sport diving. Who
knew? Quite a fascinating
presentation by Ralph, a
Chicago
treasure.
(Continued on page 3)
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APRIL 15TH MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
As hundreds of events are being organized all
over the world to remember the tragedy of the
Titanic, scientists and researchers are still trying to
answer the many questions that led to the untimely
demise of the mighty ‘unsinkable ship.’ UASC
2012 MEETING DATES
April 25 - Tom Lutz author “Shaping Chicago”
May 30 - Sgt.Ray Mazzola Chicago Police Marine Unit
June 27 - TBA / July 25 - TBA
Aug 29 - Ross Richardson
Sept 26 - Speaker: Peter Hirthe, President of the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Oct 24 - TBA
Nov 28 - Elections, Project Status Review Meeting
Meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month
(except December) on the 8th floor of the Helix
building, 310 S. Racine at Jackson. Refreshments at
6:30, business at 7:00, guest speaker at 8:00
member Don Doherty found an interesting article that
may provide some information on why the captain of
the ship, Captain Edward Smith, who was the most
experienced captain of the White Star Line, and a
knowledgeable and careful seaman, reacted so
casually to a report of ice in the ship's path, on the
fateful night of the collision.
An article written by Jim Forsyth ( Reuters)
(Continued on page 5&6)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
President’s corner...............Page
UASC mission statement/contacts..Page
Summary of past presentations....Page
Upcoming events..................Page
Research workshop................Page
Underwater Olympics..............Page
What sank the Titanic?.....Page 5 and
Mystery sailors of SS Monitor
Page
Underwater detectives............Page
2
2
3
3
4
5
6
7
7
UASC Mission Statement
The Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago ( UASC )
is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the
study and preservation of Illinoisʼ shipwrecks and other
underwater cultural resources.
The UASC conducts shipwreck site surveys which employ
field drawings, underwater photography, and video recording. Field survey work is augmented by academic historical
research. The Society attempts to preserve sites by studying
the effects of natural and biological forces as well as the
impact of human activity on shipwrecks. It advocates
responsible use of submerged cultural resources.
Membership is open to everyone. The Society presents the
opportunity to meet, work together, and socialize with others
who share similar avocational interests. It allows members to
apply their diving or other skills to group projects that
produce site maps, published surveys, technical drawings,
and educational programs.
The UASC shares the results of its work with the community
through publications, museum exhibits, and presentations to
interested public and private groups.
Through its work, the Society hopes to add to the body of
archaeological data available to historian and maritime
enthusiasts of future generations. It also seeks to enhance
the enjoyment and value of local sport diving.
Key Contacts
Officers.... ..................................................Officers@uaschicago.org
President ....................................................John Bell, [email protected]
Vice President ..........................Bob Rushman, [email protected]
Secretary .......................................John Gerty, [email protected]
Treasurer ..........................................Bob Gadbois, [email protected]
Archivist / Historian ......................Jim Jarecki, [email protected]
ICSSD Liaison..............................Claire Gadbois, [email protected]
Membership ..........................Scott Reimer, [email protected]
Newsletter..................Delphine Pontvieux, [email protected]
Outreach Coordinator .............Gene Hasiak, [email protected]
Project Leaders ............John Bell, Don Doherty, Michael Gagliardi,
Jim Jarecki, Tony Kiefer, Greg Lane, John & Ruth Loftus
Refreshments...........................Dan Kasberger, [email protected]
Safety Officer ..........................Chet Childs, [email protected]
Social Chair ..............Todd Hitzeman, [email protected]
Speaker Coordinator......................Jim Jarecki, [email protected]
Survey Coordinator .......................John Gerty, [email protected]
Trustees ...................Dave Truitt, Valerie Van Heest, Kurt Anderson
Webmaster ....................................Jack Bolous, [email protected]
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Spring is here! Along with warm weather, green grass,
and no more snow, comes a time to reflect upon what
we’ve done so far in 2012, and to look forward to more
good things in the coming months.
As I write this, UASC is just finishing up the “show”
season, having presented our work at Our World
Underwater and at the Chicago Maritime Festival, and
many of us will attend the Ghost Ships Festival in the
next few days. About 20% of UASC attended an
excellent research workshop in March, and about twice
that attended each of our first 3 meetings for 2012. We’ve
got new storage facilities, new T-shirts, new committee
heads ( with some great ideas ), and a number of
resources on the new members-only area of the web
site. Great things are happening in UASC, and I applaud
all those who have helped make it all happen.
Looking forward to the fieldwork season, our Project
Leaders have some great plans for 2012, and most are
looking for help of some kind. So whether you are a
diver, researcher, bubble watcher, photographer, or have
some other skills to share, there is a project out there that
you can get involved in and provide a valuable
contribution. We’re also planning social and training
events, so look forward to UASC having a good time as
well as educating our members and the public.
Hope to see you all soon, at meetings, at shows, and out
on the water. John Bell, UASC President.
The UASC Wreck Checker is published quarterly by
the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago.
©2012 UASC.
All rights reserved.
Opinions
expressed in the Wreck Checker are not necessarily
those of UASC.
Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook !
Page 2 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 13-14 - Ghost Ships Festival - www.ghost-ships.org
April 12 - Public Lecture “Titanic Explorer” by Emory
Kristof, Mundelein Auditorium
April 14, 15 & 19, 20 - Nautical Archaeology Training
Workshop, by the Great Lakes Historical Society and the
Maritime Archaeological Survey Team (MAST) Toledo/
Gibsonburg, OH
April 15 - 100th Anniversary of Titanic Sinking
April 21 - Histories and Mysteries Beneath The Inland Seas,
Holland MI, MSRA
April 25 - Meeting - Speaker: Tom Lutz, Author
“Shaping Chicago”
May 30 - Meeting - Sgt. Ray Mazzola of the Chicago
Police Marine Unit
June 27 – Meeting
July 25 – Meeting
July 29 - ICSSD Jim Haigh Memorial Dive, Haigh Quarry
August 15 - 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort
Dearborn, War of 1812
August 29 – Meeting - Ross Richardson
September 15 - International Beach Cleanup Day
September 26 Meeting - Speaker: Peter Hirthe, President
of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
October 6 - ICSSD Pumpkin Carving Contest, Haigh Quarry
October 27 - ICSSD President's Night Banquet and
Raffle
October 24 - Meeting ( 31st is Halloween )
November 17 - Shipwrecks and Scuba, Huron, OH
November 23 - 100th Anniversary of Rouse Simmons
sinking
November 2-3 - Gales of November, Duluth, MN
November 14-17 - DEMA Show, Las Vegas, NV
November 28 - Meeting - Elections and Project Status
Review Meeting
November 30 - Christmas Tree Ship Arrives ( December 1st
Main Event ) www.christmasship.org
December – UASC / LOUP Holiday Party
SUMMARY OF PAST PRESENTATIONS
(Continued from p. 1)
February: UASC
project leads
presented updates on
current activities and
noted opportunities
for members to get
involved in those
projects. John Bell is
working on side scan
sonar surveying, and
needs volunteers to
go out on the boat and assist. The Car Ferry No. 2 needs divers for
the reference grid (J. Bell), divers to survey (J. Loftus) and research
(R. Loftus). Tony Kiefer is exploring the area thought to be the
Zion Schooners. Don Doherty is working on Val’s Wreck near
Burnham Harbor – There are many artifacts to explore. Greg Lane
leads swimming tours of the Silver Spray near Hyde Park. Contact
these project leads – or the officers – to get involved!
March: Architect Jeanne Gang presented her visionary plans for
rebuilding Northerly Island with the addition of a chain of small
islands serving as artificial reefs, creating a protected lagoon for
kayaking. The plans even call for a shipwreck to be sunk in the
lagoon for recreational diving. Ms Gang also presented visions of
reversing the direction of the Chicago River, separating it from Lake
Michigan, and transforming the river front areas of Bridgeport and
Pilsen into a vibrant residential and recreational community. Several
members of UASC worked with ICSSD this summer on an
underwater surveying project associated with the Northerly Island
plans, and it was fascinating to all to see the full scope of the
possibilities.
Page 3 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
NEVER STOP LEARNING: UASC
MEMBERS ATTEND WORKSHOP TO
HONE THEIR SKILLS
By John Gerty
On March 10, 2012, fifteen
UASC members attended a
workshop presentation titled "The
Research and Discovery of Great
Lakes Shipwrecks," conducted by
Brendon Baillod. Mr. Baillod is a
prominent historian, researcher and
authority on our western Great
Lakes maritime history and
shipwrecks. This program was one
in a continuing series of
archaeological training seminars
organized under the auspices of the
Underwater Archaeological Society
of Chicago.
The program was held at the
University of Illinois, Chicago
Campus in the Department of
Computer Science. UIC Professor
and current USAC President, John
Bell, was our host at this wonderful
facility. UASC past president and
current steering committee member
Don Doherty was primarily
responsible for organizing the event.
The seminar consisted of three parts:
shipwreck research methodology
and resources; searching for Great
L a k e s s h i p w r e c k s ; f i n a l l y,
shipwreck site management and
interpretation.
Mr. Baillod's
presentation draws upon a series of
lectures he has presented over the
years at the University of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee. His lecture
style is clear and compelling. The
subject matter was rich with facts,
yet easy to keep up with and absorb.
The resources and insights Mr.
Baillod provided us will be sure to
spur our own UASC research
projects.
Mr. Baillod provided a superb
adjunct to his presentation by
bringing in numerous books and
maps from his collection. Program
participants were able to see and
handle many of the documents he
referred to in his lecture. The UIC
facility was equipped with
individual computer workstations
for each participant. This gave
participants direct experience with
access to many of the online
resources Mr. Baillod has assembled
over the years.
Brendon Baillod has recently
published a book titled "Fathoms
D e e p , B u t N o t Fo r g o t t e n :
Wisconsin's Lost Ships." The book is a comprehensive
guide to historic shipwrecks in
Wisconsin.
He will be in attendance at
Milwaukee's Ghost Ships
Festival and other Great Lakes
Shipwreck venues throughout
the year.
Photo credits: Dan Kasberger
Left: John Bell
Steve Arnam
Brendon Baillod
Bottom right: members of UASC
Page 2 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
Page 4 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
TEAM UASC: REIGNING CHAMPS OF THE
SCUBA OLYMPICS, 3 YEARS IN A ROW!
DVDs of the Competition are available to the
participating clubs through the ICSSD.
Visit www.illinoisscubacouncil.org and our website for
more information, and to see all the pictures of the
event:
http://www.uaschicago.org/image-gallery/events/2012scuba-competition
~~~~~~
WHAT SANK THE TITANIC? SCIENTISTS
POINT TO THE MOON
The Scuba Olympics, organized by the Illinois
Council Underwater Competition have become a
memorable yearly event for all participants.This year,
five clubs and six teams total competed in the Elk Grove
Pavilion pool on Sunday, March 24, 2012. The UASC
team consisted this year of Mike Brutlag (team captain),
Don Doherty, Bob Rushman, Delphine Pontvieux,
Jaqueline Rae and Dennis Doney. It is worth mentioning
that, between the organizers (Claire Gadbois, Margo and
Chuck Miller), photographer (Dan Kasberger aka “the
green lantern”), videographer (Bob Gadbois) and
supporters (including our own President John Bell),
UASC was well represented!
There is talk about forming two distinct UASC
competing teams for next year: “That way, it’ll give us
someone to beat!” says team captain Mike.
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) by Jim Forsyth Editing by Corrie
MacLaggan and Paul Thomasch)
A century after the Titanic disaster, scientists have
found an unexpected culprit of the crash: the moon.
Anyone who knows history or blockbuster movies
knows that the cause of the ocean liner's accident 100
years ago this month was that it hit an iceberg.
"But the lunar connection may explain how an
unusually large number of icebergs got into the path
of the Titanic," said Donald Olson, a Texas State
University physicist whose team of forensic astronomers
examined the moon's role.
Ever since the Titanic sank in the early morning of
April 15, 1912, killing 1,517 people, researchers have
puzzled over Captain Edward Smith's seeming disregard
of warnings that icebergs were in the area where the ship
was sailing. Smith was the most experienced captain in
the White Star Line and had sailed the North Atlantic sea
lanes on numerous occasions. He had been assigned to
the maiden voyage of the Titanic because he was a
knowledgeable and careful seaman.
Greenland icebergs of the type that the Titanic
struck generally become stuck in the shallow waters off
Labrador and Newfoundland, and cannot resume
moving southward until they have melted enough to refloat or a high tide frees them, Olson said.
So how was it that such a large number of
icebergs had floated so far south that they were in the
shipping lanes well south of Newfoundland that
night?
The team investigated speculation by the late
oceanographer Fergus Wood that an unusually close
Page 5 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
approach by the moon in January 1912 may have
produced such high tides that far more icebergs than
usual managed to separate from Greenland, and floated,
still fully grown, into shipping lanes that had been
moved south that spring because of reports of icebergs.
Olson said a "once-in-many-lifetimes" event
occurred on January 4, 1912, when the moon and sun
lined up in such a way that their gravitational pulls
enhanced each other. At the same time, the moon's
closest approach to earth that January was the closest in
1,400 years, and the point of closest approach occurred
within six minutes of the full moon. On top of that, the
Earth's closest approach to the sun in a year had
happened just the previous day.
"This configuration maximized the moon's tide-raising
forces on the Earth's oceans," Olson said. "That's
remarkable."
His research determined that to reach the shipping
lanes by mid-April, the iceberg that the Titanic struck
must have broken off from Greenland in January 1912.
The high tide caused by the bizarre combination of
astronomical events would have been enough to
dislodge icebergs and give them enough buoyancy to
reach the shipping lanes by April, he said.
Olson's team has sought to use tide patterns to
determine exactly when Julius Caesar invaded Britain
and prove the legend that Mary Shelley was inspired by
a bright full moon shining through her window to write
the gothic classic "Frankenstein."
The team's Titanic research may have vindicated
Captain Smith - albeit a century too late - by
showing that he had a good excuse to react so
casually to a report of ice in the ship's path. He had
no reason at the time to believe that the bergs he
was facing were as numerous or as large as they
turned out to be, Olson said.
"In astronomical terms, the odds of all these
variables lining up in just the way they did was, well,
astronomical," he said.
The research will appear in the April issue of "Sky &
Telescope" magazine.
UASC EX-PRESIDENT JOAN FORSBERG
INTERVIEW AIRED ON WTTW TV
Chicago's PBS station WTTW aired a 10-minute
interview of Tom Kastle (UASC member and one of
the Chicago Maritime Festival's founders) and Joan
Forsberg
on "Chicago Tonight" on Wednesday,
February 22, 2012. Watch the video here: http://
video.wttw.com/video/2200461840
They also put a few photos of the shipwrecks off
Chicago, courtesy of Cris Kohl, on their web site.
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/02/22/chicagomaritime-festival
Page 6 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
MYSTERY SAILORS OF THE SS
MONITOR
The Civil War ironclad SS Monitor—best known for
the Battle of Hampton Roads—sank during a storm in
1862. The skeletal remains of two sailors were found off
the coast of Cape Hatteras in the ship's gun turret in
2002. After years of research failed to reveal the sailors'
identities, The National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) asked forensic anthropologists
at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, to
recreate the men's faces. They later entrusted UPS to
deliver the precious cargo to Washington DC.
NOAA hopes the reconstructed faces will be recognized
by members of the public and lead to the positive
identification of the two men. Once the men are
identified, they will be laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery
with the honor and respect they deserve.
Learn about the SS Monitor, the sailors and more at:
http://monitor.noaa.gov/150th and share the video
(created by UPS) to help solve the mystery of the sailors'
identities. http://youtu.be/FGKkkBDLfjw
UNDERWATER DETECTIVES
The Underwater Detectives program was created by
UASC members Cheryl Wickstrom and Ruth and John
Loftus. They developed their presentation using a
NOAA-based program, which was shown at a number of
schools, as well as the Chicago Maritime and the Land
of the Lake festivals. With the ship "Lofstrom" as the
main display, participants of all ages get the opportunity
to become “underwater archaeologists for a day.” Led by
presenter Eugene Hasiak, they learn to identify various
parts of a ship, discover clues about the wreck and map
it. They also learn about the gear needed to go scuba
diving and why shipwrecks of the world are important to
our history and our future. They also get the chance to
watch videos of Lake Michigan shipwrecks. Participants
each receive a Certificate of Accomplishment from the
Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago.
Page 7 Underwater Archaelological Society of Chicago “Wreck Checker” Spring 2012
Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
New Member Application Form
UASC annual dues cover the calendar year from January 1 to December 31. Please complete the information below,
and submit this form along with the appropriate dues amount to the Underwater Archeological Society of Chicago,
P.O. Box 11752, Chicago, IL 60611. Your timely response helps your society grow and prosper.
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□Wreck Diving, □Shipwreck Drawing, □Shipwreck Surveying, □Boating, □U/W Still Photography,
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