Navy Restores Artifacts from Civil War Vessel
Navy News
May 05, 2009
Washington -- Artifacts from USS Tulip recovered by members of the Maryland Maritime Archaeology Program have been returned to the U.S. Navy and restored by the Underwater Archeology Division of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).
Tulip, one of the one of the first Civil War screw-propelled steamships, has been under 48 feet of brackish Potomac River water off Ragged Point, Va., since 1864. That's when the ship's starboard boiler blew, sending officers, men, iron machinery and wooden structural components flying into the river.
It is believed that the wreckage was discovered in the mid-1960s by divers who illegally pillaged artifacts and human remains from the ill-fated vessel. But, it was not until the 1980s that the unlawful activities were stopped when the Virginia Natural Recourse's Marine Police arrested and prosecuted some of the offenders. It was at this point that the artifacts were returned to the U.S. Navy.
Though submerged for more than 100 years, these artifacts were in very good condition. The thieves, however, did not care for the discoveries. The artifacts began to deteriorate. The metals corroded and the organic materials broke down. When they were taken to the NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch Conservation Laboratory, they were placed in a stable environment to prevent further deterioration until conservation could take place.
One of the items, a tear-drop oil shaped globe lantern, similar to those used throughout the vessel for lighting and common to the Civil War period, was one of the most pristine and undamaged artifacts restored.
After removal of the chlorides that were present from being submerged, the object was mechanically cleaned. Conservators used sharpened wooden picks and small metal scalpels and various chemicals, such as formic acid, to remove green corrosion. Other chemical treatments were used to inhibit further corrosion and coat the exterior of the lantern beginning the process of protecting it from adverse environmental conditions.
The final result is a stabilized artifact that is now available for study and museum display. It is a tangible link to the crew that served aboard Tulip during the Civil War.
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