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Lost Gold

In 1865 a paddle wheeler packing gold, silver, and post-Civil War hope went down off the coast of Georgia. Now the treasure is coming home.

/2004/09/lost-gold/img/01-paddle-wheel-714.jpg /2004/09/lost-gold/img/lost-gold-60-01.jpg Photograph by Jonathan Blair, Odyssey Marine Exploration Rolling No More
A corroded and encrusted paddle wheel from the S.S. Republic lies half-buried 1,700 feet (500 meters) below the Atlantic Ocean's surface. On a run from New York City to New Orleans in 1865, the Republic sank in a hurricane off the south Georgia coast, sending a boatload of cargo—and $400,000 in gold and silver coins—to the seafloor. Twenty-five of her 92 passengers perished. Today a group of entrepreneurs are salvaging the ship's cargo and cash, as well as bits of its history. After salvage is complete, the remains of its 210-foot (64-meter) frame will be left in the sea, a memorial to the ship's history and last fatal voyage.]]> /2004/09/lost-gold/img/02-porthole-bottles-714.jpg /2004/09/lost-gold/img/lost-gold-60-02.jpg Photograph by Jonathan Blair, Odyssey Marine Exploration An Eye Into Maritime History
Once destined for post–Civil War consumers, a glass bottle lies framed by a porthole at the wreck site. More than 700 bottles of some 50 different types have been recovered so far by Odyssey Marine Exploration, the Florida-based company that's salvaging the wreck. The bottles represent the needs and wants of a nation coming out of war: alcohol (often disguised as medicine), pickles, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, ink, berries, and elixirs. Some of the ship's bottles and other artifacts will be shown around the world and eventually reside in a museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.]]> /2004/09/lost-gold/img/03-odyssey-ROV-zeus-714.jpg /2004/09/lost-gold/img/lost-gold-60-03.jpg Photograph by Jonathan Blair, Odyssey Marine Exploration Going for Gold
Odyssey crew members prepare to launch Zeus, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) designed to survey and retrieve the Republic's coins and artifacts. Salvaging at this site in the Gulf Stream requires a hefty robot to combat the fierce current. Zeus, at 15,000 pounds (6,800 kilograms), is up to the task. "It's the size of a Hummer," says Odyssey's operations manager, Ernie Tapanes. Equipped with sensitive mechanical arms, it can safely grasp objects as fragile as glass.]]>