(ORDO NEWS) — In 1854, the ship “Westmoreland” sank in Lake Michigan. And after more than 150 years it was discovered by divers. The finds that pleased us the most: whiskey and gold.
On board Westmoreland was a valuable cargo: gold coins and 300 barrels of whiskey. Until recently, no one knew the exact location of the ship.
Now, when it was discovered, negotiations began to be held to save the cargo. Such issues are not resolved immediately, it may take years.
It is known that 17 people died when the ship sank.
The tragedy happened on December 7, 1854. The ship was headed for Mackinac Island, some passengers were saved. They managed to reach the shore, but had to walk 60 km to the nearest town.
The ship is at a depth of 55 meters under the waters of Platte Bay. Diver Ross Richardson was able to determine this.
The search for Westromland took decades. The ship is standing vertically on the bottom. The raised arches of the ship, running along both sides, are clearly visible under water.
It is impossible to lift the cargo from the ship without obtaining a permit. To get it, you need to create a project and collect more than one commission.
Richardson says that negotiations are now in the early stages. Westmoreland is more than a sunken ship. Today it is a real underwater museum.
Scientists say that if you raise the sunken gold, melt it and sell it, you could recover a million dollars. However, its numismatic value is about 20 million US dollars today.
Estimating the value of whiskey is much more difficult. By the way, the work of the divers will be focused precisely on lifting alcohol, not gold bars.
The fact is that the regional distillery is very interested in saving alcohol. If everything is in order with him, one can only guess how much a portion of such whiskey will cost.
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