The Wreck of the Barquentine ELMINA on Long Beach Island, NJ (1884)

[@vicmclaglen1631]

Look up the sinking of the USS S-5 submarine; it includes one of the best lines I've heard out of maritime history. Through a little hole the crew drilled through the stern sticking a few feet out of the water, nearly passed out from fumes and exertion the captain identified himself; "What ship is this?" "USS S-5" "Where are you bound?" "To hell by compass".

[@tula1433]

Wow lol

[@danielmorris7648]

What a terrible captain way to demoralize and cause panic among your crew. Wonder how they ended up in their situation...

[@j.griffin]

@@danielmorris7648 You should just shut up instead of running your mouth when you know nothing. Lieutenant Commander Charles M. "Savvy" Cooke, Jr., was in command. She sank accidentally during full-power trials on 1 September 1920 due to an engine room error BUT due to actions by her Captain,crew and the crews of other ships, there were no deaths. When the Captain gave his legendary answer they had finally been found and rescue commenced. Those men had raised that ship off the bottom 180 feet down by tilting it through raising the stern because they had already taken too much water to re-surface. It was an against all odds feat. They then took turns cutting a hole in the stern which was sticking 18 feet out of the water. After 36 hours, they had cut a 3 inch hole. THAT’S the hole that he spoke through.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

Gotta tell you, along Drachinifel, Casual Navigation, Central Crossing and Chief MAKOi; Tom and Emma's channel has fast become one of my favourites. No clickbait, no nonsense. Just pure history, research and knowledge. Thank you for sharing these lesser known stories.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

Thankyou for recommending additional channels also good. I very much admire, respect, enjoy and am highly impressed with the dedication, knowledge (including technical) and skills of Tom and Emma . I first watched their piece on the Fremont, grounded hulk on the New Jersey coast.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

@@carlcushmanhybels8159 You're most welcome. Glad to be of help. I subbed after watching the ones on the "Schwalbe" and the "Germanic". Cheers!

[@PartTimeExplorer]

Thank you so much, and I'm glad you enjoy these videos!

[@MinutemanOutdoors]

If you like Chief MAKOi you will love zoffinger.

[@carchariasspartania3958]

You might also like the channel called "Big Old Boats."

[@billybaba3778]

I was born and raised in a landlocked city almost in the center of the U.S., so my knowledge of anything to do with maritime history is pretty scant. I stumbled upon one of your videos a few months ago that triggered my interest in the subject, and now I am hopelessly addicted. I have watched most of your videos now, and I am always totally enthralled with these stories. I must say that it is not just the subject matter alone, but the way in which you present it. You are very, very good at this! Thank you for generating a new interest for me. I am learning a lot!

[@PartTimeExplorer]

Thank you so much; that means a lot!

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Let me guess, KANSAS?

[@billybaba3778]

@@rogerrendzak8055 pretty close

[@stephanienoblet8503]

I’m from Kansas the only Martine tragedy was the Titanic and now I know a lot more

[@stephanienoblet8503]

@@billybaba3778 I’m guessing Missouri is where you are from

[@washingtonradio]

The station crews risked their lives to save the crew and were unsuccessful. While this is ultimately a tragedy it is also a tale of bravery that the station crews kept trying to save the crew even at risk to their own lives. They were trying to save the lives of strangers who needed help.

[@MGAF688]

You would never see that in today's world of corruption and selfishness.

[@HaiBeast]

@@MGAF688 yes you would, all the time, everyday. People put their lives on the line to help others literally every minute of every day. There are firefighters climbing on burning buildings, policemen responding to violence, coast guard seamen pulling sailors off of sinking vessels. Don’t be so negative. Everything isn’t as bad as it seems if you don’t focus on the divisive negative news.

[@zachlangolf2287]

@L E as a small business owner I help people in need all the time I fixed a roof for someone struggling with cancer I replaced a window for a single mother and I occasionally buy meals for different people in restaurants im not rich and I live week to week sometimes but I believe a good deed comes back to you its a great feeling to help someone

[@zachlangolf2287]

@L E however I'm not arguing that there is alot of corruption and selfish people its easy to ignore them and do good for the ones that are not though

[@marhawkman303]

the really heart breaking thing? this is far more common than people think it was. People just don't KNOW how many ships were lost in tragic disasters. Why? stuff like Titanic gets the media buzz. You could write a full movie about this and have it be a major motion picture production, probably get a nice profit.... no one will because it's not a famous story.

[@timflynn2136]

I grew up on LBI NJ. My mother's father was an assistant at Barnegat Lighthouse. The life saving building is in Beach Haven Terrace. The buildings are all still around. My friend Debbie owns the Maritime Museum in Beach Haven. You presented this story very well. Thank you.

[@RadioManJ]

Well when listening to the closing of the video, with the deaths of these eight sailors being thrown in a four-pages report and then basically forgotten forever, one really has to appreciate what you have done here, researching and retelling this terrible story to tens of thousands of people on the internet... Including me, born and raised in the mountains, half a world away from Long Beach Island. The sea, the boats, were always foreign, mysterious, distant and unknown things for me, but my God is it a fascinating world! It has been a few months since I started to listen to your channel and other similar on KZbin, and I really developed a very strong fascination for navigation and it's history. I really love your channel: your style in storytelling, all the effort you put in your videos, and also how you often bring us out on the terrain to tell us a story... It's a very special feeling, it really makes me feel like I want to visit and see this places. TLDR: Thank you 🙂

[@jeffreyoldham55]

A heartbreaking tale of maritime disaster & human tragedy. Very eloquent presentation. Thank you, Tom & Emma!

[@kittybitts567]

What a sad story! The illustrations and details really bring this tragedy to life. Years ago I bought my kids a book at a rummage sale called, "When Cape Cod Men Saved Lives." It's a book about firing the shot to the boat, sending the breaches buoy over and rescuing people and how men at the Cape Cod coast guard station and the men on the Cape before them worked to rescue the people on ships that were foundering close to shore. Somewhere I had another book about a young man on the Cape who worked a sailing ship until he fell from the rigging and hurt his shoulder. He couldn't work the sailing ship anymore, so he spent his life mapping out the changing sand bars under the coastal Cape waters which were ever changing. Ship Captains paid good money for those maps in order to keep their ships from being caught on the sand bars while sailing around Cape Cod for Boston. Thank you, Tom and Emma!

[@jeffcampbell1555]

Great mini-documentary, Tom and Emma! The illustrations/animations perfectly clarify the rescue story. The writing and storytelling imbue the narrative with the importance it deserves but never before received. Two things really stand out here: The heroism of folks willing to stand their ground on a stormy beach through the night to help strangers; and your ability to find, research and explain events that bring our own past so vividly to life. That requires any number of skills and damn hard work. It's been a pleasure to watch your productions evolve. I first stumbled across a video in which you hiked to an abandoned 19th century mountain hotel, which was charming and quirky. Not too long afterwards, you blew my tiny mind and made me cry with the tale of White Star's Atlantic. I like how you avoid repitition (and possibly burnout for yourselves,) with forays into Lego, liner artifacts, collaborations, and variations on your historical themes. Are either of you an actual historian? Because you seem to be. Thanks!

[@samskott2344]

A tragic story for sure, but one that would have been forgotten entirely if not for you. You quite literally resurrected a piece of history man, thank you.

[@sireldemar6004]

I absolutely love these slightly eerie, well-told stories about long gone shipwrecks. Especially ones that aren’t too widespread. Great video, well done!!

[@tankacebo9128]

thanks for bringing these men's stories back to the light for the first time in likely over a hundred years.

[@superiormusic]

This is easily one of the best mini-documentaries I've seen on KZbin, regardless of genre or subject. For a maritime history fan like me, this channel is a treasure chest.

[@codyalbright4137]

Keeping history alive your a gentleman and a scholar and I look forward to seeing more of your work sir

[@LunalovaniaGaming]

I've lived near LBI for most of my life and I have never heard about this wreck. Thanks so much! ❤🤝

[@Skeeterflyer]

My Grandparents lived in Waretown NJ. As a 9-10 yr old in the late 40's, early fifties, my Sisters & I roamed around a cemetery on the road to Waretown's town docks. There were some graves marked of Sailors from shipwrecks. I cant remember any names as it was 70 yrs ago? Of course there were many shipwrecks on the Jersey Shore in that area. Those we saw were from the time period of the story?

[@tula1433]

@@Skeeterflyer yes I know the cemetery you are talking about. Right off route 9 on your way to the docks.

[@dangc8315]

My mom lives in Ship Bottom

[@rogerrendzak8055]

@@tula1433 And here we are, at almost the bottom of 'ROUTE, 9'!!! Love the history, here😁!!!

[@derekhieb7458]

We trained to do the breeches bouy in sea scouts as a timed competition, today in going to do 38 mile sailboat race from Olympia WA. Thanks for the history lesson.

[@jaynorris3722]

I am glad you found this. Now they will not be forgotten.

[@escargotomy]

Truly fascinating. I used to spend idyllic summers as a child in the 1970's and 80's walking up and down this very stretch of beach where this happened in Beach Haven and Ship Bottom. Never heard a thing about it before this, never saw any plaques or anything to be sure. I wonder why history chose to forget what sounds like a great story of local heroism.

[@taylor7772]

I love when obscure, very unknown historical events come to light! On a personal basis I found out quite recently I live very close to a site where, in 1858, a US Army Colonel and 700 troops butchered over 800 Indian horses to keep them from falling back into Indian hands. It took them two days to kill the horses (some of them had foals) and for years after you could find horse sculls along the river. The only thing that marks this event is a stone monument erected in 1946, directly north of where the horses were killed and on the spot where the troops had camped for the two days. I could easily walk to where the event happened and, if I wanted to, could metal detect where the troops set up camp. History consists of lots of little events that major historical events overshadow.

[@maxaronow712]

Wow, that's neat. What state do you live in? One of the Dakotas?

[@taylor7772]

@@maxaronow712 actually Washington state. It’s right along the river and is within probably a 10 minute walk from where I live.

[@Madhouse_Media]

No shipwrecks or massacres in my area but I used to live in the city that was home to Republic Motor Truck, which at one time was the world's second-largest truck manufacturer. Ask anybody in town about it and they'd never know. No trace of the company exists today other than a side street named Republic.

[@edwardzarnowski5558]

How sad and barbaric

[@edwardzarnowski5558]

How sad and barbaric

[@bt2476]

These videos and mini docs are truly so well done! Learn an incredible amount from this channel. The best source for maritime history out there online, hands down!

[@brookeshaffer4377]

Absolutely tragic😢Thank you for the remembrance of these souls and the brave men who fought to try to save them🌟

[@rexluminus9867]

This video was as only 12 minutes yet it felt longer than that.The way you presented this tragic story is excellent.Thank you.

[@jorgevillavicencio427]

Very glad I found your channel. Thank you for doing an amazing job of bringing to light these gems of maritime history.

[@jamesanderson3160]

Tom thanks for shedding light on this tragedy. I’m sure there are many stories like this that will never be retold. Hopefully you’ve got some more for us in the future. You’re doing a great service by sharing the heroism of these long dead men. And also the production quality on this video is really next level. You really one of the most underrated creators of this genre on KZbin. I hope you get the recognition that these high quality videos deserve in the future. As always, I cannot wait to see what you have for all of us next brother! Keep up the good work!

[@MrDaewen]

Your videos are top notch. Excellent research and narration. You made me feel the anguish of the rescuers as they realized they had done all they could and it wasn't enough. Well done!

[@Grimpy970]

Your deep dives are doing a service to humanity! This wreck has been taken from obscurity and now has a chance to be remembered long into the future

[@connern5791]

You did a good job covering this forgotten tragedy Tom

[@Victoria_gln]

It’s always a pleasure to watch your videos and learn new things, keep up the great work !!

[@BTScriviner]

Your channel has rapidly become one of my favorites. I love catching up on your past videos.

[@blessings2you435]

I'm utterly enthralled by the phenomenal quality of your videos. The historical intrigue, spellbinding visuals & passionate delivery are incredible. You clearly deserve a boatload of Oscars, Sir! WOWZER!!

[@travelchic908]

You really do an incredible job at telling these lost stories, with such little information to begin with. The visuals, music, the way they are written and narrated... A true talent! Great work again 👏

[@MadBeausuff]

Resurrecting a long forgotten tale of tragedy.... How many other tales like this have been long forgotten?

[@DerpyPossum]

to many to fathom m that’s for sure…

[@kris1983ish]

If we would know then they wouldn't be forgotten...

[@scarletshadedblack6502]

Absolutely loving your channel and all the effort you put into keeping these stories alive!

[@PartTimeExplorer]

Thank you!

[@connorredshaw7994]

Another great story to hear of another disaster lost to history almost forgotten until now may the eight crew members rest in peace.

[@oblivionsa7973]

There have been many *many* shipwrecks around Long Beach Island. My family has been vacationing there since my father was a child, and we've collected a number of books with stories of the various shipwrecks, lifeguard/coast guard stations, and the lighthouse on the northern tip of the island.

[@michaellorah9051]

The saddest part of the whole story has to be the fact that if you hadnt stumbled upon the report by chance, it would have been forgotten to history. How many others have been lost to time? Completely forgotten by all but the descendants of those involved? Thanks to your efforts, at least this story will live on.

[@betterbee1304]

We used to take my mom to Barnegat lighthouse at least once a year, and I grew up in Cherry Hill! Not far from LBI at all, and I have never heard of this shipwreck! Its a beautiful place and I can't wait to go back in August. Thank you for the video! ❤️ I miss home sometimes.

[@hodwooker5584]

A tragic tale told extremely well. I feel that the story is important to you. That is what makes it so compelling.

[@angelas4681]

Your narrative style reminds me of a cross between Ken Burns and Rod Serling. Fascinating content.

[@johndavies1090]

A very well told story, which I found fascinating. A British lifeboat crewman recently said on our tv that, even though they know they've done all they possibly can, they feel it as personal failure if a shout ends unsuccessfully. Another one said that the Victorian lifesaving servicemen were the true heroes, compared to him and his crew. "With all the equipment we have, we know we're pretty certain to come home. They had guts, muscle, and very little else." Hats off, please, to all such people, then and now.

[@wingmanjim6]

Another great accounting of a nautical disaster, presented in your usual superb retelling.Thank you !

[@jeffc79]

This is one of my favorite channels. So glad I stumbled on to it.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Ditto 👍!!!

[@Votrae]

Tastefully done. It's a bit of a trope sometimes, but this really is forgotten history and someone needed to tell their story. Speaking from experience (not nautical), there's no words to describe the despair when helplessly watching a tragedy develop in front of you. Thanks for this

[@OnyxintheSnow]

everything this guy makes is great to listen to while trying to sleep, thank you :)

[@soundknight]

It's like therapy ;)

[@joefitz7972]

Thank you for your excellent documentaries - I happen to be from Salcombe in Devon in England where the Elmina was registered and I've been told by the curator of the town's Maritime Museum that they haver information on the Elmina in a local book. I'll pick this up and let you know if there is any relevant information.

[@rancidschannel3206]

Another great comprehensive documentary. The Isle of Wight where I live has over 150 wrecks around a 70 mile peninsula. You wonder how these men resued anyone when you consider the power of the sea. Especially as some lifeboat crews sadly never returned . You think how close you appear to the shore, but hiding in the surf are rocks that can tear a person apart. Heroism at its true meaning of the word. Think you captured this promimantly.

[@cmendla]

Fantastic documentary... I spend the last 60 plus summers about a mile south of where the wreck occurred.

[@ausnorman8050]

Cheers Tom - yet another great informative video on a now known ship wreck.

[@nickthoman9183]

There *was no documentary. Thank you for bringing this story back to the surface again.

[@colinwhite5355]

Captivating and, at the same time, tragic. The presenter, as he always does, sets just the right tone.

[@thesamwisegamegee]

I grew up visiting LBI every summer, it was so fascinating- and heartbreaking- to learn about this local history. Thank you!

[@kristinstrickland1038]

Your presentation of this story is perfection. The illustrated ship and figures on the beach add a wonderfully eerie touch. And always the subtly poignant music you choose. And the ever-graceful narration that preserves the mystery throughout. All of your videos are good, but this is one of my favorites.

[@TalkingPoints1]

Hello sir. I was a history teacher for many years. I wish You had been in my classes. Your work is very rewarding to me and deserving of the highest praise. I am at this moment in Beach Haven, NJ where this happened. There is another tragic story of a ship here too. The Powhatan was lost near here too in 1854. Turns out, a local health official looted valuables from the deceased in the surf. Could you do a story on that one too? Best to You sir

[@rc-fannl7364]

Another well presented piece of naval history

[@theodorecharles635]

That was a great sea story and very well told. Thanks for sharing it.

[@MasterK18]

The World and their History shall thank you and Emma for remembering those who lost their Battles with the Sea. Through ur Fantastic Videos, their Story shall be remembered, even when Mind and Time forgot about them. Fantastic Work

[@Disableddonkeys88]

Really enjoy your channel, keep up the great videos.

[@ardiffley-zipkin9539]

very interesting saga ! Thanks for shedding light on this tragedy and the heroism of the station crew. Well done.

[@JavierBonillaC]

Super interesting video. I wished everything I saw on KZbin was this quality. Congratulations.

[@joanneclarke771]

Thank you for telling this sad but very human story. ❤ You have almost certainly saved the story from being lost forever.

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

I found your channel recently. It has become one of my favorite channels on youtube and i am not really into boats.. but i love history.

[@bigseltzer5442]

I love this dudes channel!

[@mrs.dairycow62]

Another good video Tom, thanks!

[@marooner-martin]

Thank you for the wonderfully constructed documentaries, so nice to find videos on the lesser known era of maritime disasters! I’ve been watching all day inside a studio while I’m not busy haha

[@dcreas]

You are a wonderful story teller. You tell it with your heart, and your facts! Thank you

[@raymondclark1785]

I live in Ocean county and dove a lot out of Beach Haven and never heard this story. Someone at Lakehurst told me about another one near there. South American Pirates had siezed a Spanish ship and were going to sell its cargo up the Delaware but got stopped by a Revenue Cutter off Cape May. The US hired a crew of my co-workers relatives to sail it to NYC to be sold at auction but she was lost off Barnegat light. Since she was lost I'm not sure how they know where.

[@tula1433]

I believe there is a wreck off the coast of point pleasant beach also.

[@raymondclark1785]

@@tula1433 Yes, there is one off point Pleasant and another off Bay Head but in NJ the sand moves and you never know from one storm til the next if you can see them or not. My all-time favorite beach dive are two stacked on top of one another in Long Branch behind the Catholic retreat.

[@toolsteel8482]

Thank you for sharing this; I absolutely enjoy these. I love the ship artwork of this era and maps of this era are works of art too .

[@michaelbiggs1254]

Another well made video as per usual. Keep up the great work.

[@Jessa-RM]

Thanks for sharing this story with us, youre an excellent story teller

[@madgary5827]

The best narration is always found here. I learned so much and thank you and like 🙂

[@MrFusion]

If you wanna dig for more information on this, try calling the maritime museum in Beach Haven. I stay at Long Beach Island (and just got back today) during the summer, and that museum is awesome. They have a massive archive of shipwrecks and other ocean disasters, along with a bunch of artifacts from sunken ships. They might have some more documents or photos regarding this wreck that you can't find online.

[@CPorter]

Your storytelling abilities are probably at a zenith now. I felt a distinct sense of sadness as well as a thrill at certain parts. The fact that not a word has been breathed of this before you, or any revisitation or acknowledgement of this incident since the year of the tragedy is criminal, but unfortunately also unsurprising. There are probably countless other stories of the same tragic caliber that have been forgotten just by Long Beach New Jersey alone. You or someone else should seriously try to do something about the wreck itself. Considering how close to sure it is, I imagine some sort of archaeological exploration could be done in low tide. It reminds me of a story we have here of a civil war vessel that caught a similar fate off the coast of Egmont Key called the USS Narcissus.

[@jeffcampbell1555]

That's an evocative ship's name and a great hook, to start with!

[@CPorter]

@@jeffcampbell1555 I quite agree. It participated directly in The Battle Of Mobile Bay

[@ethanhatcher5533]

The way she was stuck in the surf with the survioirs just out of reach reminds me of the Atlantic

[@peterhoulihan9766]

Well done for digging this up. Just to think, if not for this video it's possible no one in our generation would ever hear of this story.

[@r-pupz7032]

The mortar gun is fascinating, I've not heard of that before! Gems like this story are why I just subbed to your patreon, thank you so much. Lifeboatmen and women are truly heroes, whether in the past or today. So sad that panic and errors sealed the fate of the crew despite the best efforts of the rescuers.

[@dirkhartman9572]

I love your shipwreck storys

[@irishrebel1976]

I grew up on Staten Island, New York and spent every summer in Barnegat Light on Long Beach Island. When I was about 14 I found a book on shipwrecks of Long Beach Island and this ship was one of the stories in it. I wish I still had that book or could remember the name of it.

[@johngrundy3744]

Thank you so much for this video, I'm actually from Salcombe, home port of the ''Elmina''. I was just searching for info on the ship and found your vid! I think I could help with a crew list if you wish.

[@pureholy]

The ship yard mentioned was in Salcombe, the site is now a car park.

[@ramonworden4844]

This is great. Well done. Many interesting stories. Fascinating story telling about bravery and some not so brave sometimes. Kudos to you guys. I will watch this on land thank you.

[@thebitsanpiecesman4423]

What phenomenal animation I truly believe this may be one of his best works! Thank you Tom for a great video please keep it up!

[@luca-pk5ff]

Great great quality on every your videos

[@tomriley5790]

So sad that they didn't manage to rescue these people, nothing more that the shore party's could do. Such a shame. Great presentation!

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Tom Riley, from C.M.C.?

[@brainwashingdetergent4128]

Magnificent piece if history thanks for sharing.

[@hewe4625]

Tragic! I wonder if there's any records of the US communicating to the Brits and back. Maybe the sailors' names are recorded there. Thank you for documenting and preserving their story.

[@marlboromount]

Tom you are a great story teller, keep up the good work.

[@raybame5816]

I have looked at a number of your videos and find them informative and interesting. I like your style and the direct presentation format which is not drag out the lesson or conclusion, but to incorporate it into the body of work. I liked and subbed. (here's to 100K).

[@ropeburnsrussell]

Great job of researching this tragedy.

[@charlessaint7926]

"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."~Captain Picard.

[@MillerMeteor74]

I knew about this, and probably because it was written up in the old South Jersey Magazine, which I have a huge collection of. Unfortunately they are all in storage at the moment. Thank you for telling the story. It's so sad... By the way, my mom grew up on Long Beach Island. She, my uncle and my grandmother lived through the hurricane of 1944. They took refuge in Bond's Lifesaving Station, and their house in Holgate was washed completely away. My grandfather built a new house sometime later, further north in Beach Haven. That house was recently torn down by a new landowner, in order to build one of those modern monstrosities.

[@keith800]

Well done again for bringing us another story of obscure forgotten history , our shores must be littered with such tragedy's that fade into the anonymous past with the heroic endeavours of those involved going un recognised till people like yourself bring them back to the public domain .

[@EmberwolfXR]

the quality of your videos is going way up.....your getting very good that this...cheers to 100k subs soon...

[@Yatzee_69]

It is both incredibly fascinating and unnerving to accidentally coming across ghost story-esque historical videos about your hometown.

[@Johnny-tt8zc]

I go to LBI all the time and I have never heard of this wreck. Also there is supposed to be a wreck just off ship bottom, nj. but also not much info about it. There is a little bit of wreckage under the beach in harvey cedars,nj. That is visible from time to time. Thank you for sharing this.

[@monkeykid421]

Excellent work! Do you know if there are any signs of the wreck still there? Do you have the coordinates? Keep the stories about LBI coming please!!

[@roadweary5252]

An amazing yet heartbreaking tale

[@felixcat9318]

That a ship's Crew could make such extraordinarily bad decisions, to drop the anchor whilst on the sandbar and to tie the rescue line and discard the pulley, thereby removing their only prospects of survival. They obstructed every effort made to save them and their ship.

[@jimevers7776]

Enjoyed your telling of this tragedy. Thank you

[@leonidaslantz5249]

Very informative and poignantly communicated. Huzzah to the brave souls involved in the rescue effort.

[@LlamaPunchXO]

I’ve grown up on the island and I love finding new history about it. I’m surprised I haven’t heard about this ship wreck. Great video and if you want to look more into the island and it’s history I bet you’ll find a few more great video ideas 😎

[@Fez4ever]

Excellent video by the way. Looking forward to watching more from you.