The Turret of the Monitor Was Raised
The wreck of the Monitor was located in the 1970s, and in 2002 the U.S. Navy succeeded in raising the turret from the sea floor.
USS Monitor sank in 220 feet of water at the end of 1862, and the precise location of the wreck was confirmed in April 1974. Items from the ship, including its red signal lantern, were recovered by divers in the late 1970s.
The site of the wreck had been designated a National Marine Sanctuary by the federal government in the 1980s. In 1986 the ship's anchor, which had been raised from the wreck and restored, was shown to the public.
The anchor is now permanently displayed at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
In 1998 an expedition to the wreck site conducted an extensive research survey, and also succeeded in raising the ship's cast iron propeller.
Complicated dives in 2001 raised more artifacts, including a working thermometer from the engine room. In July 2001 the Monitor's steam engine, which weighs 30 tons, was successfully lifted from the wreck.
In July 2002 divers found human bones inside the Monitor's gun turret, and the remains of sailors who died in its sinking were transferred to the U.S. military for possible identification.
After years of effort, the Navy was unable to identify the two sailors. A military funeral for the two sailors was held at Arlington National Cemetery on March 8, 2013.
The Monitor's turret was raised from the ocean on August 5, 2002. It was placed on a barge and transferred to the Mariner's Museum.
Items recovered from the Monitor, including the turret and the steam engine, are undergoing a conservation process which will take many years.
Marine growth and corrosion are being removed by soaking the artifacts in chemical baths, a time-consuming process.
For more information, visit the U.S.S. Monitor Center at the Mariner's Museum. The Monitor Center Blog is particularly interesting and features timely postings.
USS Monitor sank in 220 feet of water at the end of 1862, and the precise location of the wreck was confirmed in April 1974. Items from the ship, including its red signal lantern, were recovered by divers in the late 1970s.
The site of the wreck had been designated a National Marine Sanctuary by the federal government in the 1980s. In 1986 the ship's anchor, which had been raised from the wreck and restored, was shown to the public.
The anchor is now permanently displayed at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
In 1998 an expedition to the wreck site conducted an extensive research survey, and also succeeded in raising the ship's cast iron propeller.
Complicated dives in 2001 raised more artifacts, including a working thermometer from the engine room. In July 2001 the Monitor's steam engine, which weighs 30 tons, was successfully lifted from the wreck.
In July 2002 divers found human bones inside the Monitor's gun turret, and the remains of sailors who died in its sinking were transferred to the U.S. military for possible identification.
After years of effort, the Navy was unable to identify the two sailors. A military funeral for the two sailors was held at Arlington National Cemetery on March 8, 2013.
The Monitor's turret was raised from the ocean on August 5, 2002. It was placed on a barge and transferred to the Mariner's Museum.
Items recovered from the Monitor, including the turret and the steam engine, are undergoing a conservation process which will take many years.
Marine growth and corrosion are being removed by soaking the artifacts in chemical baths, a time-consuming process.
For more information, visit the U.S.S. Monitor Center at the Mariner's Museum. The Monitor Center Blog is particularly interesting and features timely postings.
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