WorldWide Drilling Resource

24 FEBRUARY 2015 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Shipwreck Uncovered During Drilling Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Dri l l ing for a steel wal l on New Jersey’s Brick Beach to protect resi- dents in the event of another hurricane like Superstorm Sandy, came to an abrupt halt when an obstruction broke the drill. A second drill was brought to the site, but before going back to work, the crew decided to investigate. They discovered what appears to be a ship- wreck from the 1800s. The wall project is on hold until state archaeologists can investigate and figure out what the wreckage is. Two ideas being tossed around are the shipwreck is an old barge; or possibly the Ayrshire, a Scottish brig which crashed onto the beach in 1850 while carrying 201 immigrants from England and Ireland. Remnants located thus far are made up of 98% timber, some iron, and an intact windlass (a device used to release the anchor). High-tech equipment is being used by state researchers to get a better pic- ture of the ship. “They’re taking measure- ments of the different timbers and making notes of the different kinds of materials,” said Kate Marcopul, a historic preserva- tion specialist with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Re- searchers hope to use this information to figure out when the vessel was built. Ground-penetrating radar is being used to map the site. Following these Ground-penetrating radar is used at the site of a shipwreck in Brick, New Jersey. Photo by Daniel Lee, courtesy of Brick Shorebeat surveys, crews may return to the beach with a Geoprobe ® , and take core samples from beneath the surface to finish the investigation. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an elec- tronic newsletter called E-News Flash . Based on readership, this was the most popular E-News Flash article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com Hello. I have been meaning to e-mail Mr. Kwader and let him know how much I enjoy reading his articles in WWDR . His articles are a very good resource for me in dealing with groundwater issues. I work for the state of SC and deal with drinking water wells on a daily basis. I want to thank Mr. Kwader for sharing his knowledge! Jennifer Canright Pee Dee EQC Myrtle Beach Drinking Water Myrtle Beach, SC