During the summer of 1969, engineers discovered a deep, hidden secret about Niagara Falls. After draining the falls by cutting off the flow from one peak and redirecting it, what laid beneath was revealed. What they found, they never expected. Buried among the rocks was a finding that created far more questions than answers. What did they unearth? Continue reading and discover the truth that scientists found buried underneath the natural beauty that is Niagara Falls.
A Fine Piece Of Nature
Do you remember the first time you visited Niagara Falls and learned just how majestic it was? Its sheer vastness is enough to stimulate a great enough reaction. Millions of tourists visit year-round and post all the pictures they can online for their friends and family to see.
Believe it or not, 50 years ago, the falls nearly lost their beauty. Something happened that caused scientists to grow concerned about them. They decided to investigate but had no idea that what they planned to do could have done more harm than good.
An Insane Discovery
Scientists decided to peek behind the scenes of Niagara Falls but had no clue what would happen next. After announcing their plans, the public had their doubts as well.
Tampering with nature always tends to be a challenge, so many wondered how things would go down. Did they have a real plan in place or was it only wishful thinking? As soon as the water of the falls started to recede, spectators began trusting what science could do.
A Supreme Wonder
Around 18,000 years ago, Niagara Falls didn't exist. It came about thanks to ice sheets from the North Pole that left what we know today as North America. After giant chunks of ice melted away, the falls formed.
The glaciers were so large, that the amount of water that melted away went into the Niagara River, but didn't form the falls instantly. A ton of time passed by before the water eroded the cliffs enough to create Niagara Falls as we know it today.
A Convenient Border
Niagara Falls today is the natural border between Canada and the United States. Tons of people visit both of the countries at a high clip, but there are no records on how long they've been doing it.
Visitation could've started 1000 years ago or even much earlier; we can only figure that people would enjoy the beauty way before the world found out about it. With no written records on hand, no one knows who the first visitor was.
Samuel de Champlain
One of the earliest written records does reveal who one of the first Europeans to hear about Niagara Falls was. It was an explorer from France by the name of Samuel de Champlain.
This was around the start of the seventeenth century, but he wasn't the first from Europe to visit the Falls. The first person to take a trip and see Niagara Falls in person was Father Louis Hennepin, who went there in search of New France, which is what they called North America at that time.
A New Finding
Five years after Father Louis Hennepin came back from the Falls, he mapped out his thoughts and impressions on paper. That's when he wrote "A New Discovery" article, where the first appearance of the Falls name appeared.
That means the term Niagara Falls came into existence in 1683. The name comes from "onguiaahra" (Iroquoian decent), which means "the strait." After he published the article, Hennepin became famous for being the first person from Europe to see Niagara Falls.
The New Tourist Spot
It wouldn't be until the 1800s that Niagara Falls would become a tourist destination. That means it took 200 years post-discovery for the first tourists from Europe to go and admire the beauty that was there.
It was then that serious business people saw the potential at hand. That's when hoteliers and the sort began making lucrative investments on the land near Niagara Falls. The Falls then became a popular destination for honeymooners and remains a popular location for newly-wed couples today.
Developing An Industry
Coming to Niagara Falls to relax and spend your free time was one thing, but the potential that it carried was another beast. Those who wanted to capitalize on the great waterfall saw its vast potential and knew they could make good use of it.
By the end of the 19th century, the world's very first hydroelectric generating station came about, built right near Niagara Falls. It started to produce an insane amount of energy that could be put to good use.
Enter: Nikola Tesla
The hydroelectric generating station was a brilliant and revolutionary invention, but it carried a flaw. It lacked the ability to carry electricity further than 300 feet, and this wasn't good at all.
No one knew how to improve this fault until Nikola Tesla came along and impacted the world. He discovered a way to send electricity long distances by using alternating currents. The first experiment sent electricity over to Buffalo, New York, which is nearly 20 miles from the power plant!
Still Producing Electricity
The invention might've come around more than a hundred years ago, but it still works the same way it did when Tesla was alive. It's still as important as it was back then, too! Electricity from renewable sources is one of the best forms there is.
It's even more valuable this century due to how overpopulated cities have gotten over the years. Overpopulation fuels pollution, so it's always great to bring in clean energy whenever there's a way.
North America And Canada
With Niagara Falls being the natural border between the U.S. and Canada, it belongs to both countries. Both sides send at least 15 million tourists a year to witness the natural wonder.
Six million cubic feet run down the falls in one minute. It's scary to think about how much damage can result from that if let outside the falls. It has the potential to destroy whole cities! After all, "Water and fire are dangerous servants, but fearful masters."
Changes In The Water
The water levels in Niagara Falls changes during the night. During nightfall, there is less water in Niagara Falls, believe it or not. This is possible due to the human factor and isn't something that happens naturally.
During the '50s, a treaty signed gave local companies the ability to take more water at night due to their being fewer tourists around. Any curious tourist who showed up after dark would hardly be able to tell the difference.
Winter Time Falls
Has it ever crossed your mind about what happens with the Falls during the freezing winter months? Does the waterfall freeze in temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius? Well, the answer to that is that they partially become frozen.
It only happens in some parts, but the flow never stops. Another thing that takes place is that the water turns into clouds of vapor. It's an amazing sight to see and another reason for tourists to stop by!
Three Different Falls
Technically speaking, Niagara Falls belongs to both Canada and the United States, but there are different parts that belong to the U.S. solely. The Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls are the two American waterfalls that are American.
Conversely, there aren't any parts that are only Canada's. The largest fall, called Horseshoe Falls, is the one that represents the natural border between the neighboring countries. A very appropriate name after you've looked at it from a high position.
Concerns From New York
Only regular visitors of Niagara Falls have the ability to see the changes it experiences with time. Each gallon that falls off the cliff lessens the charm of the Falls. At least, that's how the citizens of New York feel that live near Niagara and see it often.
Each new visitor can't deny how amazing the falls look, dating 100 years ago or even today. Still, there are some stones that have accumulated at the bottom that could cause some issues in the future.
International Joint Commission
The concerns that New York citizens had reached both American and Canadian authorities, so an organization that handles shared waters intervened. They're called the International Joint Commission.
With the Americans growing concerned over Niagara Falls, they were the ones that suggested that someone needed to do something about the rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. They even went as far as asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their expertise on the matter.
Starting The Operation
There weren't any other solutions for the sediments at the bottom of the Falls, so the engineers chose to shut it down. That choice of action was only temporary until they got rid of all the rocks and earth from under the water.
In 1969, over one thousand trucks took rocks and earth to Niagara Falls to pause the flow of water so they could clean the area of concern. They dumped the deposits upstream of the falls for three days.
What Is A Cofferdam?
Engineers ended up creating a cofferdam, which was a temporary structure constructed between Goat Island and the mainland. They made it from 27,000 tons of rocks brought to the site thanks to all those trucks.
The length of this cofferdam was 600 feet. On paper, it sounds like a rather ambitious move to create a dam preventing the water from falling down. While many believed it would work, others had plenty of doubts.
American Falls
Well, the engineers ended up succeeding! Their plan of action to stop water from falling towards American Falls was a success. They switched the path from there to Horseshoe Falls.
It was impossible to stop the whole Niagara Falls from having water drop, so only the American Falls portion halted for some time. Due to that insane amount of water getting stopped from flowing, it had to travel somewhere else, didn't it?
The Locals Grew Fearful
The locals had good reasons to become fearful. For one, they feared what would happen when you block the natural path of a river because that's not something you'd ordinarily do. What if it flooded their land?
Their other concerns were with the tourists. They feared the lack of water would diminish the number of people that came to visit the Falls. Meanwhile, some thought the exact opposite. They thought this unique sighting of what was under the Falls would bring in a ton of new people!
Visiting Numbers Went Down
Unfortunately, preventing the water from falling had a negative response with visitors. Drying up American Falls led to a huge loss in the number of tourists. By the end of 1969, the number of people who came dropped lower than any previous year.
Still, that didn't stop those who do go to visit from experiencing the unique opportunity to take home something from the site. Some would take rocks, while others lucked out and found coins from the riverbed.
Skeletons?
During the planning of this operation, no one expected to discover anything as vile as skeletons. As the water receded, spectators started to notice bones underneath the water. How creepy is that?
At that moment, no one knew if the bones belonged to people who lost their lives or larger animals that drowned in the current. One thing was certain, the lack of tourists ended up being a good thing because it might've prevented people from coming back if they saw that!
A Woman And A Man
Shockingly, the first pair of skeletons engineers found was a man and a woman. After closely examining the bones, it turned out the man died by jumping into the waters, but that didn't reveal the year of his death.
As for the woman, no possible causes of death showed themselves other than drowning. Many speculate that she witnessed her love perish in the waters, so she chose to meet him in death in the same manner.
A Place To Say Goodbye
As more water went away, more skeletons started to pop up. Niagara Falls was a place that many folks went to say goodbye to this world. While it was more common then, experts say that about 40 people per year still do the same today.
People with no intention of living go to the falls because once you leap, there is nothing that can save you. Perhaps a miracle, but no human can fight off the cold and treacherous waters.
Risking Their Lives
Not only did folks who no longer wished to live lose their lives in the falls, but there were many accidents involving people falling in and disappearing. Stunt people would go there to do the impossible of jumping from the cliffs and swimming towards the shore.
Sadly, that was never possible and never will be due to the water being so fierce. No human can defeat it so don't let anyone you know attempt this.
Annie Edson Taylor
As crazy as this next fact might sound, it did happen. In 1901, a woman named Annie Edson Taylor wanted to become famous and connected to her favorite place on Earth in a unique way.
She trapped herself inside of a massive barrel and asked people to push it from the shore into the Falls. She ended up surviving, but it was an awful experience. She highly advised no one to ever try and duplicate what she did. Still, some didn't listen and tried.
Meet Karel Soucek
Much like Annie Edson Taylor, Karel Soucek was another who tried testing the waters and succeeded. He was a Canadian stuntman who did the trick in 1984. After some time passed, he wanted to try it again in the Houston Astrodome located in Texas, but he wasn't as lucky at that time.
Another man by the name of Jesse Sharp wanted to travel down the Falls in a canoe. He was a stuntman as well and did it, but no one ever saw him after it.
A Scary, Unpredictable Time
Those present during the time of waters receding began telling stories about their feelings concerning the findings under the Falls. They talked about how they liked it, but also how they had fear over the power of the waters.
After seeing the skeletons, they discussed how fragile and inferior they felt compared to the immortal waters. The engineers also had a battle of concern, admitting they had no clue it would turn out to be a tough undertaking.
A Dangerous Place
Interestingly enough, the engineers didn't know all the facts before taking on this project. When they saw the situation, that's when they chose to change their course of action. They had no clue the rocks under the water supported the cliff.
That meant that removing the rocks could have possibly destroyed the whole thing! Hard work aside, the new aspect was more vital than everything else they assumed. It was more than just moving the rocks because damages would have happened.
Permanent Dam
Upon realizing that removing the rocks would be a horrible thing to do, they went with building a permanent dam. Still, it wasn't the best solution since the dam would weaken American Falls.
The engineers gave up on that idea as well, and in the end, they didn't get rid of the bones nor build the dam. Was it all in vain? The answer to that is yes and no at the same time.
One Of The United States' Most Famous Landmarks
Spanning almost two miles across the San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge's rust-colored structure is arguably one of America's most famous landmarks. People from all over travel to the San Francisco area to marvel at its engineering.
But while people look up at the bridge, they forget that the water it towers over holds more than one secret of its own. Now, with the help of underwater robots, NOAA has made it their mission to uncover stories from the past.
The Bridge Has Around 27,000 Visitors Per Day
According to Bold Italic, around 27,000 visitors venture to the Golden Gate Bridge per day. That's a lot of people marveling at what the American Society of Civil Engineers calls one of the Wonders of the Modern World.
But what people don't think about it while they are looking up at a feat of engineering comparable to that of the Panama Canal, they forget that there is a whole other story lurking in its watery shadow.
377-Feet Deep And Full Of Mystery
At around 377 feet at its deepest point, the waters underneath the Golden Gate Bridge are bound to hold more than one ghostly tale from the past. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has made it their mission to bring the eerie tales to the surface.
Now, it's just a matter of using their remotely operated underwater robots to search the Golden Gate strait's floor to uncover whatever time and water currents have hidden.
It Is One Of The World's Natural Harbors
The thing is, NOAA's excavation plan isn't as easy as it sounds. The Golden Gate strait is nothing more than a tiny, mile-wide stretch of water, connecting the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. And it is notorious for keeping treasures well hidden under its waves.
As one of the world's natural harbors, historians find it amazing that the Spanish conquistadors knew nothing of it, sailing right past when they first landed on California soil.
The Bay Was Hidden Until The 18th Century
Notorious for being covered in a layer of fog for a solid amount of the time and surrounded by rocky terrain, rough waters, and more than one sea predator, NOAA had their work cut out for them.
There is a reason the Bay stayed hidden until the Spanish finally stumbled upon it in the 18th century since getting through the strait was anything but smooth sailing. More than one ship found itself smashed upon the rocks. But NOAA wasn't going to let that stop their plan.
Many People Were At The Mercy Of The Water
With the wild currents of the Pacific Ocean, disaster often struck those who tried to make it through to the safety of the Bay. Lacking navigational charts and instruments, early northern California settlers had nothing to go on but their own sight.
Which, honestly, is the best when going through an area known for its fog storms. Even so, enough made it past the strait, into the Bay, and were able to settle on the shores surrounding the harbor.
Everything Changed With Captain John Montgomery
First settled by the Spanish on June 27, 1776, it took more than a few years for Yerba Buena to cede to the rest of the United States. Then, in 1846, Captain John Montgomery sailed to the bay, claiming the land for the United States, meeting no resistance, and planting the first American flag upon its shores.
A year later, Yerba Buena was renamed, San Francisco. And, in 1850, California became the 31st state of the United States, just in time for the Gold Rush.
The Population Kept Growing
Even after the hype of the California Gold Rush died down in 1855, San Francisco's bay was still one of the most important ports around. With so many people arriving on the shores of San Francisco via ship, it was time to figure out how to conquer the harsh strait.
But it was going to be a long time before the Golden Gate Bridge became a staple landmark of the Bay Area.
San Francisco Was Behind Other Cities
Before the rusty-colored Golden Gate Bridge spanned the waters of the Golden Gate strait, people would arrive at the shores of San Francisco via boat, the easiest way to make it across the strait.
The thing is, the hidden area was hindering the city's growth. Its isolation made it so goods were hard to get into the city. San Francisco wasn't growing at nearly the same pace as the rest of the American metropolises.
It Was Time To Find A Solution
So, the brainstorming began. And people began to think of a different way to get people across the Bay that didn't involve a ferry-type service. Ironically, the thought of building a bridge wasn't thought possible.
The uncertain foggy weather of the northern California coast, not to mention the harsh currents and tides of the Golden Gate strait, aren't the best conditions to do construction. But that doesn't mean people completely ignored the idea.
The 1915 World's Fair Was Just The Start
While many people didn't believe such a structure could ever be created, they knew if it were possible, it would be something incredible -- large enough to span the strait and tall enough to allow larger ships to still pass underneath it into the bay.
It wasn't until 1915, in the aftermath of The Panama–Pacific International Exposition world's fair held in San Francisco, that the idea of a grand bridge actually started to take shape.
The Proposal: A Combined Cantilever And Suspension Bridge
Engineer Joseph B. Strauss was the first to propose a combined cantilever and suspension bridge, spanning across the strait to connect San Fransisco to what people now know as Marin County.
Of course, it took a few years from Strauss' initial 1921 idea. But after a few years, many revisions, and a whole lot of construction, the Golden Gate Bridge was built. At the time, it was the longest and highest of its kind.
Opening Day Happened In 1937
The Golden Gate Bridge officially opened for business on May 27, 1937. Completed during a time of economic crisis in the United States, the bridge was a symbol of hope and progress in the Bay Area.
Today, it is arguably one of San Francisco's most sought after tourist attractions, catering to around ten million visitors per year and carrying over 100,000 vehicles every day from the shores of San Fransico to Marin County.
With So Much Daily Traffic, What Is Left To Discover?
With so much foot and car traffic, it seems unlikely that there is anything left to be discovered about the iconic San Francisco landmark. But that's just on the surface. Looking underneath the Golden Gate Bridge's watery shadows, there are still many mysteries to be solved and many relics to be found.
Now, it's up to NOAA to bring what they can to the surface. It's just a matter of what they're going to find.
NOAA Is Well-Equipped For Underwater Discoveries
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency that focuses on the conditions of major waterways throughout the world. In this particular instance, they've set their eyes on the Golden Gate strait and what lies underneath its watery depths.
Thankfully, the organization is full of top-tier marine archeologists and researchers, making them well-equipped to tackle their mission. But nothing prepared them for what they were about to uncover in the water.
Their Main Goal Is To Monitor The World's Waterways
Part of The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's mission is to monitor the oceans and major waterways found throughout the world, including the 330,000 square miles of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Scanning the sea floors in search of anything out of the ordinary is just one of their many goals. But it's that one particular talent that brought them to the Golden Gate Bridge and the water it spans.
Between Currents And People, NOAA Had A Lot Of Work To Do
Between the swimmers, kayakers, tourists taking pictures, and the numerous cars crossing the bridge on a daily basis, it's hard to imagine anything about the Golden Gate Bridge is still a mystery. Well, that's where people are wrong.
Over the years, the swells, currents, and tides have brought more than one ship down. Now, NOAA has made it their mission to uncover some of the stories those ships have left behind.
They Found Eight Potential Discoveries Via Sonar
A team of NOAA researchers began their scanning process west of the Golden Gate Bridge in September of 2014. After looking over their sonar scans of the ocean floor, they found eight possible locations worthy of a deeper look.
As it turned out, four of the eight locations were just what the team of researchers was looking for. Four of the locations they scanned were shipwrecks! Now, it was time to bring in the robots.
It Was Time To Bring In The ROV
Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the team went to each individual site, combing through the ocean floor to see if anything of interest was there. For a bridge that was seen as having no new mysteries it sure happened to have a lot of untold tales littered underneath its depths.
Now it was a matter of finding out the names of the ships, where they came from, and how they wound up in the waters underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.
Their First Discovery: Noonday
After some digging, NOAA discovered that one of the sunken ships was Noonday, a clipper ship constructed for Boston merchant Henry Hastings. Unfortunately for Hastings, the ship went down on its fourth passage to San Fransico on January 1, 1863.
Thankfully, the harbor was in view when the ship hit a fateful rock and took on water. So, all of the men made it to safety. But that can't be said about the ship's cargo.
Noonday Could See The Shore But Hit A Rock
Seeing the harbor of San Francisco after a 139-day passage from Boston must have been a relief for the men on Noonday. But, as fate would have it, the ship would never make it to port.
Eight miles out, Noonday hit a rock and quickly began to take on water. In a desperate hurry to get off the sinking ship, Captain Hastings and his crew were able to grab a few of their personal effects, leaving the rest of the valuable cargo on board.
The Rock Was Named Noonday Rock
While all the men escaped with their lives, the ship sank about 40 fathoms. But the cargo still on board was valuable, and more than one person sought to retrieve it from its watery grave. Alas, everyone who went down into the water came back up empty-handed.
Ironically, the rock the ship hit is now known as Noonday Rock, part of San Francisco's Farallon Islands chain. And while that landmark is well-known, the exact location of its namesake has been lost to history.
It Was Time For Further Investigation
With the long-lost Noonday was rediscovered by a team of NOAA researchers in 2014 there was more work to be done. After looking at their sonar scans, one volunteer noticed a structure that looked to be around the same size as the sunken ship.
Not only that, but it wasn't far from the Noonday Rock in which the ship was named after. So, using an ROV, they went to further investigate the spot picked up by their sonar equipment.
The Ship Wasn't Visible
Unfortunately, while the sonar might have picked up a structure, the ROV wasn't picking up anything tangible. But one thing was clear: NOAA definitely found the 1863 sunken clipper ship's final resting place.
During an interview with AP, James Delgado from NOAA said, "Noonday is there. The signal is very clear. But there's just nothing sticking above the seabed." But they weren't giving up yet; there were still three more locations to search.
Next Up: The S.S. Selja
One of the other locations NOAA stubbled upon during their survey exposed the long-lost ghost ship of the S.S. Selja, a workhorse cargo steamer that sunk in 1910. Chartered by the Portland & Asiatic Steamship Company, this particular tanker was in charge of trade between Asia and the Pacific Northwest, namely flour and lumber.
January 22, 1910 would see the S.S. Selja making its last trade route off the coast of Portland, Oregon.
A Fateful Collision Sunk The Selja In 180 Feet Of Water
On that fateful day, the S.S. Selja collided with another cargo ship, the S.S Beaver. By the time the captain heard the ship's whistle, rounding Point Reyes, it was too late. About 700 miles off the coast of Portland, Oregon, just west of San Francisco, the S.S. Selja sunk into 180 feet of water.
In a formal statement, the captain of the S.S. Beaver, William Kidston, stated, "The SS Selja sank headfirst in ten minutes from the time she was struck. She sank in 30 fathoms of water..."
They Could Explore The S.S. Selja
While the collision caused more than one "it was his fault" type argument, it was ruled that both captains were at fault for the wreck. After the ruling, the S.S. Selja was ultimately forgotten. That is until the researchers of NOAA found something that looked like the ghost ship on their radar, just west of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Unlike the Noonday, which is buried under who knows how much sand, the S.S. Selja was out in the open and ready for exploration.
NOAA Wasn't Stopping At The Two Ships
Although the NOAA team was able to uncover the truth behind two of its sonar discoveries, there were still two more that they needed to explore. As it turned out, one was poorly preserved and littered with fishing nets that they couldn't get a definite name on it.
The other was actually intact, but it was nothing more than an unnamed tugboat that found itself on the ocean floor after some accident.
The Area Is Full Of Shipwrecks
Even though they weren't able to name the final two boats, it still begs one huge question -- why are the waters underneath the Golden Gate Bridge so full of shipwrecks? Well, one reason definitely has to do with the amount of boat traffic going to and from the port.
During an interview with Live Science, NOAA researcher James Delgado said, "We're looking at an area that was a funnel to the busiest and most important American port on the Pacific Coast."
There Are Around 300 Wrecks In the Area
According to Live Science, around 300 shipwrecks are scattered throughout the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The oldest wreck on file is the Spanish galleon named San Agustin, which sank in the 16th century.
Thankfully, the most recent shipwreck was back in 1980, with the S.S. Puerto Rican explosion that happened just hours after the tanker left the San Francisco port, heading to New Orleans.
Months Before, NOAA Found Something Thought to Be Lost
NOAA might have uncovered a few long-lost ships, but four is nothing compared to the ghost ships haunting the depths beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Many of which have yet to be discovered, let alone explored.
But even before their 2014 survey, NOAA has been onsight, searching for the mysteries underneath the water of the bridge. And, a few months before their other four discoveries, they found something that was thought to be lost forever.
The S.S. City of Chester Took 16 People Down With It
Lost for well over a century, the NOAA researchers came across the ghost ship of the S.S. City of Chester. During its final voyage from San Francisco's port to Eureka, California, the steamship met its end.
Barely out of the harbor, the S.S. City of Chester collided with another ship, the R.M.S. Oceanic. The accident put a hole straight through the former ship's port side. It sank in a matter of minutes, taking 16 people down with it.
NOAA Found The Steamship In 2014
Even though the S.S. City of Chester sank pretty much right next to the Golden Gate Bridge; it was lost for close to 120 years. But, in 2014, the research team from NOAA were pleased to announce they had successfully found the steamship.
Not only did they locate the vessel, but they were also able to explore it via ROCs. To their surprise, after all those years, the ship was in pretty good shape.
They Found One Of California's Most Famous Shipwrecks
But that wasn't the last long-lost ship the team discovered in 2014. That year, NOAA released one of the first photographs of arguably one of the most famous shipwrecks to ever occur on the California coast.
In 1901, the S.S. City of Rio de Janeiro met its end, trying to navigate the narrow strait during one very foggy morning. Hitting some rocks, the vessel sank within minutes, plummeting into the cold waters of the Pacific.
Dubbed The "Titanic Of The Golden Gate"
Sadly, there were around 210 people aboard the S.S. City of Rio de Janeiro, most of whom were immigrants looking to make a new life for themselves in the United States. Of those some 210 people, about half of them went down with the vessel.
After the ship sank to the bottom of the chilly ocean, history would remember its final voyage and dub it the "Titanic of the Golden Gate."
NOAA Made A 3D Model Of The Ship
Sitting under nearly 290 feet of water, the S.S. City of Rio Janeiro's final resting place isn't far from the Golden Gate Bridge. Considering how long it has been underwater, there was no safe way for the NOAA team to bring it to the surface. The thing is, they didn't need to.
Using 3D modeling techniques and sonar, the team was able to carefully construct a model of what the steamship would look like today if it was still workable.
The S.S. City of Rio Janeiro Wasn't The End
It was an amazing feat of science, discovering a ship that was thought to be lost to the push and pull of the rigorous currents and tides surrounding the Golden Gate strait. It is not only finding the ship's location but also constructing a working model of what that ship would look like today.
But that wasn't the last time NOAA found something remarkable under the waters of the Golden Gate Bridge. One year later, something else came across their sonar equipment.
The Tugboat Actually Has A Name!
Remember that unnamed tugboat the team found in 2014? Well, in October of 2015, NOAA's research team discovered a surprising secret surround the tiny boat. The vessel wasn't an unnamed private ship; in fact, it had a long history.
After looking over the features of the tugboat and diving into documents, the team came to the conclusion that it was actually a ship that simply disappeared in 1921, the USS Conestoga.
The USS Conestoga Was Surrounded In Mystery
Used as a weapons and supplies transport during World War I, the USS Conestoga was heading to Samoa when tragedy struck. Leaving Mare Island, about 20 miles north of San Fransisco, the cargo ship and her crew of 56 men simply disappeared.
Since 1921, no one has been able to locate the vessel, and it's remained a mystery ever since. Well, at least until NOAA made their remarkable discovery and unveiled the 100-year-old vessel.
There Is So Much More To Explore
NOAA was able to discover something the world thought to be lost forever, a ship that vanished 100 years ago, in 1921. And if they were able to locate the USS Conestoga, what other marvels are buried under the waters of the Golden Gate Bridge?
If the NOAA team knows one thing for sure, it's that their exploration of the Golden Gate strait is far from over. There is much more to be discovered off the rough coast of San Fransisco.
