How a Champagne-Laden Steamship Ended Up in a Kansas Cornfield

[Onkel Neal]

How a Champagne-Laden Steamship Ended Up in a Kansas Cornfield

The first mystery is, of course, how a boat that sank mid-river ends up buried in a field. The answer lies with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During the latter half of the 19th century, the Corps of Engineers undertook projects to forcibly alter the shape of the Missouri River. The plan was to bring the banks closer together, and by narrowing the width of the river, speed up the current, making boat passage much faster.

In 1987 they started gathering clues from old newspaper reports and river maps that showed where the Missouri had once coursed. Using electronic magnetic testing and sample drilling, the team started to see if they could find this stricken treasure ship lying underneath a corn field.

Amazing to think something like a 100 yard long ship could slowly over time, be forgotten and buried. Makes you wonder what else is beneath our feet....