Wreckage of The French Steamship That Sank In Atlantic In 1856 Found Off The Coast Of Massachusetts

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - The wreckage of the Le Lyonnais, a French steamship that sank in 1856,  was recently discovered off the coast of Massachusetts by Atlantic Wreck Salvage, a salvage firm based in New Jersey.

A drawing of Le Lyonnais printed in The Times on Dec. 27, 1856. D/V Tenacious/Atlantic Wreck Salvage

This significant find offers valuable insights into maritime history and the events surrounding its sinking over a century and a half ago.

Le Lyonnais was a passenger liner that collided with the sailing vessel Adriatic off the coast of Massachusetts. The accident took place on November 2, 1856. The steamship had 132 passengers and crew on board. The Adriatic, an American barque was sailing from Maine to Georgia.

According to Jennifer Sellitti, spokesperson for Atlantic Wreck Salvage and a crew member aboard the company's dive vessel, D/V Tenacious, the discovery of the steamship marks the culmination of years of effort and the start of a new chapter.

A part of the rusted engine cylinder of Le Lyonnais. D/V Tenacious/Atlantic Wreck Salvage

Mr. Sellitti explained that the subsequent phase will entail meticulous documentation and mapping of the wreck site, as well as the identification of artifacts suitable for retrieval.

"Finding it in some ways is closure, in some ways is the end. In some ways it's the beginning—documenting it, determining what is down there and what should be brought up," Sellitti said.

"This was a very early example of a steam engine."
Newsweek wrote that Le Lyonnais, a 260-foot vessel, was specifically designed to transport passengers and cargo between New York and France, as noted by Jennifer Sellitti. The ship featured sails, a horizontal steam engine, and an iron hull. These attributes exemplified the technological innovations that significantly transformed maritime shipping in the mid-19th century.

Divers have positively identified the ship in waters located 200 miles (320 kilometers) off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts, within an area known as Georges Bank. Currently, the team is withholding the precise location from public disclosure.

The collision caused a substantial breach in the hull of Le Lyonnais, leading to the ship's eventual sinking. Out of the 132 passengers and crew members on board, 114 tragically lost their lives. In contrast, the Adriatic managed to return to New England for repairs.

The salvage team successfully identified the location of Le Lyonnais by combining historical research with advanced sonar technology.

Unfortunately, the ship is likely to deteriorate too much to be recovered, according to Sellitti.

Eric Takajian, a crew member who located Le Lyonnais, stated that despite the ship's poor condition, its historical significance makes the discovery noteworthy.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer