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From: craigp@mc.net
Category: Shipwreck Research
Date: 30 Jul 2004
Time: 15:32:15
Remote Name: 209.112.92.192
Just a for-what-it’s-worth comment on what is historic. Many years ago the old car ferry Chief Wawatam was tied up near Mackinaw City. I went to see it, but could not get on board. There was a big sign and a fancy bronze looking plaque that said something to the effect that this vessel is listed on the register of “National Historic places” or something like that. I can’t recall exactly what it was, but it seemed pretty official looking. This was a beautiful ship. Historic in at least the memories of the thousands of people who sailed on her to cross the Straits before the construction of the Big Mac. I read a few years later that this “Historic” ship had been sold for $110,000.00 and cut down to a barge. I wonder, what if that ship had sunk on it’s way to the wreckers torch, would it be considered “historic” once under water ? Or could divers, like the high bidder at her sale, take what they please ? What if the hull was not buried very far, is it still “embedded”? If it had sunk yesterday, would it be considered “historic” due to it’s age? After all, it was considered for some sort of National register of Historic Places when floating and looking like brand new. I would say and I think most would agree, that ship was historic. Somewhere lies the confusion. Back in 1988, the state of Michigan allowed the destruction of what the federal government had defined as a historic vessel. Since it was still floating, it was not a shipwreck, just historic, and I would think very worthy of preservation. Oh I believe it may even be around still, but it is just a hunk of historic floating iron hull section now serving as a tow barge. Ahh, but what if it sinks now, will it then be protected ? Can the state of Michigan prosecute someone for prying off a worthless piece of scrap from it ? Maybe the public would still have this old girl around if it became stuck in the mud somewhere. Then it would have been “embedded.” Wait a minute, does it need to be completely covered to be considered “embedded” ? After all, this ship was built in 1911, does it’s age alone not meet one of the criteria for being “historic”? Believe me, had this ship sunk, it would have been a divers dream. Beautiful, big, full of brass fittings and windows, this would have been a truly historic wreck. Had this vessel sunk, I am sure the state of Michigan would have aggressively prosecuted anyone who removed even the smallest piece. After all, the Abandoned Shipwreck laws were firmly in place at the date of her scrapping, or should I call it “modification or re-classification.”
The wreckers felt the ships fittings were historic enough that they donated items removed from her to several museums, and those same museums felt they were an important enough piece of history to display. These intimate fragments of a once proud vessel are all that remain; that is unless you consider the barge it has since become.
But not to worry, there are lots of historic 1911 vintage coal fired VTE front-loading steamships we can visit that have been preserved. By the way, if you believe that, I am selling that big bridge at a discount price.
Sometimes laws and the things our government does sure make a lot of sense, don’t they ? It would be my guess the state would invest $110,000.00 in legal fees to prosecute someone for removing an artifact. I wonder how much the state of Michigan spent in it’s failed attempt to prosecute Mr. Ehorn for removing an artifact and donating it to a museum ? A hundred grand in legal fees is small change.
Sometimes too much coffee gets my mind going.
I know this all happened some time ago, but the political mindset of preservationists seem to have stagnated. I wonder if the cognitive abilities of the preservationist members of 20 years ago have expanded enough to allow for abstract thought.
In fact, the mere mention of preservation seems to conjure up all sorts of emotions. Has the government used wise judgment in it’s administration of the laws it has created, or is this just another $8000.00 toilet seat dilemma like at NASA ?
Too much government is not a good thing. Remember, these are the same people who created the IRS. Have you ever tried to read the instructions to some of their forms ?
Just my opinion.
Off my soapbox and back to the chief. For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, here is an article and photo’s before she went through her change. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1444/chiefwawatam.htm
And now she looks this way: http://members.aol.com/carferry/chief.jpg
Thanks to those who maintain the above websites
