Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
August 29, 2018
Meeting Minutes
President Dean Nolan welcomed 21 members and guests.
A guest mentioned a possible dive trip by Dive Rite In out of Hammond to go see the Muskegon in Michigan City and the JD Marshall. The cost is $250 and 3 more divers are needed. Discussion ensued in which Keith Pearson explained that the reason for the high cost is because of the price of fuel and the fact that the dive company will lose income from a second charter that day because of the distance to travel.
Dean discussed his dives to North Carolina shipwrecks.
Tom had taken Colin diving, also. On August 8, the governor balls were put onto the Maya wreck.
There were no minutes taken last meeting because secretary Carol Sommers was not in Chicago.
Treasurer John Bell gave the report of funds.
The NAS course by Dave Thompson was given on July 29th. Dean has a copy of software from it in a student version if anyone wants to practice.
Illinois Council of Skin and Scuba Divers – The beach clean-up will be on Greenwood beach in Evanston on Saturday, September 15. One can do a shore dive afterwards to the George Morley. Just show up at 9am or talk to Dean after the meeting. There is lots of parking. No lifeguards will be present.
The President’s Day Banquet will be held on October 20 at Mack’s Golden Pheasant in Elmhurst. There will be a raffle and awards since the dive club, diver, and humanitarian of the year will be chosen. Colin will make the application for UASC since Dean recused himself.
The pumpkin carving will be on Saturday, October 6 at Haigh Quarry. Pumpkins are provided and there is a barbecue afterwards. It costs $20 to dive in the quarry.
Chicago Maritime Museum – Jim Jarecki made a presentation to encourage CMM to retain a meeting space in the museum. In the room where UASC meets, the first two bays will be canoes and the third will have a presentation about Skip Novak with a sailing movie. The last bay will only have space for 80 chairs even though the third Friday presentations have had more attendees on occasion. This area will also be a classroom -friendly interactive educational center and host temporary exhibits. Construction will not begin until after the Chicago Open House in mid-October. Upcoming meetings will have Ben Sells present his book about digging the tunnel for the water crib, Steve Draska who will talk about the wreck of the Calumet and Kris Habermehl (the helicopter traffic guy) who will give an interesting talk.
Website – Colin Bertling was not present so there is no report.
General announcements - Jim asked for members to send him ideas for the plaque for Bob Gadbois. The location for its placement has not yet been determined; Claire will make the final decision. The Association for the Great Lakes meeting will be held from September 6 to 8 in Toledo, Ohio. Top researchers from around the lakes will be there. A flyer is available and an e-mail was sent out to all members. One must register by August 31. Tom Lutz, Tony Keifer and Scott Reimer will be going with Jim and they will leave for the 4-hour drive there on Thursday in order to be present for the opening reception. In October, there will be a meeting of the Midwest Historical Society at DePaul. There will be no charge; let Jim know if you are interested.
Rosa, a new member, would like to do a re-survey of the 35-foot Tacoma wreck because it was last surveyed in 1991 and will have changed by now. She has booked three morning charters with Double Action on September 23, 30 and October 7 (the date of the Chicago marathon). Keith Pearson said it may be possible to get the discount rate for UASC. Either two dives will be done on the Tacoma or the second dive will be on the Illinois and Vahali on the 23rd and the Material Service Barge on the 30th and 7th. Dean said he will send out the information in order for members to sign up.
The October meeting will be on the 24th in order not to have a meeting on Halloween. Sam will ask Dick Lanyon to speak. It is possible to get continuing education credits for any talk which is public-works related.
Scott Reimer brought up the fact that planning should be done for the holiday party. Carol Sommers said her house could be the back-up with a potluck party if no restaurant plans are made.
Presentation – Chuck Perry showed a film on grain elevators which at a height of 15 stories were Chicago’s first skyscrapers. With their advent, it was possible to load a grain boat in one hour instead of 7 men taking one day. Archer Daniels Midland has decided to sell the last grain elevator in Chicago at 900 W. Carroll Street which will become condos and retail near Fulton Market. Grain elevators still exist elsewhere, both in Illinois at the International Port Elevator at the Port of Chicago and on the Mississippi River. Until the 1960’s every farmer in Iowa was within 6 miles of a railroad in order to ship grain.
The amounts of grain shipped were 3,000 barrels in 1836 and then in 1838 the first elevator was built and in 1840 8,000 were shipped. Later numbers were 1855 – 750,000, 1857- 4,095,000 and in 1890, 32,150,000. At one point in time, Chicago was shipping more grain than the top seven European cities combined. The record for the quickest loading of corn was when in 1890 the 274-foot freighter America loaded 95,000 bushels of corn in one hour and twenty-five minutes. There was a question about grain dust being explosive and there was a bad explosion on May 11, 1931 on the South Side. It has since been found that agitating the grain reduces the amount of air which can make the dust explosive.
At present 14 million bushels are shipped out of Chicago which is seven times the 1850 amount. Grain still moves by rail and barge. Carol Sandburg’s poem called Chicago the Stacker of Grain. Grain was first moved by horsepower raising a band with buckets attached. After that Archmede’s Screw was used, first powered steam and later by electricity. At present vacuum and air pressure is used.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Carol Sommers.