1856 shipwreck discovered off Massachusetts coast: 'Haystack needle'

Researchers were stunned after discovering a ship that had been missing for 168 years.

Recently, Atlantic Wreck Salvage (AWS) announced the discovery of the steamship Le Lyonnais. AWS, which owns and operates the vessel D/V Tenacious, found the ship off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts.

In 1855, a ship was constructed and only sailed for a year before it sank on its first return voyage to Le Havre, France, on November 2, 1856. The vessel collided with the Adriatic, causing it to be scuffed and allowing it to sail away from the scene.

The ship's passengers and crew, numbering 132, were left with a small hole that eventually sank the ship days later. Out of the 114 people who died, only a few survived in a lifeboat for a week.

Jennifer Sellitti, speaking to Planet Chronicle Digital, admitted that it was "difficult to put into words" the emotions she felt upon discovering the ship after eight years of searching with her partner Joe Mazraani.

"The team experienced a mix of relief and joy, but also a sense of 'What’s next?'" she said. "For me, discovering Le Lyonnais was like finding closure and helping those who died long ago to finally rest in peace. I have spent a long time trying to learn and tell the stories of the people who sailed aboard her."

Although Sellitti, a New Jersey public defender and owner of D/V Tenacious, was confident that the wreck still existed, she harbored doubts about discovering it.

""Old shipwrecks in the North Atlantic are often destroyed by storms, currents, shifting sands, and fishing gear, leaving them completely buried by the ocean over time," she stated."

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The author of "The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-and-Run Off the Coast of Nantucket," who is a shipwreck enthusiast, stated that the story of Le Lyonnais is more than just a shipwreck. The book, which will be available for purchase in February, provides a detailed account of the shipwreck.

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"In the 1850s, ships were shifting from sail to steam, which led to challenges for merchants, insurers, and nations worldwide, including determining responsibility in collisions between steam and sailing vessels, and applying laws on the high seas, as Sellitti explained."

Sellitti stated that the ship did not fare well, but she is excited to thoroughly document the wreckage, which will likely require several years.

"Maritime experts say that shipwrecks are relics of the past, serving as tangible reminders of history that stories cannot convey."