Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 28th

Today in 1848, the brigantine Petrus wrecked on Sombrero Reef. The money on board was saved by the crew, but there appears to have been no other salvage.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 25th

Today in 1855, the brig Eliza W. Dalton struck Bird Key. The brig began leaking and went to Long Cay where the cargo of logwood and coffee was unloaded. The vessel was condemned. In 1923, the schooner Carrie S. Allen was burned at Key West.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 23rd

Today in 1874 the ship Mary E. Riggs was stranded on French Reef. The ship was carrying cotton from New Orleans to Bremen. Though the vessel was lost, the wreckers were awarded $44,371 for their salvage work.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 22nd

Today in 1855 a derelict brig was found 13 miles south of Sand Key, deserted. The wreckers still made money off of the wreck, receiving $389.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys- April 20th

Today we have had a few wrecks here in the Florida Keys. One was in 1812. The American ship Gipsey was bound for Boston from Havana when it was lost in the Gulf of Florida. The crew was saved. The next shipwreck was in 1847. The bark Yucatan was carrying cotton, lard, pork, flour and other cargo from New Orleans to Liverpool. The bark wrecked on French Reef. Even though the vessel was lost, the wreckers were awarded $17,521. A third wreck happened today in 1874. The British ship Mississippi was en route from Liverpool to New Orleans. The ship was carrying general cargo and wrecked on Brewsters Reef. Three quarters of the cargo was saved, awarding the wreckers $9,114.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 19th

Today in 1893 the schooner Benjamin Hale was making its way from Boston to Texas with a cargo of barbed wire when it was stranded on Bird Key Shoals in the Dry Tortugas. It was a total loss.

Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys - April 18th

Quite a few shipwrecks happened on this day in history. The earliest happened in 1638 when the British ship Kinsdale wrecked in a storm on a sand bar near Cape Florida. The next shipwreck happened two-hundred and sixteen years later, in 1854. The ship Saxony was lost fifty miles north of Cape Florida with a cargo of white pine. Thirty-nine years later, in 1893, the British brig Arcadia was also carrying lumber as its cargo. The brig was on its way from Apalachicola to Cuba when it was stranded on North Flats in the Dry Tortugas. Some of the cargo was saved. Two years after that, the Norwegian bark Ingrid was bound for Rio from Pensacola carrying lumber as well. The bark was stranded on Fowey Rocks, north of the lighthouse there. The vessel was lost and out of the one-million feet of lumber she carried, 200,000 was salvaged soon after the wreck. The wreck was sold for $1 after that and the salvor was able to remove 75% of the remaning 800,000 feet of lumber. The next wreck is more recent, happening in the 20th Century. In 1943 the open lighter YC 891 sank off of Key West.