Sunset on Atlantus

This image was taken at Sunset Beach, in Cape May, NJ, in May of 2013. Each year, this ship slips a bit further beneath the water. :-(... more

by NonVanillaTryst Studios

Title

Sunset on Atlantus

Artist

NonVanillaTryst Studios

Medium

Photograph

Description

This image was taken at Sunset Beach, in Cape May, NJ, in May of 2013. Each year, this ship slips a bit further beneath the water. :-(

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Per the website, www.concreteships.org: http://www.concreteships.org/ships/ww1/atlantus/

"The S. S. Atlantus is probably the most famous concrete ship. She was built by the Liberty Ship Building Company in Brunswick, Georgia, launched on December 5, 1918, and was the second concrete ship constructed in the World War I Emergency Fleet.

The war had ended a month earlier, but the Atlantus was used to transport American troops back home from Europe and also to transport coal in New England. In 1920, the ship was retired to a salvage yard in Virginia.

In 1926, the Atlantus was purchased by Colonel Jesse Rosenfeld to be used as ferry dock in Cape May, New Jersey for a proposed ferry between Cape May and Cape Henlopen, DE. The plan was to dig a channel into to the shore where the Atlantus would be placed. Two other concrete ships would be purchased to form a Y-shape where the ferry would dock.

In March 1926, the groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the construction of the ferry dock. The Atlantus was repaired and towed to Cape May. On June 8th, a storm hit and the ship broke free of her moorings and ran aground 150 feet off the coast of Sunset Beach. Several attempts were made to free the ship, but none were successful."

Uploaded

May 6th, 2014