BOSTON (AP) – The wreck of the steamship Portland, located off the coast of Massachusetts, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The registry is the nation’s list of places worthy of preservation.
The wreck was found in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and is already protected under federal law. Sanctuary superintendent Craig MacDonald said Thursday that the new designation could mean additional future protections and attract more research dollars by raising the wreck’s profile.
The Portland sank in a vicious storm in November 1898 after its captain ignored ominous weather forecasts and set out on the 100-mile trip between Boston and Portland.
The boat is believed to have tried to turn around about 14 miles off Gloucester before it was lost. The wreck killed 192 people and remains the worst maritime disaster in New England’s history.
The Portland was found in August 2002, but researchers won’t reveal its exact location for fear of scavengers. It’s the first shipwreck from the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary to be included on the register.
Since 2002, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have visited the wreck annually and used underwater robots to study its condition.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.