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{{Short description|Nickname for ocean area near North Carolina}}
{{tone|date=November 2013}}
{{for|the album by the Ataris|The Ataris}}

'''Graveyard of the Atlantic''' is a nickname of treacherous waters and location of numerous [[shipwreck]]s off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This location has numerous shoals and frequent rough seas. Another area off Nova Scotia is also known (to a much lesser degree) as the resting place of many shipwrecks. This is due to frequent thick fog which increases danger, especially near Sable Island. The [[Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum]], located in [[Hatteras Village]], focuses on the history of this area and features many artifacts recovered from area shipwrecks.
'''Graveyard of the Atlantic''' is a nickname for the treacherous waters and area of numerous [[shipwreck]]s off the [[Outer Banks]] of [[North Carolina]], United States, which are due to the coast's shifting sands and inlets. To a lesser degree, this nickname has also been applied to [[Sable Island]] off of [[Nova Scotia]], Canada, as well as the waters off [[Cape Cod]], [[Massachusetts]], United States.


==Outer Banks==
==Outer Banks==
[[File:USS Monitor - H58758.jpg|thumb|Line engraving published in "''Harper's Weekly''", 1863, depicting [[:en:USS Monitor|'''USS ''Monitor'''']]' sinking in a storm off [[:en:Cape Hatteras|Cape Hatteras]] on the night of 30-31 December 1862.]]
[[File:USS Monitor - H58758.jpg|thumb|Line engraving published in "''Harper's Weekly''", 1863, depicting the ''[[USS Monitor]]'' sinking in a storm off [[Cape Hatteras]] on the night of 30–31 December 1862.]]


Along the Outer Banks, navigational challenges posed by the [[Diamond Shoals]] area off [[Cape Hatteras]], caused the loss of thousands of ships and an unknown number of human lives. More than 5,000 ships have sunk in these waters since record keeping began in 1526.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grussing|first1=Valerie J.|title=Reanimating the Graveyard: Heritage Tourism Development of North Carolina Shipwrecks|url=http://thescholarship.ecu.edu/bitstream/handle/10342/2216/Grussing_ecu_0600D_10071.pdf| website=thescholarship.ecu.edu |accessdate=18 July 2015}}</ref> Among the better known [[shipwreck]]s was the {{USS|Monitor}},<ref>http://monitor.noaa.gov/expeditions/log072603.html</ref> a participant in the famous [[Battle of Hampton Roads]] during the [[American Civil War]]. The ''Monitor'' foundered and sank on December 31, 1862 off of [[Cape Hatteras]]. Survivors of a much earlier shipwreck created the [[Former counties, cities, and towns of Virginia|lost town]] of [[Wash Woods, Virginia]] using lumber that washed ashore. However, the extreme weather eventually claimed the town as well.
Along the Outer Banks, navigational challenges posed by the [[Diamond Shoals]] area off [[Cape Hatteras]], caused the loss of thousands of ships and an unknown number of human lives. More than 5,000 ships have sunk in these waters since record-keeping began in 1526.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grussing|first1=Valerie J.|title=Reanimating the Graveyard: Heritage Tourism Development of North Carolina Shipwrecks|url=http://thescholarship.ecu.edu/bitstream/handle/10342/2216/Grussing_ecu_0600D_10071.pdf| website=thescholarship.ecu.edu |accessdate=18 July 2015}}</ref> The [[Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum]], located in [[Hatteras Village]], focuses on the history of this area and features many artifacts recovered from area shipwrecks.


Among the better known [[shipwreck]]s were the {{USS|Monitor}}, a participant in the famous [[Battle of Hampton Roads]] during the [[American Civil War]], and the ''Patriot'' which carried [[Theodosia Burr Alston]], [[Aaron Burr|Aaron Burr's]] daughter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://monitor.noaa.gov/expeditions/log072603.html|title = NOAA's National Ocean Service}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ingram|first=Hunter|title=Lost at sea? The tragic mystery of Theodosia Burr Alston|url=https://www.starnewsonline.com/news/20200621/lost-at-sea-tragic-mystery-of-theodosia-burr-alston|access-date=2020-07-26|website=Wilmington Star News|language=en}}</ref> The ''Monitor'' foundered and sank on December 31, 1862, off [[Cape Hatteras]], while the ''Patriot'' presumably sank off the coast in January 1813. The first recorded shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina was in 1526 off the mouth of Cape Fear River.<ref name="autogenerated3" /> The large numbers of explorers who came to the area in subsequent years had to travel through the rough waters to get to the coast of North Carolina. In June 1718, [[Edward Teach]]—better known as [[Blackbeard]] the pirate—ran his flagship, the ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'', aground near present-day Beaufort Inlet, NC. Thirty-two years later, in August 1750, at least three Spanish merchantmen ran aground off North Carolina during a hurricane: the ''[[El Salvador (ship)|El Salvador]]'' sank near Cape Lookout, while the ''Nuestra Señora de Soledad'' went ashore on near present-day Core Banks, and the ''Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe'' went ashore near present-day [[Ocracoke Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://northcarolinashipwrecks.blogspot.com/2012/05/dangerous-shoals.html|title = North Carolina Shipwrecks: The Spanish Galleons ~ 18 August 1750|date = 6 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=El Salvador|url=http://www.lat3440.com/index.php/el-sal|website=Intersal, Inc.}}</ref> Survivors of a much earlier shipwreck created the [[Former counties, cities, and towns of Virginia|lost town]] of [[Wash Woods, Virginia]] using lumber that washed ashore. However, the extreme weather eventually claimed the town as well.
⚫
The Graveyard extends along the whole of the North Carolina coast, northward past Chicamacomico, [[Bodie Island]], and [[Nags Head, North Carolina|Nags Head]] to [[Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, Virginia|Sandbridge Beach]], and southward in gently curving arcs to the points at [[Cape Lookout (North Carolina)|Cape Lookout]] and [[Cape Fear (headland)|Cape Fear]].<ref>Stick, D. (1981). Graveyard of the Atlantic. North Carolina, The University of North Carolina.</ref> This spot is known as Cape Point, which is the stretch of beach that divides Hatteras Island's north and south facing beaches. This dangerous spot is known for its good fishing and surfing. It is a very famous spot on the east coast, despite its fragile location. Cape Hatteras has been a deadly trap for sailors that have entered for past centuries. This stretch of shore is home to more than 600 shipwrecks off the shifting sandbars of the Hatteras Islands.<ref name=autogenerated3>(2008). Graveyard of the Atlantic. http://www.ncbeaches.com/Features/History/GraveyardOfTheAtlantic</ref> The sandbars shift due to rough waves and unpredictable currents. Another danger was the Outer Banks "wreckers." Some residents of the Outer Banks, known as wreckers, made part of their living by scavenging wrecked ships — or by luring ships to their destruction.<ref>http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-colonial/2704</ref> Horses with a lantern tied to their neck would be walked along the beach. The lanterns' up and down motion would appear to other ships to represent clear water and a ship ahead. The unsuspecting captain would then drive his ship ashore following the false light.


⚫
The Graveyard extends along the whole of the North Carolina coast, northward past Chicamacomico, [[Bodie Island]], and [[Nags Head, North Carolina|Nags Head]] to [[Sandbridge, Virginia Beach, Virginia|Sandbridge Beach]], and southward in curving arcs to the points at [[Cape Lookout (North Carolina)|Cape Lookout]] and [[Cape Fear (headland)|Cape Fear]].<ref>Stick, D. (1981). Graveyard of the Atlantic. North Carolina, The University of North Carolina.</ref> This spot is known as Cape Point, which is the stretch of beach that divides Hatteras Island's north- and south-facing beaches. It is a very famous spot on the east coast, despite its fragile location. Cape Hatteras has been a deadly trap for sailors that have entered over the centuries. The stretch of shore is home to more than 600 shipwrecks off the shifting sandbars of the Hatteras Islands.<ref name=autogenerated3>(2008). Graveyard of the Atlantic. http://www.ncbeaches.com/Features/History/GraveyardOfTheAtlantic</ref> The sandbars shift due to rough waves and unpredictable currents. Another danger was the Outer Banks "wreckers." Some residents of the Outer Banks, known as wreckers, made part of their living by scavenging wrecked ships—or by luring ships to their destruction.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-colonial/2704 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-03-26 |archive-date=2016-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405194806/http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-colonial/2704 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Horses with a lantern tied to their neck would be walked along the beach. The lanterns' up and down motion would appear to other ships to represent clear water and a ship ahead. The unsuspecting captain would then drive his ship ashore following the false light.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/09/13/these-ships-are-resting-just-off-the-outer-banks-in-the-graveyard-of-the-atlantic/ |last=Hopewell |first=John |title=These Ships are Resting Just Off the Outer Banks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 13, 2016}}</ref>
The first recorded shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina was in the early 16th century. This wreck was reported in 1526, off the mouth of Cape Fear River.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> The large numbers of explorers who came to the area in subsequent years had to travel through the rough waters to get to the coast of North Carolina. In June 1718, [[Edward Teach]] &mdash; better known as [[Blackbeard]] the pirate &mdash; ran his flagship, the ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]'', aground near present-day Beaufort Inlet, NC. Thirty two years later, in August 1750, at least three Spanish merchantmen ran aground in off North Carolina during a hurricane. The ''[[El Salvador (ship)|El Salvador]]''<ref>{{cite web|title=El Salvador|url=http://www.lat3440.com/index.php/el-sal|website=Intersal, Inc.}}</ref> sank near Cape Lookout, the ''Nuestra Señora de Soledad'' went ashore on near present-day Core Banks, and the ''Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe'' went ashore in near present-day [[Okrakoke Island]].<ref>http://northcarolinashipwrecks.blogspot.com/2012/05/dangerous-shoals.html</ref>


During [[World War II]], German [[U-boats]] would sit offshore and silhouette passing freighters and tankers against the lights onshore. Dozens of ships along the North Carolina coast were torpedoed by submarines in this fashion in what became known as [[Torpedo Alley]]. The most recent ship lost was on October 29, 2012: the [[Bounty (1960 ship)|''Bounty'']] sank off Cape Hatteras. when Hurricane Sandy passed through. Two people were pronounced dead from the accident.
During [[World War II]], German [[U-boats]] would sit offshore and prey on passing freighters and tankers silhouetted against the lights onshore. Hundreds of ships along the North Carolina coast were torpedoed by submarines in this fashion in what became known as [[Torpedo Alley]].<ref name=":0" /> In the twenty-first century, ships still have trouble in the area including the [[Bounty (1960 ship)|''Bounty'']] which sank off Cape Hatteras in 2012 due to [[Hurricane Sandy]] and a 72-foot fishing boat called the ''Ocean Pursuit'' which ran aground on [[Bodie Island]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Morgenstein|first=Mark|date=30 October 2012|title=Famed ship sinks off North Carolina; two crew missing|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/us/sandy-bounty-ship/index.html?hpt=hp_c2|accessdate=2012-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Fishing Boat Slowly Sinking Into the Sand After Running Aground off North Carolina's Outer Banks|url=https://weather.com/news/news/2020-05-05-north-carolina-outer-banks-fishing-boat-sinking-in-sand-cape-hatteras|access-date=2020-07-26|website=The Weather Channel|language=en-US}}</ref>


==Sable Island==
==Sable Island==
The title "Graveyard of the Atlantic" is also applied to [[Sable Island]], a narrow crescent of sand that lies 300&nbsp;km southeast of [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. There have been over 350 recorded shipwrecks<ref>{{cite web | url=https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/research/sable-island | title=Maritime Museum of the Atlantic – Sable Island| date=14 February 2013}}</ref> since HMS ''Delight'' in 1583.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://novascotia.ca/museum/wrecks/wrecks/shipwrecks.asp?ID=1133 | title= Marine Heritage Database: HMS Delight }}</ref>
The title "Graveyard of the Atlantic" is also applied to the ever-shifting sandy shoals around [[Sable Island]], which lies off the coast of central [[Nova Scotia]], which have claimed many hundreds of ships over the centuries, of which 475 were recorded since the early seventeenth century <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.greenhorsesociety.com/Shipwrecks/Shipwrecks.htm | title=Sable Island Beach: Shipwrecks | date=October 2002 | accessdate=2009-05-22 | author=Sable Island Green Horse Society | deadurl=yes | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220125840/http://greenhorsesociety.com/Shipwrecks/Shipwrecks.htm | archivedate=2009-02-20 | df= }}</ref> and by the waters off [[Cape Cod]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://archive.capecodonline.com/special/andreadoria/capewrecks22.htm | title=Cape Cod's reputation as a graveyard of the Atlantic endures | date=1999-08-22 | author=John Leaning | work=Cape Cod Times | accessdate=2009-05-22 | deadurl=yes | archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120707010043/http://archive.capecodonline.com/special/andreadoria/capewrecks22.htm | archivedate=2012-07-07 | df= }}</ref> This island surrounded by hundreds of shipwrecks is located 160 kilometers off the coast of [[Nova Scotia]].<ref name=autogenerated2>Jacobs, F (2009). Graveyard of the Atlantic. http://bigthink.com/ideas/21440</ref>


People believe that the island was first discovered in the 1520s by a European man named João Álvares Fagundes, who named the island Fagundes, but was shortly changed by the end of the 16th century.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> A French man came and tried to create a convict colony and succeeded. The name of the island was changed by the French to île de Sable, which meant Sand Island.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> The reasoning behind the name was because the island was made of sand, measuring 20 miles long and one mile wide. The highest point on the island is only 85 feet tall, and there are many fresh and salt water lakes and fresh water ponds.<ref name=autogenerated1>Keddy, V (2008). Mysteries of Canada. http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Nova_Scotia/sable_island.htm</ref>
People believe that the island was first discovered in the 1520s by the European explorer [[João Álvares Fagundes]], who named it Fagundes, but the name was changed by the French at the end of the 16th century to île de Sable, which means Sand Island. The island is little more than a 40&nbsp;km long sandbar, although it does have a number of fresh water ponds.<ref name=autogenerated1>Keddy, V (2008). Mysteries of Canada. http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Nova_Scotia/sable_island.htm</ref> It is only 1.5&nbsp;km wide at its widest; the highest point on the island is approx 30 metres tall.


Sable Island history is full of many mysteries, [[pirates]], shipwrecks, and treasures. Rev. Andrew LeMercier was a [[French people|French]] [[Huguenot]] [[priest]] from [[Boston]] who was trying to colonize the island in 1738.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> On this mysterious island, there are approximately 300 wild horses that are believed to be the descendants of survivors of those that were introduced by Rev. Andrew. These horses still feed off the wild grass and fresh water sources throughout the island, mainly staying near Lake Wallace. Lake Wallace is currently off-limits to anyone without a permit from the Canadian Coast Guard,<ref name=autogenerated1 /> as the island is now a nature reserve filled with many types of wildlife, including the horses, seals, and arctic birds. One unique bird that is semi-native to the island, the [[Ipswich sparrow]], only visits long enough to breed.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
Rev. [[Andrew Le Mercier]] was a [[French people|French]] [[Huguenot]] [[priest]] from [[Boston]] who tried to colonize the island in 1738.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> There are approximately 400–550 [[Sable Island horse|feral horses]] that are believed to be the descendants of survivors of those that were introduced by Le Mercier. These horses feed off the wild grass, plants and fresh water sources throughout the island. Sable Island is home to the largest [[grey seal]] colony in the world.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/m_features/sable-island-the-perfect-home-for-grey-seals | title=The Nature of Things}}</ref> There are also many types of birds, including the [[Ipswich sparrow]], who breeds only on Sable Island. In 2013, Sable Island was designated a National Park Reserve<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ns/sable | title=Parks Canada| date=16 October 2020}}</ref>


In the age of sail, the danger of Sable Island was due to the shifting sand bars that surround it, and the thick fog in the area due to the close proximity of the cold [[Labrador Current]] and warm [[Gulf Stream]] current. Ships were often pushed onto its shores during storms, resulting in a life-saving station being established there in 1801.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sableislandfriends.ca/abriefhistoryofsableisland/ | title=A Brief History of Sable Island}}</ref> In 1872, the Canadian Government added two lighthouses<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nslps.com/about-ns-lighthouses/lighthouse-lists?c=sable-island-east-end-lighthouse | title=Lighthouses of Nova Scotia}}</ref> one on each end of island, which helped reduce the number of wrecks. The last shipwreck was the Merrimac, which occurred in 1999. With the many advances in modern navigation, the two [[lighthouses]] have been decommissioned.
Sable Island is dangerous because it is always shifting and does not have a set position in the ocean. It is dangerous to ships thanks to the meeting of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Current, which can cause very rough waters and thick [[fog]]. Its situation is especially dangerous for ships, because they can be pushed near the island and then run aground. Sable Island has been called the fastest moving island in the world, due to the shifting of the plates below it. The rough weather also causes planes that fly nearby to crash into the ocean, where they sometimes surface on the shores of the island after storms.


⚫
Due to the strange (and mostly uninhabited) location of Sable Island, [[Guglielmo Marconi]] made it an outpost for radio communication experimentation. In 1901, Marconi thought this Atlantic island would be a good location for a wireless station for transatlantic communication.<ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.facebook.com/SableIslandNPR/photos/a.203063353739572/327170287995544/?type=3&theater |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/201342350578339/327170287995544 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited| title=National Marconi Day| website=[[Facebook]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
Considering this checkered history, the Canadian Government has installed a few additions to prevent ships from running aground. In 1872, the Canadian Government added two lighthouses on each side of the elongated island, which has helped with the number of wrecks,<ref name=autogenerated2 /> with the last known shipwreck occurring in 1999. The [[lighthouses]] are automated, but the island has a local crew year-round, which consists of five meteorologists.


==Cape Cod==
⚫
Due to the strange (and then-uninhabited) location of Sable Island, [[Guglielmo Marconi]] made it an outpost for radio communication experimentation. In 1901, Marconi thought this Atlantic island would be a good location for a wireless station for transatlantic communication.<ref name="autogenerated2"/>
[[File:Approximate Locations of Cape Cod Wrecks Down to 1903.jpg|thumb|right|Approximate locations of Cape Cod shipwrecks, as of 1903]]
The Lower Cape and Outer Cape sections of [[Cape Cod]] have also sometimes been called The Graveyard of the Atlantic or similar appellations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/1999/08/22/cape-cod-s-reputation-as/51021981007/ |title=Cape Cod's reputation as a graveyard of menace to mariners |author=<!--staff writer--> |date=August 22, 1999 |work=Cape Cod Times |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite web |url=https://provincetownindependent.org/community/2021/05/19/a-life-saving-beacon-in-the-fog-of-politics/ |title=A Life-Saving Beacon in the Fog of Politics |author= Amy Whorf McGuiggan |date=May 19, 2021 |work=Provincetown Independent |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/maritime-history-at-cape-cod-national-seashore.htm |title=Maritime History at Cape Cod National Seashore |author= |date= |publisher=United States National Park Service |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.capecod.com/lifestyle/the-ocean-graveyard-is-filled-with-cape-cod-shipwrecks/ |title=The “Ocean Graveyard” is Filled With Cape Cod Shipwrecks |author= |date=February 4, 2019 |work=CapeCod.com |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/2010/03/08/whats-in-a-name-graveyard-of-the-atlantic/ |title=What’s in a name? - Graveyard of the Atlantic |author=Catherine Kozak |date=March 8, 2010 |work=Virginia-Pilot |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite web |url=http://wanderlust-tours.com/graveyard-of-the-atlantic/ |title=Graveyard of the Atlantic |author= |date= |publisher=Wanderlust Tours |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}

{{cite book |last=Burbank |first=Theodore Parker |title=Cape Cod Shipwrecks: Graveyard of the Atlantic |year=2013 |publisher=Parker Nelson Publishing |isbn=978-1935616078}}</ref> About 3,000 shipwrecks have occurred there in recorded history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/lifesavers.htm |title=Lifesavers |author= |date= |publisher=United States National Park Service |accessdate=April 25, 2024}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==

* [[Graveyard of the Great Lakes]]
* [[Graveyard of the Pacific]]
* [[Graveyard of the Pacific]]
* [[Dunbar Davis]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 35: Line 50:


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-graveyardoftheatlantic.ogg|2005-12-10}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-graveyardoftheatlantic.ogg|date=2005-12-10}}
* [http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/ Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum website]
* [http://www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com/ Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum website]
* [http://www.nps.gov/caha/graveyard.htm National Park Service, Graveyard of the Atlantic webpage]
* [http://www.nps.gov/caha/graveyard.htm National Park Service, Graveyard of the Atlantic webpage]
Line 42: Line 57:
* [http://www.nc-wreckdiving.com/ Wreck Diving in the Graveyard of the Atlantic]
* [http://www.nc-wreckdiving.com/ Wreck Diving in the Graveyard of the Atlantic]
* [http://www.nps.gov/nr/ National Register of Historic Places], National Park Service
* [http://www.nps.gov/nr/ National Register of Historic Places], National Park Service
* [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-10-30/news/9710300341_1_north-carolina-maritime-museum-blackbeard-ship Scientists Show Relics From Ship Fit For Pirate, Possibly Blackbeard], Chicago Tribune
* [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/10/30/scientists-show-relics-from-ship-fit-for-pirate-possibly-blackbeard/ Scientists Show Relics From Ship Fit For Pirate, Possibly Blackbeard], Chicago Tribune


[[Category:Geography of North Carolina]]
[[Category:Geography of North Carolina]]
[[Category:Geography of Virginia]]
[[Category:Geography of Virginia]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Reportedly haunted locations in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Reportedly haunted locations in Virginia]]
[[Category:Outer Banks]]
[[Category:Outer Banks]]
[[Category:Ship graveyards]]

Latest revision as of 00:43, 11 September 2024

For the album by the Ataris, see The Ataris.

Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname for the treacherous waters and area of numerous shipwrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, United States, which are due to the coast's shifting sands and inlets. To a lesser degree, this nickname has also been applied to Sable Island off of Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as the waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States.

Outer Banks

[edit]
Line engraving published in "Harper's Weekly", 1863, depicting the USS Monitor sinking in a storm off Cape Hatteras on the night of 30–31 December 1862.

Along the Outer Banks, navigational challenges posed by the Diamond Shoals area off Cape Hatteras, caused the loss of thousands of ships and an unknown number of human lives. More than 5,000 ships have sunk in these waters since record-keeping began in 1526.[1] The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, located in Hatteras Village, focuses on the history of this area and features many artifacts recovered from area shipwrecks.

Among the better known shipwrecks were the USS Monitor, a participant in the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War, and the Patriot which carried Theodosia Burr Alston, Aaron Burr's daughter.[2][3] The Monitor foundered and sank on December 31, 1862, off Cape Hatteras, while the Patriot presumably sank off the coast in January 1813. The first recorded shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina was in 1526 off the mouth of Cape Fear River.[4] The large numbers of explorers who came to the area in subsequent years had to travel through the rough waters to get to the coast of North Carolina. In June 1718, Edward Teach—better known as Blackbeard the pirate—ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, aground near present-day Beaufort Inlet, NC. Thirty-two years later, in August 1750, at least three Spanish merchantmen ran aground off North Carolina during a hurricane: the El Salvador sank near Cape Lookout, while the Nuestra Señora de Soledad went ashore on near present-day Core Banks, and the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe went ashore near present-day Ocracoke Island.[5][6] Survivors of a much earlier shipwreck created the lost town of Wash Woods, Virginia using lumber that washed ashore. However, the extreme weather eventually claimed the town as well.

The Graveyard extends along the whole of the North Carolina coast, northward past Chicamacomico, Bodie Island, and Nags Head to Sandbridge Beach, and southward in curving arcs to the points at Cape Lookout and Cape Fear.[7] This spot is known as Cape Point, which is the stretch of beach that divides Hatteras Island's north- and south-facing beaches. It is a very famous spot on the east coast, despite its fragile location. Cape Hatteras has been a deadly trap for sailors that have entered over the centuries. The stretch of shore is home to more than 600 shipwrecks off the shifting sandbars of the Hatteras Islands.[4] The sandbars shift due to rough waves and unpredictable currents. Another danger was the Outer Banks "wreckers." Some residents of the Outer Banks, known as wreckers, made part of their living by scavenging wrecked ships—or by luring ships to their destruction.[8] Horses with a lantern tied to their neck would be walked along the beach. The lanterns' up and down motion would appear to other ships to represent clear water and a ship ahead. The unsuspecting captain would then drive his ship ashore following the false light.[9]

During World War II, German U-boats would sit offshore and prey on passing freighters and tankers silhouetted against the lights onshore. Hundreds of ships along the North Carolina coast were torpedoed by submarines in this fashion in what became known as Torpedo Alley.[9] In the twenty-first century, ships still have trouble in the area including the Bounty which sank off Cape Hatteras in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy and a 72-foot fishing boat called the Ocean Pursuit which ran aground on Bodie Island in 2020.[10][11]

Sable Island

[edit]

The title "Graveyard of the Atlantic" is also applied to Sable Island, a narrow crescent of sand that lies 300 km southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. There have been over 350 recorded shipwrecks[12] since HMS Delight in 1583.[13]

People believe that the island was first discovered in the 1520s by the European explorer João Álvares Fagundes, who named it Fagundes, but the name was changed by the French at the end of the 16th century to île de Sable, which means Sand Island. The island is little more than a 40 km long sandbar, although it does have a number of fresh water ponds.[14] It is only 1.5 km wide at its widest; the highest point on the island is approx 30 metres tall.

Rev. Andrew Le Mercier was a French Huguenot priest from Boston who tried to colonize the island in 1738.[14] There are approximately 400–550 feral horses that are believed to be the descendants of survivors of those that were introduced by Le Mercier. These horses feed off the wild grass, plants and fresh water sources throughout the island. Sable Island is home to the largest grey seal colony in the world.[15] There are also many types of birds, including the Ipswich sparrow, who breeds only on Sable Island. In 2013, Sable Island was designated a National Park Reserve[16]

In the age of sail, the danger of Sable Island was due to the shifting sand bars that surround it, and the thick fog in the area due to the close proximity of the cold Labrador Current and warm Gulf Stream current. Ships were often pushed onto its shores during storms, resulting in a life-saving station being established there in 1801.[17] In 1872, the Canadian Government added two lighthouses[18] one on each end of island, which helped reduce the number of wrecks. The last shipwreck was the Merrimac, which occurred in 1999. With the many advances in modern navigation, the two lighthouses have been decommissioned.

Due to the strange (and mostly uninhabited) location of Sable Island, Guglielmo Marconi made it an outpost for radio communication experimentation. In 1901, Marconi thought this Atlantic island would be a good location for a wireless station for transatlantic communication.[19]

Cape Cod

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Approximate locations of Cape Cod shipwrecks, as of 1903

The Lower Cape and Outer Cape sections of Cape Cod have also sometimes been called The Graveyard of the Atlantic or similar appellations.[20] About 3,000 shipwrecks have occurred there in recorded history.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Grussing, Valerie J. "Reanimating the Graveyard: Heritage Tourism Development of North Carolina Shipwrecks" (PDF). thescholarship.ecu.edu. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. ^ "NOAA's National Ocean Service".
  3. ^ Ingram, Hunter. "Lost at sea? The tragic mystery of Theodosia Burr Alston". Wilmington Star News. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  4. ^ a b (2008). Graveyard of the Atlantic. http://www.ncbeaches.com/Features/History/GraveyardOfTheAtlantic
  5. ^ "North Carolina Shipwrecks: The Spanish Galleons ~ 18 August 1750". 6 January 2012.
  6. ^ "El Salvador". Intersal, Inc.
  7. ^ Stick, D. (1981). Graveyard of the Atlantic. North Carolina, The University of North Carolina.
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2015-03-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ a b Hopewell, John (September 13, 2016). "These Ships are Resting Just Off the Outer Banks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ Morgenstein, Mark (30 October 2012). "Famed ship sinks off North Carolina; two crew missing". CNN. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  11. ^ "Fishing Boat Slowly Sinking Into the Sand After Running Aground off North Carolina's Outer Banks". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  12. ^ "Maritime Museum of the Atlantic – Sable Island". 14 February 2013.
  13. ^ "Marine Heritage Database: HMS Delight".
  14. ^ a b Keddy, V (2008). Mysteries of Canada. http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Nova_Scotia/sable_island.htm
  15. ^ "The Nature of Things".
  16. ^ "Parks Canada". 16 October 2020.
  17. ^ "A Brief History of Sable Island".
  18. ^ "Lighthouses of Nova Scotia".
  19. ^ "National Marconi Day". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26.
  20. ^ "Cape Cod's reputation as a graveyard of menace to mariners". Cape Cod Times. August 22, 1999. Retrieved April 25, 2024. Amy Whorf McGuiggan (May 19, 2021). "A Life-Saving Beacon in the Fog of Politics". Provincetown Independent. Retrieved April 25, 2024. "Maritime History at Cape Cod National Seashore". United States National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2024. "The "Ocean Graveyard" is Filled With Cape Cod Shipwrecks". CapeCod.com. February 4, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2024. Catherine Kozak (March 8, 2010). "What's in a name? - Graveyard of the Atlantic". Virginia-Pilot. Retrieved April 25, 2024. "Graveyard of the Atlantic". Wanderlust Tours. Retrieved April 25, 2024. Burbank, Theodore Parker (2013). Cape Cod Shipwrecks: Graveyard of the Atlantic. Parker Nelson Publishing. ISBN 978-1935616078.
  21. ^ "Lifesavers". United States National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
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