Original Mt. Washington-Post #1-50 foot section

[Diver1111]

Last September I found on side-scan-sonar a very large piece of what looked like a ship. I measured it out at about 50 feet long with the sonar software. It also had what appeared to be handrail running along one side. As my ear had not healed I asked Senter Cove Guy to dive it and tell me what he found.

He called and said he believed it was a piece of the original Mt. Washington that burned at the Weirs Pier in December of 1939 during that awful fire. She burned to the waterline.

He said four things that made him think this was the original Mount Washington-there were 3” diameter lines (ropes) on it, there were massive 3-4 foot long steel deck cleats, it appeared to have been blown apart and it was badly burned. I have read that when they removed her remains they had to use dynamite to get it all out of her berth.

I am very confident but not positive I have located three sections of the Old Mount. Given the nature of what I saw diving these sites, and what I know about her demise, these are bona fide remnants of the original Mount Washington steamer. The construction on everything I have found to date is rugged and massive.

All three sections I am posting-starting with this 50 foot (stern?) section show signs of being ripped apart (by the dynamite I assume), are all badly burned and are all big by any measure.

- Post 1: The 50 foot section of decking with cleats and lines;

- Post 2: a section of decking perhaps 30 feet long-big, burned and blown;

- Post 3: Either the port or starboard paddle wheel; Actually ½ of a paddle wheel, stuck in the mud on edge like a donut.



http://youtu.be/EWPtCwDToVY

HH

All images and video Copyright 2015 / Hans Hug & Sonar Search & Recovery / www.sonarsar.com

[SIKSUKR]

Really really cool Diver.Congrats!

[pjard]

Great post...THANK YOU

[Senter Cove Guy]

My #1 dive will always be when I found the car in Melvin Bay but this piece of wreckage is clearly the next best because of the history involved. When we dove this on 09/27/2014, the visibility was terrible. It was so dark that lights would only let you see just a few feet in front of you. The visibility on 06/10/2015 when this video was made clearly shows visibility of 20 feet +, a dramatic and pleasant change.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Thank you very much for sharing this incredible find! Hans, you are an amazing treasure hunter!

Senter Cove Guy, thank you for your part in getting the footage. I am sure that was hard for Diver1111 not to be able to dive the wreck himself.

I loved the newspaper article and find it amazing they used dynamite to scuttle her.

[Senter Cove Guy]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

Thank you very much for sharing this incredible find! Hans, you are an amazing treasure hunter!

Senter Cove Guy, thank you for your part in getting the footage. I am sure that was hard for Diver1111 not to be able to dive the wreck himself.

I loved the newspaper article and find it amazing they used dynamite to scuttle her.

To be clear, DIVER1111 was unable to dive on 09/27/14 but he and I dove on 06/10/15 and he shot the video. He's got "all the toys".

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Oops, I misunderstood. What a cool dive for you both!

[SharkBaitDiving]

Thanks Hans and Grant!!
Great pics, video, & info.

[SunsetPointWentworth]

This is so incredible. What a find! Congrats and thanks for sharing it with us. Last year when I heard the details of how they used explosives on the hull, I figured you wouldn't find anything good. But the hand rail! I never thought I'd be so thrilled to see a damn hand rail!

[tis]

Originally Posted by Senter Cove Guy

My #1 dive will always be when I found the car in Melvin Bay but this piece of wreckage is clearly the next best because of the history involved. When we dove this on 09/27/2014, the visibility was terrible. It was so dark that lights would only let you see just a few feet in front of you. The visibility on 06/10/2015 when this video was made clearly shows visibility of 20 feet +, a dramatic and pleasant change.

I was hunting for the thread about that car. Do you know where it is? I couldn't bring it up in search. Thanks.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Old Car Found in Winnipesaukee

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by SharkBaitDiving

Thanks Hans and Grant!!
Great pics, video, & info.

Hans and Brad.

[tis]

Thanks so much, RG!!!!

[Dave R]

That's such a cool find, thanks so much for sharing.

At the 1:15 to 1:25 time of the video you can clearly spot the section of railing (due to change in the post spacing, and the abrupt end of the lower rail) that was just aft of the port side paddle wheel as seen in this still-shot:

[Diver1111]

Paul Goodwin at Watermark Marine told me to Google "New Hampshire Then & Now". It seems to be spread over more than one URL, including Facebook.

Interesting pictures I've never seen before of the aftermath.

Photos are from the Robert J. Girouard collection.

You may need to zoom in on them for better clarity.

[Senter Cove Guy]

I was onboard the current Mount Washington recently and saw that the bow section has 2 cleats on both the port and starboard sides. I asked a mate how many cleats were on the stern and was told one on each side. It seems logical that this wreck section is part of the original Mount's bow.

[Senter Cove Guy]

This picture of the stern of the Original Mt Washington is very compelling as it clearly shows the spacing of the metal rope holes on the deck. When compared to DIVER1111's underwater video from June 2015, the spacing is identical. Furthermore, note that in the picture, wire vs. wood connects the uprights. The uprights of the bow are connected by wood. When we dove the wreckage, the uprights were not connected by wood and I assume the wire would have rusted completely away over 75 years. My conclusion now is that the wreckage we dove really is the stern.

I've outlined the area I think is in the video, although I think it's the starboard side, not the port, because of the curvature.

[Lakegeezer]

Great video. Thanks! What kind of fish was that at 4:20 into the clip?

[Senter Cove Guy]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

Great video. Thanks! What kind of fish was that at 4:20 into the clip?

It is a nice sized cusk.

[Grant]

Originally Posted by Senter Cove Guy

It is a nice sized cusk.

If I were an ice fisherman at Derby time, and was keen on winning for largest cusk, I'd hit some of the wrecks. The only cusks I've ever seen in the Lake were lurking in wrecks.