MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falkland's dilemmas as shipwrecks crumble

Action on whether and how some of the most important historical shipwrecks of the nineteenth century, in Stanley Harbour, can be preserved for future generations is being considered by the Falklands Government.

Councillors are studying an expert report submitted by Michael Stammers, the Keeper of Merseyside Maritime Museum, at the request of the Falklands Government, the Falklands National Trust and harbour officers, for him to advise on the wrecks and options for their preservation.

He has returned from ten days of intensive research, financed by the Shackleton Scholarship Fund, in which he focused mainly on a celebrated American ship, the Charles Cooper, on which he helped to carry out a survey more than 20 years ago. He describes her as "the only example of an American emigrant ship left in the world, other than wrecks on the seabed".

His report makes for sombre reading. The only way he believes that parts of the Charles Cooper, such as the bow, can be preserved is to re-assemble them ashore under shelter. He believes other shipwrecks can be preserved where they are, but only at considerable cost.

Battered by wind and tide and their crumbling woodwork eaten away from within by two pernicious sea worms, the teredo and the gribble, they are in danger of disappearing altogether. A balance has to be struck between preservation and harbour safety.

Michael Stammers' research has filled in many of the gaps in the history of the Charles Cooper and other vessels and on Stanley's role as refuge for ships damaged by storms rounding notorious Cape Horn.
Praise for Falklands excellent archives

He told Mercopress how grateful he was for the "comprehensive and rich records in the excellent archives" built up by Government Archivist, Jane Cameron. These have also produced valuable new insight into the world's first great ocean liner, the ss Great Britain, brought back from the Falklands and preserved for posterity in Bristol.

Museum Curator John Smith accompanied him on shipboard surveys, and he pays tribute to many other Islanders gave him valuable help.

The remains of the Charles Cooper are a tangible and important link to the days when the American mercantile marine was a dominant force in world shipping, from the early 19th century, especially on the Atlantic carrying many of the early emigrants to the United States. The Charles Cooper traded between Antwerp and New York and was eventually condemned as unseaworthy at Stanley, where she had a useful new career as a Falkland Islands Company store ship.

Michael Stammers was a member of the South Street Seaport Museum's research team which carried out a survey of the Charles Cooper in 1978. He was the author of an earlier monograph on the Liverpool built sailing vessel, the Jhelum, which lies in Stanley Harbour. And he is sending data on the Welsh ship, Fleetwing, to Maritime Wales historical society.
Harold Briley, (MP) London

The Charles Cooper was the last packet ship to have sailed out of South Street, New York where she began her working days in 1856, sailing in the Leyton and Hurlbuts Line of Antwerp Packets.
She arrived in Stanley on the 25th September 1866 leaking and in need of repair, 92 days out from Liverpool to Melbourne carrying coal.
Her Captain was Capt. Dewson.
The repairs for her turned out too expensive so they sold her in Stanley, she lies near the centre of the town just of Victory Green.

Type: Wooden American Packet Ship Tonnage 850