Relics of the Olden Time: It is well known among those familiar with the early history of our country that the borders of the Niagara River near the Falls held significant importance during the old French war of 1760. Around 1753, the French, who controlled Canada at the time, constructed four or five war vessels on or near Navy Island in the Niagara, approximately two miles above the Falls. These were likely the first ships ever built on the Upper Lakes. Concerned that the British might seize them, two of the vessels were taken by the French into Burntship Bay, which is now a small cove on the west side of the lower end of Grand Island, and were subsequently abandoned and set on fire during a difficult period of hostilities, about two or three years after their construction. Since then, they have remained sunken at the bottom of the water, at a depth of approximately twelve feet. On occasion, during periods of low water, their timber heads become visible. However, due to the antiquity of their history, these vessels have received little attention and have been nearly forgotten.
Recently, a gentleman in the vicinity, driven by his antiquarian curiosity, has managed to recover a portion of these relics from their underwater resting place, bringing them back into the light of day. The Honorable Stephen White of Boston, who spends his summers on Grand Island, embarked on his yacht a few days ago, accompanied by a team of ship carpenters from White-Haven. Equipped with crowbars, saws, and axes, they successfully detached several pieces of plank and timbers from one of the vessels. These artifacts are now being carefully preserved, although separating them from the vessel proved challenging even after using saws. The vessels were constructed using white oak, with the planks being hand-sawed and firmly fastened to the timbers with trunnels.
Mr. White estimates that the vessels had a burden of approximately 90 tons. From the obtained planks, he has had around 20 walking canes made, one of which will be presented to the Navy Department in Washington, while the others will likely be distributed among his friends. In return, the author of this account hopes to acquire a piece of the hulk for the city Museum. Owning one of these ancient relics, originating from an enemy ship conquered by our forefathers and submerged for seventy-five years beneath the roaring waters of Niagara, would be a treasure any American could be proud of.
Moving on to a different topic, unless adverse weather conditions prevail, our citizens will have the opportunity to witness Mr. Taylor’s submarine armor experiment tomorrow. The steamboat WISCONSIN, which has been splendidly refurbished for this season, has been chartered for the event and will depart from the dock at 2:00 P.M. The specific route, whether up the lake or down the river towards the foot of Grand Island where two French vessels were burned and sunk in 1755, has not yet been determined. Mr. Taylor plans to conclude his experiment with a grand explosion of his submarine rockets, and to demonstrate their destructive power, an old canal boat will be towed along by the steamboat.
It should be noted that the experiments mentioned took place at Point Abino.
