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Graveyard of the Atlantic: Sable Treasures

History


For many sailors, this sandy island hidden by waves, storms and fog meant death and destruction. Since 1583 there have been over 350 recorded shipwrecks on Sable Island. The map shows locations of known wrecks.

Section of the Sable Island shipwreck map

 


Click the map to view it larger


Notice the Alfios wrecked in the background (30K)


Some dream of treasure from Sable's wrecks, but Sable is a destroyer of dreams. Little remains of the ships that wrecked there. These things once belonged to people like us. What do you have in your pockets today?

penny, Bank of Upper Canada - 1857
5 franc coin 1837
french coin 1643
Button (1700's)
Brooch (1800's)
Penny, Bank of Upper Canada 1857

5 franc coin 1837

French coin, 1643

Button (1700s)

Brooch(1800s)


Wreck of the Alfios
Greek freighter Alfios went aground on April
24, 1946.

 



barque Nicosia

New Brunswick barque Nicosia, on a voyage from Dublin, Ireland to Saint John, ran aground in thick fog on July 30, 1894. She was a total loss, but all of her crew were saved.



Crofton Hall
British barque Crofton Hall, on a voyage from Dundee, Scotland to New York, stranded 3 miles from the east spit in thick fog on April 17, 1898. All aboard were saved, some with breeches buoy.

 

Lota figurehead
Part of the figurehead from the barque Lota, wrecked on Sable in 1915. All of the crew were saved.
Langdon Gilmore

Nameboard salvaged from an American schooner wrecked in 1864. All the crew were saved.


Skidby

 

British steamer Skidby, bound for Baltimore with bunker coal, ran aground on January 31, 1905. Her 26 crewmen walked ashore at low tide.

 


Esperanto, before and after

American fishing schooner Esperanto foundered a mile southwest of Sable Island on May 30, 1921. All her crew were saved.






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