Mary Bowers (ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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|---|---|
| Name | Mary Bowers |
| Builder | Simons and Company, Renfrew, Scotland |
| Cost | 22,682 pounds sterling |
| Launched | 1864 |
| Captured | wrecked by accident, never captured |
| Fate | abandoned after running onto the wreck of the Georgiana |
| Status | Shipwreck discovered by E. Lee Spence at latitude 32°46'47" North, longitude 79°45'35" West |
| Notes | owned in part by L.G. Bowers of Columbus, GA |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | blockade runner |
| Tons burthen | 750 (220 tons register) |
| Length | 226' |
| Beam | 25' |
| Draft | shallow |
| Depth of hold | 10'6" |
| Propulsion | sidewheels and sail |
| Sail plan | 2 masts |
| Armament | none |
The Mary Bowers was a fast steamer known as a blockade runner. These ships tried to sneak past naval blockades during the American Civil War. On August 31, 1864, while sailing from Bermuda to Charleston, South Carolina, the Mary Bowers hit the sunken wreck of the SS Georgiana.
The accident happened about a mile off Long Island, which is now called Isle of Palms, South Carolina. The Mary Bowers hit the wreck with such force that it tore huge holes in its bottom. The ship sank in just a few minutes. Most of the crew and passengers managed to escape safely. However, a boy named Richard Jackson was left behind on the wreck. He was later rescued by Federal forces.
Contents
The Mary Bowers: A Fast Blockade Runner
The Mary Bowers was a large ship, about 226 feet long. It was built in 1864 by Simons and Company in Renfrew, Scotland. This steamer was designed to have a shallow bottom, which made it perfect for running blockades. It used large sidewheels and sails to move through the water.
Part of the ship was owned by L.G. Bowers from Columbus, Georgia. The Mary Bowers cost about £22,682 to build. Its main owner was Henry Lafone, and the company that owned it was the Importing and Exporting Company of Georgia.
Daring Escapes and a Final Crash
Before its final voyage, the Mary Bowers had successfully passed through the Union blockade twice. On one trip, the U.S.S. R.G. Cuyler chased the Mary Bowers. To get away, the crew had to throw 60 bales of cotton overboard.
After the Mary Bowers sank, another blockade runner, the Constance Decimer, also crashed into its wreck. This happened on October 6, 1864, as the Constance Decimer was sailing from Halifax to Charleston.
Discovering the Wreck Site
The remains of the Mary Bowers now rest on top of the broken wreckage of the Georgiana. The wreck site was first spotted from the air on March 19, 1965, by a pioneer underwater archaeologist named E. Lee Spence.
In 1967, Spence, along with Wally Shaffer and George Campsen, formed a company called Shipwrecks Inc. They started to recover items from these wrecks. Shipwrecks Inc. received the first license ever given under South Carolina's shipwreck salvage law. This law was actually created by Spence and Campsen.
Why This Wreck Site is Important
This wreck site is very important for both history and archaeology.
- Historical Importance: Both the Confederates and the Federals saw the Georgiana as a big threat. This shows how important these ships were during the Civil War.
- Archaeological Importance: The site has two different types of iron ships. The Georgiana was a screw steamer, built strong for open seas. The Mary Bowers was a sidewheel steamer, built light and shallow for blockade running. Even though they were built less than two years apart, their designs were very different. This helps experts learn about shipbuilding during that time.
The Georgiana and its cargo were owned by George Alfred Trenholm. He was the Treasurer of the Confederacy and is believed to be the real person who inspired the character of Rhett Butler in the famous novel Gone With The Wind.
Even though this site is very important, and many items were found, no state official actually dove on the site to check it for over 40 years.
