Treasure Wrecks ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Treasure Wrecks

The following vessels all sank with valuable cargoes which have not been recovered. Or not.

HMS Hussar

Type:: shipwreck, frigate ( Mermaid-class, 6th-rate ), British Royal Navy
Name:: Hussars were light cavalry units of the period, known for their colorful and showy uniforms.
Built:: 1763, England
Specs:: ( 124 x 33 ft ) 627 gross tons
Sunk:: Thursday November 23, 1780
struck a rock - unknown casualties, including prisoners
Depth:: probably buried in the landfill under the police station near 135th Street

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Lexington

Type:: steamer, USA
Built:: 1835, New York NY USA
Specs:: ( 207 x 21 ft ) 488 gross tons, 165 passengers & crew
Sunk:: Monday January 13, 1840
fire - 4 survivors
Depth:: 125 ft - 150 ft

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Republic

Type:: liner, White Star Line
Name:: One of the "-ic" series of White Star liners, which included such other ships as the Georgic, Olympic, and Titanic.
Built:: 1903, Ireland
Specs:: ( 570 x 68 ft ) 15378 gross tons
Sunk:: Sunday January 25, 1909
after collision with steamer Florida - 2 casualties
Depth:: 240 ft

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Sindia

Type:: shipwreck, sailing ship, USA
Built:: 1887, Ireland
Specs:: ( 329 x 45 ft ) 3068 gross tons, 34 crew
Sunk:: Sunday December 15, 1901
ran aground in storm - no casualties
Depth:: 0-5 ft depending on the tide

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New Developments in Artificial Reefs

The Pauline Marie sinks slowly on the Atlantic City Reef.

By Evelyn DeWitt Myatt & Bill Figley, 1986

It's hard to imagine anything that could have looked more forlorn than the rusty old freighter whose proud seagoing days were a thing of the past. Floating idly at her berth awaiting her fate, she was a victim of nature's ravages that had left her beautiful only in the eyes of her old captain and crew. The Pauline Marie, however, was not destined to be the victim of a cutting torch that would turn her into a tangle of scrap steel. Instead, she was acquired by the New Jersey Artificial Reef Program and went down with dignity as an artificial reef in March 1985. She now provides continuing services from her watery grave in the Atlantic, some twelve miles off Atlantic City, and her appeal to marine life is undeniable. Her interior compartments now shelter fish and crustaceans; her decks now provide substrate for mussels, soft corals, and plant life; and her newfound productivity has put delicious seafood on many tables.