Nantucket Lightship - Part IV Aftermath

Unfortunately, there were NO winners in this sad commentary on the story of the Nantucket Lightship except the media that got a really good, juicy story. The divers spent 6 years of their lives and tens of thousands of dollars finding the wreck site, diving to the wreck and recovering items from the ship. They misunderstood their support and alliance with the United States Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association (LSA) and felt that they were doing a huge service to the surviving families of the Lightship crew. Under threat of legal prosecution, these wonderful divers were called thieves, scavengers and grave-robbers by the global media and diving circles alike. The prestigious name of the Boston Sea Rovers was tarnished and will have to re-address the criteria for any new expeditions that they support. Additionally, the Sea Rovers had made many plans to publicly-display the items in various museums, in order to tell the true and complete history of Nantucket Lightship 117, which have been scrapped. These items have been turned over to the Coast Guard and a totally unknown future. Poor Doug Bingham, with all his wonderful thoughts, ideas and energies, was unceremoniously removed from his LSA office and officially banished from the organization. I can only speculate to the politics within the LSA organization that would initially tout the recovery of these items and then totally wash their hands of their representative, Mr. Bingham; and the divers that risked their lives for something that was believed to be a very good thing for their organization, surviving families and the public. It was through the pursuit of the LSA organization that the federal prosecutors were brought in to pursue legal actions against the divers. With such an inconsistent and vacillating attitude towards the discovery, exploration and recovery of items from the Lightship, the management of the LSA organization should be brought into question and be held accountable for this messy affair. A great news article was recently printed that gives complete vindication to the divers involved. This article can be found at : http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/newjersey/032905DIVER.cfm . If you have followed this series of weblogs on the Nantucket Lightship, then it is imperative that you read this article. Shipwreck divers are a rare breed of deep technical divers that visit these ships for exploration. They are not salvage divers! A large amount of the most recent significant historic shipwreck explorations are performed by this group of divers. The divers for the Boston Sea Rovers had their characters and their lives negatively impacted. They are to be commended, rather than vilified for their efforts on behalf of a great and noble cause!

Comments

[Jan Marshall]

I, for one, absolutely appreciate all the work done by the Boston Sea Rovers, and others who strove to preserve the history of Lightship #117. Captain George Braithwaite of the Lightship was my great-Uncle - the brother of my g-Grandmother! I have only just 'discovered' him whilst researching family history through Ancestry.com. He was born in Ulverston, Lancashire, England in 1866, and immigrated to the United States in 1905 via Canada where he met and married his wife, Elizabeth, and where their children were born. He became a US Citizen in 1916, and was listed as 'Master Mariner' for his occupation in the US Federal Censuses for subsequent years.
I was totally amazed to find this information about the dreadful accident with the Olympic in connection with my g-Uncle George! and now I'm 'running with it' too, and that's why I appreciate those who are attempting to create a very apt memorial to those who perished in the disaster. The artifacts retrieved from the wreck are not 'grave-site robberies' - on the contrary, if preserved in the proper setting, they are a Memorial to bring to future generations the awareness of Maritime History.
I live in Oregon, but I am hoping, one day, to visit the Museum where the Lightship #117 Artifacts are on display.
Again, thank you for your excellent article, and I wish you every success in your future research endeavors.

Sincerely,
Jan Marshall
Coos Bay, Oregon.