[ Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: John M
Category: Shipwreck Research
Date: 20 Jan 2007
Time: 03:29:06
Remote Name: 75.126.48.147
In looking at the video of Mr. Libert's mystery log, I was reminded of a few images of late 19th century and early 20th century Pound Net Stakes that I saw illustrated in some Great Lakes fisheries publications from the turn of the century. The stakes were driven into the bottom as deep as 100 ft by means of stake driving derricks, similar to pile drivers. The stakes had dowels almost exactly like those in the mystery log, used to hold the nets securely. When the nets were lifted, the stakes were also removed and re-used elsewhere. The Journal of Beaver Island History, vol. I shows the derricks and relates the use of these Pound Net Stakes in the Beaver Island, Poverty Island and Rock Island areas to depths of 100 ft. At that time, timber cut on the Lake Michigan islands to make net stakes would have been virgin, and as such, the trees used to make the stakes could easily have been a few hundred years old. This would cause them to date to the right time period. I believe Mr. Libert has found a Pond Net Stake and I think it can be proven to be such. I will not endeavor to do so, but I would think it should be pretty easy to impeach his claim by anyone who really wanted to do so.