MAHS

MAHS in the Netherlands Antilles


 STIMANA

Curaçao's harbor is a busy place, and artifacts of all shapes and sizes constantly rain down on the harbor bottom.   Thus, the wreck of the Mediator is littered with material that has collected in the more than 120 years that the vessel has rested on the bottom.   Determining what is part of the wreck and what is not is often a difficult task.   Some things are easy to assess -- tennis shoes, Heiniken bottles, and tires are obvious late additions to the site. bottles on decking






Less obvious at first glance were a number of stoneware mineral water bottles that have been found on the wreck.






mineral water bottle



In fact, Dr. Nagelkerken's research into these artifacts has indicated that their manufacture generally post-dates the wreck of the Mediator.   Most are impressed with a maker's mark indicating that they were of German manufacture, made by the firm BLANKENHEYM & NOLET, between the years 1879-1917.   The style of the shoulder and neck indicates that they are early 20th century in date.   And so, these artifacts are also part of the overburden.







Also difficult to interpret are the many metal objects lying on the hull.   Some of the debris consists of remnants of the superstructre and deck features that were pulled apart during salvage or as a result of efforts to make the area safe for navigation soon after the ship went down.   Other material, including pipe, cable, and I-beams, represent debris lost or dumped overboard from vessels anchored over the site in the many decades after the Mediator sank.

propellor on deck



To the right is a large propellor that was probably part of the deck cargo.   One of the blades appeared damaged, and thus it may have been in transit to a port for repair.   The tires surrounding it are fenders lost from modern coastal vessels that tie up at the nearby quay.




deck with chain




Details of the wreck are coming clearer as debris is removed. Amidships, where the hull lists almost 45 degrees, wooden decking has been exposed, along with a section of chain running along the starboard gunwhale.


Mediator's Cargo   |

Alphen   |

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