Land Tortoise (shipwreck)
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Description and history
The Land Tortoise was built in 1758, as part of a British effort to regain control of Lake George after the loss of Fort William Henry at the south end of the lake in 1757. She was built by provincial militia forces under the direction of Captain Samuel Cobb of Falmouth, now Portland, Maine. She was built in just over a month, launched, tested ("rowed well with 26 oars") and then two days later intentionally sunk by adding ballast with plans to re-float her in the spring of 1759. The location where she was sunk was too deep for recovery, and a new radeau, the Invincible, was built in 1759.[2]
The sunken vessel lies at a depth of about Script error: No such module "convert". in the southern basin of Lake George, about Script error: No such module "convert". north of Lake George Beach.[2] It is about Script error: No such module "convert". long, and has seven sides, varying in width between Script error: No such module "convert".. It has no keel, and was fitted with seven cannon ports.[2] She was discovered in 1990, and was researched by a team of amateur divers guided by a professional archaeologist for four years. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The official National Historic Landmark plaque is located at the intersection of Beach Rd. and Fort George Rd (at the south end of Lake George).[2]
References
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Further reading
- Register of the officers and members of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Maine. Together with Samuel Cobb's Journal. Marks Printing House. Portland, Maine 1905
- Report on the 1994 installation of the Land Tortoise Radeau, Lake George, New York
- The radeau Land Tortoise, North America's oldest intact warship : a learning book about a French & Indian War vessel
- In search of Lake George's colonial warships (VHS, 1991)
External links
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- Pages with script errors
- Buildings and structures in Warren County, New York
- National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
- Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
- Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
- Shipwrecks of New York (state)
- Shipwrecks in lakes
- Maritime incidents in 1758
- National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, New York
- 1758 ships
- Ships built in New York (state)
- Wreck diving sites in the United States