City of Washington
History
Launched on August 31, 1877, the iron-hulled steamship City of Washington operated in the passenger transport and cargo trade between New York, Cuba, and Mexico. When built, the vessel had two compound steam engines of 2,750 horse-power, with two masts for auxiliary power, as was typical for late 19th century ships. In 1889, City of Washington was refitted with two triple expansion steam engines, which became the norm at the time to replace the much less efficient compound engines.
City of Washington's moment in history came the night of February 15, 1898. Due to deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Spain over the rebellion in Cuba, the USS Maine was moored in Havana Harbor to protect American interests. When USS Maine exploded, City of Washington was close by and suffered damage to its awnings and deck houses from flying debris. The steamship's crew assisted in the rescue of Maine's surviving sailors and treated the wounded onboard their ship. During the resulting Spanish-American War, City of Washington was used as a transport ship carrying troops.
Following the war, the steamship returned to passenger and cargo runs to the Caribbean until its retirement in 1908. Three years later, The Luckenbach Steamship Company purchased the steamship, removed its cabins and steam machinery and converted it into a coal-transporting barge. On July 10, 1917, the tugboat Luckenbach #4 towing the barges City of Washington and Seneca ran aground on Elbow Reef. The tug and Seneca were soon refloated, but City of Washington could not be freed from the reef.
Archaeology
City of Washington's wrecksite extends well beyond its original 300-foot length and 38-foot breadth as the sides of the vessel have collapsed outward. The lower bilge section of the iron hull remains articulated. The vessel's bow is more fragmented than its stern where its propeller shaft tunnel is readily identifiable.
Interactive 3D Model
The image below activates a 3D model created using multi-image photogrammetry. Click the image to load the model, and then click, hold, and adjust your mouse to view the model from different angles.
The photogrammetric model is composed of 6,301 aligned images collected June 1, 2017 by scientific divers from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Indiana University, and the Boy Scouts of America, with support from a NOAA Preserve America grant. The area modeled is about 3,190 square meters, with an estimated position error of just over 3 cm. Model and texture resolution were reduced for upload.
Photogrammetric model processed by Matthew Maus, Indiana University.
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