Luiz Fernando de Castro Cunha, Sub aquatic archeologist, writes about his participation in the diving operations of the Prince of Asturias wreckage, in the research of 1986/87 (ENGLISH)

A+

A-

Altera o tamanho da letra

The wreckage of the « Prince of Asturias » had gigantic proportions : 447 dead and 144 survivors, among which 6 women and 2 children, besides more than 1000 clandestine who traveled stacked in the basements. The troubles waters, the string fog and the version that Ilha Bela was a magnetic pole are held as the most probable causes of the tragedy. Because of the proportion, the sinister was compared to the “Titanic”, wreck 4 years before and coincidentally built in the same Scottish shipyard.

The steam boat had 150m of length and was the proud of the Spanish Merchant Navy.

The first expedition on the “Prince of Asturias” happened in 1949, when 200 ton of lead were taken off from the boat, in ingots of 50 Kg.

In the sequence, other operations of sub aquatic research were authorized by the Brazilian Navy, in which I was present, aboard the ship Hipocampo (former mine chaser “Piranhas” from the Brazilian Military Navy) as archeologist and diver, accompanying a navy officer, in a mission coordinated by professional divers Raul Cerqueira and Julio Cesar Castello Branco, director of commercial development of the company COOPERBRASUB, in a partnership with the company Hernandes Anti Rust, in 1986.

In the same occasion, several dives were performed in days of troubled sea and very cold water. Despite the conditions, it was possible to find pieces of historical value, rolling on the bottom of the sea, pushed by the sedimentation and currents in the place.

We found two spittoons in porcelain, a small fragmented vase and also a bronze statue, fragmented by the several explosions that occurred during the tentative rescues – that, coming from Spain, would be part fo the monument “La Carta Magna y Las Cuatro Regiones Argentinas”, in Parque Palermo – Buenos Aires.

During these days, we could also access to the door of the basement, where were localized repository of metals like tin, lead et small bottles containing quicksilver.

I performed my first dive in tandem with the diver and friend Castello. We dove in the prow of the Prince of Asturias, longing through the bottom until half of the boat’s extension, where we found a spittoon in porcelain with beautiful floral motifs. In a depth between 17 and 32 meters, with strong current, cold water et max 2 meters visibility, due to the suspension of ferrous material coming from the decomposing bottom of the ship.

In the same mission,  in another day with better diving conditions, the diver Raul Cerqueira sketched the croquis of the wreck, which allowed us to obtain the localization of each compartment of the ship.

Several demands of exploring and removal of the charge were motivated by the real possibility to find, inside the wreck, pieces of historical value from the 19th century.

Were easily found, after a few days of diving, despite de unfavorable conditions, bronze sculptures,  lamps in copper and porcelain, nowadays restored and exposed in the Cultural Center of the Navy and the Naval and Oceanographic Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

Unfortunately,  the expeditions have been performed many times in a non authorized manner, since 1950. Through the predatory action of amateur divers and “pirates”, as well as the constant visits of diving schools, tourists and sport divers, that, without being identified, manage to take off several “souvenirs” from the biggest and best-known shipwreck in brazilian waters. Those “souvenirs” many times have real historical value and are sold in places like São Sebastião and beaches of Ilha Bela.

It is important to say that there is great possibility to still be archeological material inside the basements of the vessel. The explorers, recently authorized, plan to remove the maximum of metallic components eventually found, like: tungsten, tin, chromite, electric cables, copper plates, lead, bronze propellers of 1 and 2 tons, anchors, iron chains, totalizing abount 500 tons.

This having been presented, it is up to each one of us, now and in the future, to evaluate his/her participation, whether direct or indirect, in the preservation of the submerged cultural property.


Luiz Fernando de Castro Cunha
Sub aquatic archeologist

Translation - Victor Pinto

Site: http://www.sintasa.org.br/