Finding The Torrent

Some divers from Alaska have made an important find, the wreck of the sailing bark Torrent, south of the Kenai Peninsula. The wreck dates from 1868 when tidal currents slammed the ship into a reef. On board were the first contingent of US troops sent to Alaska after its purchase from Russia. All 155 people on board were rescued, but the ship has remained lost until the team found it last year.

"It's a very significant find because it's right after the purchase, during the transition from Russian to American authority," said Judy Bittner, a state historic preservation officer. "It's the very beginning of federal presence in Alaska and the establishment of order."

About 20 sailors and 15 of the soldiers wives and children were also on board.

A four-man dive team led by Steve Lloyd, owner of Anchorage's largest independent book store, found remnants of the wreckage in July. Until last week, they kept the discovery secret at the request of state officials, who wanted more time to document the site before any looters arrive.

"The actual depth of wreck site is still classified by state authorities," Lloyd said. "We have by no means found everything."

An array of objects, from guns, cannons, shoes and plates, are hidden beneath the broad leaves of giant kelp beds or concealed in caverns and crevices among massive boulders, Lloyd said.

"It's like walking through a field of tall grass and undergrowth looking for a baseball that you've lost," Lloyd said.

The Federal government has a database of shipwrecks in Alaskan waters here. Steve Lloyd has a website as well, with a lot of pictures and video of the find. (Warning, it appears to be running very slowly right now, probably due to heavy load generated by the linked AP article. The slide show will only play with Internet Explorer.)