Sunken Wreck of Famed Warship Found
By WILLIAM KATES,AP
Posted: 2008-06-14 09:11:55
Filed Under: Nation News

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (June 13) - A 22-gun British warship that sank during the American Revolution and has long been regarded as one of the "Holy Grail" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Ontario, astonishingly well-preserved in the cold, deep water, explorers announced Friday.

Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville used side-scanning sonar and an unmanned submersible to locate the HMS Ontario, which was lost with barely a trace and as many as 130 people aboard during a gale in 1780.

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Explorers said Friday they have found the wreck of a British warship that sank during the Revolutionary War. The HMS Ontario went down in Lake Ontario during a 1780 gale. As many as 130 people were on board. Explorers had been looking for the wreck for decades.

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Shipwreck enthusiasts Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville used side-scanning sonar and an unmanned submersible to locate the HMS Ontario at the bottom of Lake Ontario. This image shows a cannon visible on the starboard side of the 80-foot sloop.

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The cold, deep waters kept the ship astonishingly well-preserved, the explorers said. "To have a Revolutionary War vessel that's practically intact is unbelievable. It's an archaeological miracle," said Arthur Britton Smith, who drew this picture of the ship. He chronicled the history of the HMS Ontario in a 1997 book, "The Legend of the Lake."

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Kennard and Scoville said they consider the wreck a war grave. They have no plans to raise the ship or salvage its artifacts. This image shows the crow's nest and foremast of the sunken ship, which was discovered resting partially on its side. "It's a beautiful ship," said Scoville.

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The warship was used to ferry troops and supplies along upstate New York's frontier. After the ship went down, the British conducted a sweeping search but tried to keep the sinking secret from George Washington's troops. This image shows the ship's decoratively carved scroll bow stem. Source: AP