Indiana man wants to raise sunken steamship

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In 1863 Accomplice troops led by Basic John Hunt Morgan seized the Alice Dean, a steamship touring on the Ohio River.

“It was used to move his troops throughout the Ohio River, when he was completed his scuttled the boat and burned it to the deck,” mentioned Clarence Merk, a Southern Indiana man who needs to salvage the ship.

As soon as Morgan crossed the Ohio River in Mauckport, he launched a number of raids on cities all through Indiana.

After the Civil Battle, the ship was left unclaimed for 160 years; throughout a lot of that point looters, picked it aside.

“In 1959, one of many damns broke at English and the boat was uncovered and folks had been truly capable of stroll on the ship and collect artifacts,” Merk mentioned.

The Navy ultimately claimed possession of the Alice Dean, however elevating and relocating the ship might value tens of millions. Merk mentioned it is likely to be years earlier than the Navy might work the venture into the price range.

Within the meantime, Merck’s nonprofit is attempting to boost cash to assist defray a few of the prices.

“Buy a bit of property out of the flood plain, inside a mile or two of the Alice Dean, the place that constructing is particularly designed by an architect to deal with, design, protect and defend, freeze, reassemble and show the Alice Dean,” Merk mentioned.

Divers with DNR and Louisville Metro Police noticed the wreck in 2014, however since then, there have been little efforts to get well it. Merk urges the federal government and those that care about historical past to expedite the method.

“This can be a nationwide treasure only a few individuals find out about, they’ve been to Gettysburg, they’ve been to Valley Forge, however they’ve by no means been to the biggest submerged Civil Battle Navy sanitary ship in Indiana historical past.”

The Sunken Army Craft Act of 2004 makes it unlawful for anybody to disturb a sunken vessel that’s property of the federal authorities. The Alice Dean is roofed below this regulation.