Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago
May 30, 2018
Meeting Minutes
Dean Nolan welcomed 22 attendees, including a former member and officer from 1995 to 2005.
The minutes by Secretary Carol Sommers were approved.
Treasurer John Bell said that the balance remains about the same and we have two new members.
Illinois Council of Skin and Scuba Divers – There will be a beach clean-up in September.
Chicago Maritime Museum – The next third Friday program will be about the invasive species in the Great Lakes narrated by Bill Kurtis. A thank you to all those who helped clean and restore the canoes.
Website – The minutes are posted and Colin Bertling is working on the article on the David Dawes, getting research at the Chicago Public Library. There is an article about it in the 1960 Skindiver magazine. The ship foundered in very shallow water nine miles east of 95thstreet. Its anchor which is owned by CMM is in Crowley’s shipyard because it is too large for the museum, but they have a deadeye. At 283 feet long including the bowsprit, the David Dawes was the largest and only five-masted schooner to sail the Great Lakes. A & T Recovery brought in the anchor which is outside CMM in the hallway. Other artifacts in the city include an anchor in the Jackson Park Harbor Station and one in a front yard on Lincoln Avenue. Keith Pearson said that there is a thousand-pound rudder from the steamer the Silver Spray which needs a home. It is on a mount which allows it to swing back and forth.
Diving – Every other Sunday Keith’s boat will be available and he said that we should do two more dives on the mystery barge. He is getting permission to get the zebra mussels and algae removed to see if there are any visible indications as to its identity. The first dive will be on June 10th. Afterwards, he recommended diving the ninety-foot schooner and the other tug.
Other– Johnathan Plotner is in town and Sam said that we need to obtain the information that he has. Short presentations are needed and John Bell volunteered for June. Tom might be able to help out in July and Jim is working on getting the author of Liquid Capital. He also mentioned that it was the anniversary of the Great Spring Gale of 1894. There were seven shipwrecks off of Chicago, one off of Evanston and one near Michigan City. Every boat that wrecked was a sailing ship that had dropped anchor offshore and then was dragged off. Dave Thompson’s course will be in late July or August.
Special announcement – UASC member Bob Gadbois has died and will be sorely missed. He was always volunteering and was a tremendous resource. UASC will give a donation to CMM in his name. If you want to participate a check should be made out to the Chicago Maritime Museum and can be sent directly to CMM (tax donation) or sent to treasurer John Bell. Dean will send out an e-mail with John’s address. Tom suggested finding a home for the rudder in Bob’s honor and will write a check for $500 towards that. He will discuss the idea with Claire. Contact him at the Double Action Charter website.
Program – To honor Bob Gadbois’s memory, we saw his videos a Steamboat Primer and Stories from Red Stacks Over the Horizon.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Secretary Carol Sommers.