First Dive Finds of 2012 - Maine

[adshepard]

I just got back from two weeks of diving in Downeast Maine. The finds were excellent and exciting to boot. There was a crier, something unexpected, and something unknown.

Just to get it over with I'll start with the crier. I was down about 40 feet or so pulling out a plate shard, which I always do as I search for anything with a steamship company logo, and underneath it was a bottle which I immediately knew was a squat. I dug carefully and all looked well until the top appeared and dang it it was broken. I actually go ticked and dropped the bottle back in the mud. The next day I went back down and brough it up just for kicks.

Anyway I love the name on it: Scripture & Parker

My wife likes it and told me to get it repaired. Probably not worth it to even try. I could cut the top off and turn it in to a cup or just leave it as is.

Alan

 

[adshepard]

In the last post i mentioned that I pull out all plate shards looking for steamship company logos. This trip I got very lucky and got an intact saucer with the International Steamship Company logo. It is 3" across and has only a minor scratch. I'm now looking for intact pieces from the Frontier Steamship Company and the Calais Steamship Company, both very rare although I do have full logo shards. I also need an intact Eastern Steamship Company item.

Alan

 

[epackage]

Nice stuff, good luck on the other stuff you're looking for...[]

 

[epackage]

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[adshepard]

Here is an intact squat I found the day before finding the broken one. It's a Comstock & Gove piece with the Friend Street address. I already have both the Canal and Friend Street versions in aqua/teal. This one is more of a green withthe cork still inside.

This one was a b*tch to get out! I was down about 45 feet with only 1,000 pounds of air left ( to you non-divers that's not all too much when you have a long swim back to shore) when I spotted the shoulder of the bottle in the mud. I knew by the shape that it was likely a nice bottle and carefully began digging and fanning the bottle free. However one side was stubbornly attached to some type of concretion. I could not make a dent in the stuff with my digging tool which is made of a composite material. My air was running low and I was frustrated. I went to risky strategy number one and pulled out my dive knife and started beating at the concretion trying to not hit the bottle. Thankfully it worked and the bottle with a bit of the concretion stuck to it came out. I soaked it in a weak acid at home and removed the concretion.

 

[adshepard]

Now a bit of help is appreciated. I'm not sure what this thing is. It's made of clay, about 4" long, it's hollow like a straw and has the letter "C" or "G", not sure on it's "lip". My guess is that it is a cigarette holder but that's just a guess. I've ignored these on previous dives thinking they were just junk but decided to bring one up and clean it to see what it might be. So what is it?

Thanks,

Alan

 

[adshepard]

Pain the butt to haul this one out. It big and heavy as it was filled with mud. thankfully I found it near the end of a dive so i did not have to carry it for an hour. It's about 18" tall.

 

[logueb]

Great finds. Just love those steamship finds. I have begun to do more creek and river looking lately with some results. The round thing appears to be one of those porcelain things that went through beams and joists when parallel wiring was done in turn of the century houses. I believe they call this knob and tube wiring. You can find this by googling. Buster

 

[adshepard]

Knob and tube wiring makes sense. There are other electrical-type items that I find on the dives.

Thanks!

 

[adshepard]

Here's another steamship related find.

It's a brass key from stateroom 31 of the Calvin Austin. The Calvin Austin built in 1903. It was pressed in to service in WW I as a training vessel for the merchant marine. It was named for the president of the company. The vessel was 325' long and 62' wide. It was considered among the most luxurious vessels of its time.

Alan