Wednesday’s wind and rain storm battered Maine’s coast, causing flooding and other damage — and it also had the unexpected effect of unearthing a long-buried piece of Maine maritime history at Acadia National Park.
The wreck of the Tay, a two-masted schooner that ran aground on Mount Desert Island during a storm in late July 1911, was exposed at Sand Beach, after decades buried.
The bones of the ship could be seen poking out of the sand by Wednesday evening, and on Thursday spectators gathered to take photos and examine the wreck, which few park tourists likely realize is right under their feet as they enjoy the sun and surf at the beach.
Acadia National Park administrator John Kelly said Sand Beach is open as usual, but that visitors may not disturb the remains of the wreck, as it is a protected archaeological resource and removing or disturbing any part of it is prohibited by federal law.
According to an Aug. 2, 1911 article in the Bar Harbor Record, the Tay, en route from St. John, New Brunswick to Boston, ran aground at Great Head, at the far end of Sand Beach, just after midnight on July 28, and was a total loss. One person died in the wreck, the ship’s cook, J.B. Whelpley, while other crew members clung to the ship’s mast before swimming ashore. The ship was carrying a large load of Canadian lumber owned by the Stetson company of Bangor, which was salvaged. A local family used some of the lumber from the wreck to build a boathouse nearby.
Over the years, the wreck became covered with sand and disappeared from view. The wreck has been uncovered a handful of times over the years during various weather events, including most recently in 1979. It has remained covered for the past 45 years.
Bar Harbor resident Molly Moon, who came to Sand Beach to take photos of the wreck with her family on Thursday, said that she wanted to come to see the Tay at sunset, when the tide was low.
“Events like these remind me why I am privileged to live near Acadia National Park,” Moon said. “I was fortunate to capture some beautiful photos of this rare piece of history, exposed only for a short time, to be buried again under our noses until the next uncovering.”
With another storm expected to hit the coast on Saturday, it is likely the wreck may be further uncovered, or instead may be covered up again, depending on the conditions of the storm.
BDN reporter Bill Trotter contributed to this story.
