Drought-Hit Mississippi River Unveils A 19th-Century Trading Vessel

Per the local news station WBRZ, Patrick Ford, a resident of Baton Rouge, found a trading vessel while carrying out one of his routine and daily searches for the artefacts along the bank of the Mississippi River. This was a wreck of a 19th-century vessel lying in the drought-stricken waterway.

Ford first contacted the specialists and local press to ask about the catastrophe after discovering the ship’s wreckage. Ford connected with Chip McGimsey, a well-known archaeologist of the Mississippi state.

Ford’s discoveries were unveiled from the Brookhill shipwreck that the archaeologists were aware of, per McGimsey.

Per McGimsey, the Brookhill vessel was primarily constructed in 1896 in Indiana for commerce. In 1915, the ship and another vessel, the Istrouma, reportedly sank due to a severe storm.

When an archaeological firm surveyed the 1990’s Brookhill’s wreckage, some remnants of the vessel were partially uncovered. However, lower water levels have made more of the vessel’s wreckage visible, permitting specialists to expand on the little known until now.

There aren’t good documents on boat building, mainly when you go back to the topic of wooden boats; the Guardian reportedly quoted McGimsey.

He added that they have individuality in the boats, and only a few remain. This is one of the rare instances of one from 1900.

Following the discovery, Ford offered advice to explorers who shared their curiosity. He urges us to explore the surroundings – know where one lives and what’s around beyond just what’s before someone.

The US Drought Monitor reflects that over 55% of the contiguous US – an area home to over 133 million individuals – is facing drought.

With the Climate Prediction Center estimating below-average rainfall at least through 23 October, river scavengers such as Ford could continue to unveil the long-submerged treasure.

References: ABP LIVE, CNN