Nearly Perfectly Preserved Ship Lost in Storm 128 Years Ago Discovered

The filmmakers of a documentary about shipwrecks have identified a 19th-century shipwreck in Lake Ontario as the Africa, a ship that sank in 1852. They enlisted the help of historian Patrick Folkes and marine archaeologist Scarlett Janusas to identify the ship. The wreck’s enormous dimensions, as well as the presence of a debris field of coal surrounding it, were key clues in the identification process. The Africa sank during a snowstorm, with intense winds driving it into the trough of the waves and causing it to take on water. The ship’s hull damage could have been caused by settling on the lakebed, but it is most likely that it was the water intake that led to the ship sinking.

The documentary filmmakers were able to identify the shipwreck by enlisting the help of a historian and a marine archaeologist. The wreck, located in Lake Ontario, was identified as the Africa, a ship that sank in 1852. Clues such as the wreck’s large size and the presence of a debris field of coal helped in the identification process. The Africa sank during a snowstorm, with strong winds causing it to take on water. The ship’s hull damage could have been caused by settling on the lakebed, but it is believed that it was the intake of water that ultimately caused the ship to sink.

The Africa, a ship that sank in Lake Ontario in 1852, has been identified by filmmakers making a documentary about shipwrecks. Historian Patrick Folkes and marine archaeologist Scarlett Janusas were enlisted to help identify the ship. The wreck’s large dimensions and the presence of a coal debris field were key clues in the identification process. It is believed that the Africa sank during a snowstorm, with strong winds driving it into the trough of the waves and causing it to take on water. While there is hull damage, it is likely that the sinking was primarily due to water intake rather than damage caused by settling on the lakebed.

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