2015

UASC Meeting

May 27, 2015

• Bob Rushman welcomed 16 members and one potential member Alejandro Gomez. He has worked in the Navy, in the police force, as a computer programmer and is presently teaching science to grades 5-8. He was certified in 2000 and is interested in underwater photography. Alejandro signed up at the end of the evening.
• Treasurer's report - The balance is $9,650. $250 was donated to the Chicago Maritime Museum and the Ghost Ship festival has been prepaid for next year. Our balance is $1,700 less than at this time last year.
• Chicago Maritime Museum Report - The third Friday is open house with a speaker presenting her PhD work on the Eastland disaster with a new take on it as the memory of the disaster in how it has and has not been remembered. The museum's new addition will have the floor and ceiling started in a week or so and there will be new exhibits by next summer.

New Business and Upcoming Events

• ISCCD - No new announcements.
• Please pay dues if you have not yet done so.
• Keith Pearson who is survey co-ordinater sent out a detailed e-mail outlining how to finish up some projects and after discussion it was decided that the Tacoma will be the next survey project; Bob requested that someone-anyone volunteer to lead this project. The Tacoma is moving around and needs to be done. All previous projects need a one-page write-up when finished. Also need to complete several projects that are close to being done as per the next bullet.
• Survey Projects - Car Ferry #2 -John Bell does not need help to finish the project since a detailed overall drawing of 36 20 X 20 foot sections is done. Flora Hill - Michel Angelo was working on it and he now lives in Florida. Material Service Barge- The drawing is done and Jim needs help writing it up. Bob Rushman volunteered to help and write the one page document. Silver Spray - It sits on a 300 million-year old coral reef which may be of interest to members to help finish the diving. Colin volunteered to help out and it will be dived upon to complete a survey of debris beyond the wreck (boiler). Solon Johnson - It is located in the far north. One more dive is required to finish it. John L. is project leader. Val's Wreck - It has a finished site map and just needs a written report. Wells Burt – may want to update the report.
• Copies of the latest Wreck Checker are available in the front.
• Illinois Railway Museum - The UASC exhibit may be delayed until next summer. Several members are interested in a small expedition flag that could be flown on a dive boat.
• Tom Palmisano volunteered his boat for diving on calm days. Two or three pm on a weekday is the best departure time. He can take 2 or 3 divers including himself. The boat would be launched at 31st. street. Six hands went up from members who have flexible schedules for last-minute diving. Mike has a boat in Indiana which he volunteered for use there.
• Ideas for other projects - Dows is a long ride but could be compared to the Maritime Museum site map to see how it has changed. A video was shot in the 80's and Bob G. shot another one in the 90's. Wrecks on the south side could be done together, for example Frisbee and Carol's wreck. The Lucille cannot be done since it is located off-limits in a security zone. An 8,000 year-old forest site is a possible dive. There is a good drawing of the Illinois dredge from the 90's and it would be interesting to go out and see how it has changed.
• Sam Frank is available for a CPR program to be held at the Chicago Maritime Museum for a small charge in June. Members will be notified by e-mail as to details.
• Survey training - The NAS Survey Course would likely be a two-day course held at Haigh Quarry which has a site set up for surveying. Certified divers do not need to take the introductory course beforehand. The latter is one day long. Non-divers will have a reduced rate from $20 to $10 at the quarry.
• The featured speaker for the June 24th meeting will be Tom Lutz and Dean Nolan will be the short topic presenter.

Short Presentation - Bob and Claire Gadbois gave a video presentation on the SeaBird. UASC did a survey on it in the 90's. It sank in 1890 with only two survivors out of 50-70 passengers despite having all the latest safety features. A fire and rough water were to blame and it lies 25 feet deep with its paddle wheel upright off the Lake Michigan coast near Lake Forest.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 pm.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Carol Sommers