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Sandy uncovers part of old wreck in NC

A section of the William H. Sumner, a three-masted schooner whose young captain died under suspicious circumstances after running the ship aground in 1919, has been protruding from the sand a short distance from the Dolphin Street beach access.

SURF CITY, N.C. — Superstorm Sandy uncovered a bit of history when it swept by the North Carolina coast.

The Jacksonville Daily News reports that the storm uncovered part of the wreck of a schooner that sank almost a century ago. The William H. Summer was run aground by its captain near Topsail Island in 1919.

Nathan Henry of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology says the wreckage was part of the ship that floated to shore after the Coast Guard blew it up to clear the navigation channel.

Another chunk of the almost 500-ton ship is thought to be resting at the bottom of the ocean near the island.

Henry says when severe storms pass, the wreckage on the beach is sometimes uncovered.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WSOC

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