1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,640 This is the steamship Pulaski. 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:03,640 Wow, look at this. 3 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,740 MUSIC 4 00:00:07,740 --> 00:00:10,740 A second engineer poured very cold water 5 00:00:10,740 --> 00:00:14,640 into a boiling copper boiler 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,520 and created a bomb. 7 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,560 We think that there was $100,000 face value of coins. 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,460 We translate that to today's value, 9 00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:25,860 and that's roughly how much money. 10 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:27,360 It's in the tens of millions of dollars. 11 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:35,500 MUSIC 12 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:36,500 In the water. 13 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:38,300 What is this? 14 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:41,340 This coin is worth $30,000 to $40,000? 15 00:00:41,340 --> 00:00:42,840 Correct. 16 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,340 It's part of the ship. 17 00:00:44,340 --> 00:00:46,840 It is a massive part of the ship. 18 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:48,040 Actually, it sort of gives you chills. 19 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,340 I mean, it's eerie. 20 00:00:50,340 --> 00:00:52,340 Holy f***ing coin! 21 00:00:52,340 --> 00:00:53,840 There's a gold coin in here. 22 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:54,840 Look at this! 23 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,980 MUSIC 24 00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:07,480 MUSIC 25 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,780 The year is 1838. 26 00:01:09,780 --> 00:01:13,120 The age of the steam engine is in full roar. 27 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,960 Ocean journeys that once lasted weeks now take mere days, 28 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:21,960 a luxury available to anyone who can afford the steep fare. 29 00:01:21,980 --> 00:01:25,320 On the night of June 14th, the SS Pulaski, 30 00:01:25,320 --> 00:01:28,960 a brand new state-of-the-art side-wheel steamer, 31 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:31,360 set sail out of Savannah, Georgia. 32 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,360 She is loaded with the city's wealthiest citizens 33 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,060 and some of their most valuable belongings, 34 00:01:37,060 --> 00:01:40,860 headed north for a summer in cooler climates. 35 00:01:40,860 --> 00:01:44,800 As she passes about 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina, 36 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,920 the Pulaski suddenly suffers a catastrophic explosion. 37 00:01:49,940 --> 00:01:52,840 Blasting her side wheels clear off their axle 38 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,480 and turning the entire midsection of the ship into splinters. 39 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,080 Those passengers who don't die instantly 40 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,360 watch the ship crack in half and sink. 41 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,660 Nearly 130 lives are lost. 42 00:02:06,660 --> 00:02:09,400 It's been called the Titanic of the South. 43 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,040 And for almost two centuries, 44 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,900 the shipwrecks location has remained a maritime mystery. 45 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:17,440 That is, until a group of salvage experts 46 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,540 recently discovered what they believe 47 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:21,640 to be the Pulaski's boiler. 48 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:24,300 Now, using top-of-the-line technology, 49 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:28,140 they're launching a new mission to find the rest of the ship. 50 00:02:28,140 --> 00:02:30,180 But there's another prize. 51 00:02:30,180 --> 00:02:34,180 It's believed the ship was carrying more than $20 million 52 00:02:34,180 --> 00:02:36,100 worth of rare coins. 53 00:02:36,100 --> 00:02:40,500 So to help the team find the Pulaski and her cargo, 54 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:43,580 I'll be facing deep water, rough conditions, 55 00:02:43,580 --> 00:02:45,220 and turbulent history. 56 00:02:45,220 --> 00:02:49,100 So get ready, because adventure lies full steam ahead. 57 00:02:50,300 --> 00:02:52,140 My name is Josh Gates. 58 00:02:52,140 --> 00:02:53,140 Hello! 59 00:02:53,140 --> 00:02:54,640 Explorer. 60 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:55,640 Adventurer. 61 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:57,140 This is sick. 62 00:02:57,140 --> 00:02:58,140 Whoa! 63 00:02:58,140 --> 00:03:01,140 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situation. 64 00:03:01,140 --> 00:03:02,140 Whoa, this is f**king... 65 00:03:02,140 --> 00:03:03,140 Whoo! 66 00:03:03,140 --> 00:03:04,140 That was exciting. 67 00:03:04,140 --> 00:03:07,340 With a degree in archeology and a passion for the unexplained, 68 00:03:07,340 --> 00:03:09,460 I travel to the ends of the Earth, 69 00:03:09,460 --> 00:03:12,340 investigating the greatest legends in history. 70 00:03:12,340 --> 00:03:13,940 Day, let's punch it! 71 00:03:13,940 --> 00:03:16,340 This is Expedition Unknown. 72 00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:25,540 Wheels Down, Savannah, Georgia 73 00:03:28,540 --> 00:03:31,540 The steamship Pulaski launched from these very docks, 74 00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:36,540 and 183 years later, the city remains a jewel of southern preservation. 75 00:03:38,540 --> 00:03:41,540 It's the kind of place that envelops you. 76 00:03:41,540 --> 00:03:44,540 It sweeps you along with music and humidity. 77 00:03:44,540 --> 00:03:48,540 A place of neatly landscaped squares and stately mansions, 78 00:03:48,540 --> 00:03:52,540 resting under the moss-covered arms of towering oaks. 79 00:03:52,540 --> 00:03:55,540 This is the hostess city, as she's long been known, 80 00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:59,540 a place that makes you realize that you never knew what hospitality meant. 81 00:03:59,540 --> 00:04:01,540 We love Savannah! 82 00:04:01,540 --> 00:04:03,540 Oh, and the food. 83 00:04:03,540 --> 00:04:05,540 I do declare. 84 00:04:05,540 --> 00:04:10,540 The Low Country Boil has been a staple here for as long as folks have been pulling shrimp, 85 00:04:10,540 --> 00:04:14,540 crab, clams, and crawfish from the mouth of the Savannah River. 86 00:04:19,540 --> 00:04:21,540 I'm gonna be here for a while. 87 00:04:21,540 --> 00:04:23,540 Can I get a bib? 88 00:04:23,540 --> 00:04:26,540 In fact, from its founding in 1733, 89 00:04:26,540 --> 00:04:29,540 life in Savannah has always revolved around the water, 90 00:04:29,540 --> 00:04:33,540 a history chronicled at the ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. 91 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:36,540 This mansion belonged to one of the owners of the Savannah, 92 00:04:36,540 --> 00:04:39,540 the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. 93 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:41,540 Amidst the museum's galleries, 94 00:04:41,540 --> 00:04:44,540 I find New York Times best-selling author, Patti Callahan, 95 00:04:44,540 --> 00:04:46,540 who wrote the book, 96 00:04:46,540 --> 00:04:48,540 and the author, Patti Callahan, 97 00:04:48,540 --> 00:04:51,540 who recently wrote a novel about one of the South's most tragic 98 00:04:51,540 --> 00:04:54,540 and least-known maritime accidents. 99 00:04:54,540 --> 00:04:58,540 And, Josh, this is the steamship Pulaski. 100 00:04:58,540 --> 00:05:00,540 Wow. 101 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:11,540 When I was thinking early steamship, 102 00:05:11,540 --> 00:05:13,540 I wasn't thinking about something like this. 103 00:05:13,540 --> 00:05:15,540 This thing looks like it was a behemoth. 104 00:05:15,540 --> 00:05:17,540 This thing was over 200 feet long, 105 00:05:17,540 --> 00:05:20,540 which is more than twice the length of the ship 106 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:22,540 that the colonists came over on. 107 00:05:22,540 --> 00:05:24,540 I have to say, and I'm sort of embarrassed to say, 108 00:05:24,540 --> 00:05:26,540 I have never heard this story. 109 00:05:26,540 --> 00:05:28,540 You're embarrassed? I researched Savannah. 110 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:30,540 I write about Savannah, 111 00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,540 and I had never heard of the steamship Pulaski disaster. 112 00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:37,540 And why isn't there a bigger historical record of this disaster? 113 00:05:37,540 --> 00:05:40,540 Some stories are just lost to time. 114 00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:43,540 So I've heard it referred to as the Titanic of the South. 115 00:05:43,540 --> 00:05:45,540 Is that a fair analogy? 116 00:05:45,540 --> 00:05:47,540 It's fair for loads of reasons. 117 00:05:47,540 --> 00:05:50,540 One is, there's not enough lifeboats. 118 00:05:50,540 --> 00:05:52,540 It's just these four lifeboats? 119 00:05:52,540 --> 00:05:55,540 These four lifeboats for 190 passengers. 120 00:05:55,540 --> 00:05:56,540 Wow. 121 00:05:56,540 --> 00:05:58,540 But other than that, there was the innovation, 122 00:05:58,540 --> 00:06:02,540 the speed, the wealthy passengers, the hubris. 123 00:06:02,540 --> 00:06:04,540 But while the sinking of the Titanic 124 00:06:04,540 --> 00:06:06,540 has been called a night to remember, 125 00:06:06,540 --> 00:06:09,540 the Pulaski has been largely forgotten. 126 00:06:09,540 --> 00:06:10,540 Until now. 127 00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:12,540 This ship was designed to do what? 128 00:06:12,540 --> 00:06:14,540 It was designed to go fast, 129 00:06:14,540 --> 00:06:16,540 and it was designed to be impressive. 130 00:06:16,540 --> 00:06:17,540 Why is she so fast? 131 00:06:17,540 --> 00:06:19,540 She has two side wheels, 132 00:06:19,540 --> 00:06:21,540 and they are three stories high. 133 00:06:21,540 --> 00:06:22,540 It was impressive. 134 00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:25,540 So this is for its day, really high-tech? 135 00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:30,540 Yes, but we are only 30 years into steamship technology. 136 00:06:30,540 --> 00:06:33,540 Think about the first 30 years of aviation technology. 137 00:06:33,540 --> 00:06:35,540 Lot of accidents. 138 00:06:35,540 --> 00:06:39,540 Despite the risks, passage on the Pulaski was in high demand. 139 00:06:39,540 --> 00:06:41,540 The ship's route began in Savannah, 140 00:06:41,540 --> 00:06:45,540 where it would steam north to pick up more passengers in Charleston, 141 00:06:45,540 --> 00:06:48,540 before continuing to Baltimore, Maryland. 142 00:06:48,540 --> 00:06:50,540 All in just two days, 143 00:06:50,540 --> 00:06:53,540 less than half the time it took older steamers. 144 00:06:53,540 --> 00:06:55,540 Let's talk about who's on board the Pulaski. 145 00:06:55,540 --> 00:06:57,540 These must have been very wealthy citizens. 146 00:06:57,540 --> 00:07:00,540 Very wealthy citizens, but they were also from all over. 147 00:07:00,540 --> 00:07:03,540 We had influential families of the South, 148 00:07:03,540 --> 00:07:05,540 including the owner of the ship. 149 00:07:05,540 --> 00:07:06,540 Lamar. 150 00:07:06,540 --> 00:07:09,540 Gazaway Bug Lamar. 151 00:07:09,540 --> 00:07:13,540 Gazaway Bug Lamar, which I promise is a real name, 152 00:07:13,540 --> 00:07:16,540 was a wealthy merchant in Savannah who invested early 153 00:07:16,540 --> 00:07:18,540 in nascent steamship technology 154 00:07:18,540 --> 00:07:21,540 and commissioned the Pulaski in 1837. 155 00:07:21,540 --> 00:07:25,540 He's so proud of his new ship that he brings along his wife, 156 00:07:25,540 --> 00:07:29,540 six children, his sister, and his niece on the voyage. 157 00:07:29,540 --> 00:07:32,540 Gazaway Bug Lamar originally made his money 158 00:07:32,540 --> 00:07:35,540 as many of the South's landed gentry did 159 00:07:35,540 --> 00:07:37,540 in the cotton business. 160 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:41,540 To be crystal clear, that meant he and many of the wealthy passengers 161 00:07:41,540 --> 00:07:43,540 on board were slave owners. 162 00:07:43,540 --> 00:07:45,540 Were there slaves aboard the Pulaski? 163 00:07:45,540 --> 00:07:46,540 There were a few. 164 00:07:46,540 --> 00:07:49,540 If you think about it, this ship is headed to free lands. 165 00:07:49,540 --> 00:07:50,540 Right. 166 00:07:50,540 --> 00:07:53,540 So they don't bring their enslaved with them. 167 00:07:53,540 --> 00:07:55,540 Maybe some domestic help. 168 00:07:55,540 --> 00:07:57,540 And are they counted in the ship's manifest? 169 00:07:57,540 --> 00:07:58,540 They are. 170 00:07:58,540 --> 00:08:00,540 They aren't named with last names, 171 00:08:00,540 --> 00:08:02,540 and sometimes they aren't named at all. 172 00:08:02,540 --> 00:08:05,540 The enslaved people on board, while listed as passengers, 173 00:08:05,540 --> 00:08:08,540 were denied actual names on the ship's manifest, 174 00:08:08,540 --> 00:08:10,540 so we don't know who they were. 175 00:08:10,540 --> 00:08:12,540 Other passengers we do know about 176 00:08:12,540 --> 00:08:16,540 include former New York congressman William B. Rochester, 177 00:08:16,540 --> 00:08:19,540 whose father founded the city that bears his name. 178 00:08:19,540 --> 00:08:22,540 These wealthy passengers also brought something else 179 00:08:22,540 --> 00:08:24,540 aboard the Pulaski, money. 180 00:08:24,540 --> 00:08:26,540 They would pack it with them for the summer. 181 00:08:26,540 --> 00:08:27,540 Right. 182 00:08:27,540 --> 00:08:29,540 If you think about it, there's no paper money. 183 00:08:29,540 --> 00:08:31,540 So the coins, there's gold, there's silver, 184 00:08:31,540 --> 00:08:33,540 and they pack them in these trunks 185 00:08:33,540 --> 00:08:35,540 because they're going to be gone for months. 186 00:08:35,540 --> 00:08:36,540 Right. 187 00:08:36,540 --> 00:08:40,540 Today, these early mint U.S. coins are extremely rare 188 00:08:40,540 --> 00:08:42,540 and highly prized by collectors. 189 00:08:42,540 --> 00:08:46,540 A single coin can fetch tens of thousands of dollars, 190 00:08:46,540 --> 00:08:49,540 which means a fortune estimated at more than 20 million 191 00:08:49,540 --> 00:08:51,540 was lost when the Pulaski sank. 192 00:08:53,540 --> 00:08:55,540 She leaves Savannah wet. 193 00:08:55,540 --> 00:08:59,540 She leaves on June 13th, 1838, at 8 a.m. 194 00:09:01,540 --> 00:09:03,540 90 passengers got on board in Savannah, 195 00:09:03,540 --> 00:09:06,540 and 60 more got on in Charleston. 196 00:09:06,540 --> 00:09:10,540 Then, just after 11 p.m. in the darkness of the Atlantic, 197 00:09:10,540 --> 00:09:12,540 disaster strikes. 198 00:09:12,540 --> 00:09:14,540 They're sailing towards Baltimore 199 00:09:14,540 --> 00:09:18,540 when the boiler on the starboard side goes dry. 200 00:09:20,540 --> 00:09:23,540 And the second engineer poured very cold water 201 00:09:23,540 --> 00:09:28,540 into a boiling copper boiler and created a bomb. 202 00:09:31,540 --> 00:09:35,540 The Pulaski's boiler explodes with tremendous force, 203 00:09:35,540 --> 00:09:37,540 sending the three-story high paddle wheels 204 00:09:37,540 --> 00:09:39,540 sailing off their axle 205 00:09:39,540 --> 00:09:42,540 and blowing a gaping hole in the midsection of the ship. 206 00:09:42,540 --> 00:09:44,540 Only 45 minutes later, 207 00:09:44,540 --> 00:09:48,540 the last traces of the vessel are swallowed up by the sea. 208 00:09:48,540 --> 00:09:51,540 Going back to the Titanic, it sinks in the same way, 209 00:09:51,540 --> 00:09:53,540 meaning it collapses in the middle. 210 00:09:53,540 --> 00:09:54,540 Right. 211 00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:56,540 And the bow and the aft go upwards. 212 00:09:56,540 --> 00:10:00,540 And so these 190 passengers, what becomes of them? 213 00:10:00,540 --> 00:10:02,540 The captain was never seen again. 214 00:10:02,540 --> 00:10:04,540 First mate Hibbard helped people get on the life rafts. 215 00:10:04,540 --> 00:10:09,540 Of the four life rafts, only two were sea-worthy. 216 00:10:09,540 --> 00:10:10,540 Of course. 217 00:10:10,540 --> 00:10:11,540 Only two. 218 00:10:11,540 --> 00:10:13,540 While a few are able to ride it out in lifeboats, 219 00:10:13,540 --> 00:10:17,540 other Pulaski survivors cling to pieces of the deck, 220 00:10:17,540 --> 00:10:20,540 hanging on for the next five days and nights 221 00:10:20,540 --> 00:10:22,540 until a schooner rescues them. 222 00:10:22,540 --> 00:10:25,540 And so of the 190 passengers, how many survive? 223 00:10:25,540 --> 00:10:26,540 59. 224 00:10:26,540 --> 00:10:27,540 That's it. 225 00:10:27,540 --> 00:10:28,540 That's it. 226 00:10:28,540 --> 00:10:31,540 The Pulaski was lost for nearly two centuries. 227 00:10:31,540 --> 00:10:33,540 That is until a few years ago, 228 00:10:33,540 --> 00:10:37,540 when a pair of salvage experts claimed to find part of her remains 229 00:10:37,540 --> 00:10:39,540 off the coast of North Carolina. 230 00:10:39,540 --> 00:10:44,540 After thanking Patty for sharing the story of the Pulaski with me, 231 00:10:44,540 --> 00:10:47,540 I leave Savannah in the rear view and drive north 232 00:10:47,540 --> 00:10:49,540 to meet the men who may have found her. 233 00:10:49,540 --> 00:10:53,540 I motor 300 miles from Savannah to the historic port 234 00:10:53,540 --> 00:10:55,540 of Wilmington, North Carolina. 235 00:10:56,540 --> 00:10:59,540 At the junction of the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean, 236 00:10:59,540 --> 00:11:02,540 Wilmington has been a center of maritime commerce 237 00:11:02,540 --> 00:11:05,540 since long before the American Revolution. 238 00:11:05,540 --> 00:11:07,540 I make my way to nearby Ritesville Beach, 239 00:11:07,540 --> 00:11:11,540 where I charter a boat to take me offshore. 240 00:11:11,540 --> 00:11:15,540 I soon see why the Pulaski has been such an elusive wreck. 241 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:18,540 We steam for nearly three hours away from the coast 242 00:11:18,540 --> 00:11:20,540 and out into open ocean. 243 00:11:20,540 --> 00:11:24,540 Finally, I spot salvage vessel The Blue Water Rose 244 00:11:24,540 --> 00:11:28,540 and a pair of her crew, Micah Eldred and Captain Mark Martin. 245 00:11:28,540 --> 00:11:30,540 Got it. 246 00:11:30,540 --> 00:11:33,540 All right. Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Josh. 247 00:11:33,540 --> 00:11:34,540 Nice to meet you, Josh. I'm Mark. 248 00:11:34,540 --> 00:11:35,540 Hey, Josh, Micah. 249 00:11:35,540 --> 00:11:36,540 Micah. 250 00:11:36,540 --> 00:11:37,540 Nice to meet you. 251 00:11:37,540 --> 00:11:39,540 Micah's company, Blue Water Ventures, 252 00:11:39,540 --> 00:11:41,540 with its president and CEO, Keith Webb, 253 00:11:41,540 --> 00:11:43,540 has already found treasure from ships 254 00:11:43,540 --> 00:11:46,540 like the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita 255 00:11:46,540 --> 00:11:48,540 and the steamship North Carolina. 256 00:11:48,540 --> 00:11:50,540 But right now, all of their attention 257 00:11:50,540 --> 00:11:52,540 is focused on finding the Pulaski. 258 00:11:52,540 --> 00:11:54,540 Welcome to the Blue Water Rose. 259 00:11:54,540 --> 00:11:56,540 Let's head forward and get you settled. 260 00:11:56,540 --> 00:11:57,540 All right, let's do it. Come on. 261 00:11:57,540 --> 00:11:58,540 You guys are out here. 262 00:11:58,540 --> 00:11:59,540 We're out here. 263 00:11:59,540 --> 00:12:00,540 You're out here. 264 00:12:00,540 --> 00:12:02,540 How far offshore are we right now? 265 00:12:02,540 --> 00:12:05,540 We're more than 40 miles offshore. 266 00:12:05,540 --> 00:12:06,540 Where are we anchored? 267 00:12:06,540 --> 00:12:09,540 We're on top of a part of the wreck of the Pulaski. 268 00:12:09,540 --> 00:12:10,540 It's here. It's under us. 269 00:12:10,540 --> 00:12:11,540 Yes. 270 00:12:11,540 --> 00:12:12,540 Part of it's under us. Yes. 271 00:12:12,540 --> 00:12:13,540 Really? 272 00:12:13,540 --> 00:12:14,540 Yes, absolutely. 273 00:12:14,540 --> 00:12:15,540 You sure about that? 274 00:12:15,540 --> 00:12:16,540 We're positive sure about that. 275 00:12:16,540 --> 00:12:19,540 I mean, I don't see a lot of landmarks around here, Micah. 276 00:12:19,540 --> 00:12:21,540 Locating the wreck originally wasn't easy, 277 00:12:21,540 --> 00:12:23,540 but today we're confident that we're on top of it. 278 00:12:23,540 --> 00:12:25,540 And how do we know that? 279 00:12:25,540 --> 00:12:27,540 Easiest way to tell you is to show you. 280 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:29,540 So why don't you get suited up 281 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:31,540 and get in the water to see what's underneath us? 282 00:12:31,540 --> 00:12:34,540 No sound like the present. Let's get wet. Come on. 283 00:12:34,540 --> 00:12:37,540 I suit up and dive in. 284 00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:43,540 The waters are choppy and the current is ripping. 285 00:12:43,540 --> 00:12:45,540 Fortunately, the crew has left a shot line 286 00:12:45,540 --> 00:12:48,540 I can follow down to the bottom, 287 00:12:48,540 --> 00:12:51,540 which rests at just over 100 feet. 288 00:12:58,540 --> 00:13:00,540 Visibility is great. 289 00:13:00,540 --> 00:13:02,540 Must be about 80 feet. 290 00:13:03,540 --> 00:13:06,540 As I drop down, my view is obscured 291 00:13:06,540 --> 00:13:08,540 by swarming schools of fish. 292 00:13:09,540 --> 00:13:12,540 They're everywhere. This is crazy. 293 00:13:12,540 --> 00:13:14,540 I make my way through the fish NATO 294 00:13:14,540 --> 00:13:16,540 and approach the bottom. 295 00:13:17,540 --> 00:13:19,540 Stand by and see it. 296 00:13:20,540 --> 00:13:22,540 On the barren ocean floor, 297 00:13:22,540 --> 00:13:24,540 shipwrecks become artificial reefs 298 00:13:24,540 --> 00:13:27,540 and oasis for all kinds of sea life. 299 00:13:28,540 --> 00:13:30,540 Something big is down here. 300 00:13:31,540 --> 00:13:34,540 Oh my God, there is something down here. 301 00:13:36,540 --> 00:13:38,540 Is that a boiler? 302 00:13:46,540 --> 00:13:50,540 Incredible. This looks like it might be part of the boilers 303 00:13:50,540 --> 00:13:52,540 of the Pulaski. 304 00:13:52,540 --> 00:13:55,540 Sitting on the otherwise featureless sandy bottom 305 00:13:55,540 --> 00:13:58,540 lies a huge mass of twisted metal. 306 00:13:58,540 --> 00:14:00,540 Part of mammoth steam boilers 307 00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:02,540 that once powered the SS Pulaski, 308 00:14:02,540 --> 00:14:05,540 the so-called Titanic of the South, 309 00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:09,540 before it exploded off the Carolina coast in 1838. 310 00:14:09,540 --> 00:14:13,540 Unreal. You can still see the rivets in the boiler. 311 00:14:13,540 --> 00:14:16,540 Look how the metal is bent here. 312 00:14:16,540 --> 00:14:19,540 You can tell this was a violent explosion. 313 00:14:19,540 --> 00:14:23,540 At 11.05 p.m., cold water dumped into a hot boiler, 314 00:14:23,540 --> 00:14:25,540 created a reaction so powerful 315 00:14:25,540 --> 00:14:28,540 that it literally blew the side wheels off the Pulaski 316 00:14:28,540 --> 00:14:30,540 and cracked the ship in half. 317 00:14:30,540 --> 00:14:34,540 This mangled wreckage is all that's left on this part of the sea floor. 318 00:14:35,540 --> 00:14:37,540 Much of the ship was wood. 319 00:14:37,540 --> 00:14:39,540 Must have been blasted to bits. 320 00:14:39,540 --> 00:14:42,540 Who knows if anything else is left. 321 00:14:43,540 --> 00:14:47,540 At this depth, I don't have the luxury of investigating for long. 322 00:14:47,540 --> 00:14:50,540 Okay, I'm out of bottom time. I'm headed up. 323 00:14:54,540 --> 00:14:57,540 Huge, huge piece of machinery down there. 324 00:14:57,540 --> 00:14:59,540 That looks like it could be a boiler. 325 00:14:59,540 --> 00:15:01,540 See all the riveting on it, stuff. It's old. 326 00:15:01,540 --> 00:15:03,540 So pretty good evidence. 327 00:15:03,540 --> 00:15:05,540 I mean, what else would be sitting out here 328 00:15:05,540 --> 00:15:07,540 that looks like it's from that era that's that size? 329 00:15:07,540 --> 00:15:09,540 And we've got another piece of evidence 330 00:15:09,540 --> 00:15:11,540 that proves that this is the Pulaski. 331 00:15:11,540 --> 00:15:13,540 Okay. 332 00:15:13,540 --> 00:15:16,540 Found a candlestick, and on the inside of that candlestick 333 00:15:16,540 --> 00:15:18,540 was engraved SS Pulaski. 334 00:15:18,540 --> 00:15:20,540 Get out of here. 335 00:15:20,540 --> 00:15:24,540 After drying off, Micah shows me what else they've found. 336 00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:27,540 Oh, you got the goods up here now. Look at this. 337 00:15:27,540 --> 00:15:29,540 All of these things were actually found 338 00:15:29,540 --> 00:15:33,540 within about 100 feet of the boilers that you just dove on. 339 00:15:34,540 --> 00:15:36,540 The first haul the team brought up 340 00:15:36,540 --> 00:15:39,540 included personal effects from some of the passengers 341 00:15:39,540 --> 00:15:41,540 and coins, lots of coins, 342 00:15:41,540 --> 00:15:44,540 which they've now shielded inside protective containers. 343 00:15:44,540 --> 00:15:47,540 All right, so the thing that jumps out at me, first of all, 344 00:15:47,540 --> 00:15:50,540 is that they seem like they're from all over. 345 00:15:50,540 --> 00:15:52,540 This is from Bogota. This is Colombian. 346 00:15:52,540 --> 00:15:53,540 That's right. 347 00:15:53,540 --> 00:15:54,540 This says Bolivia. 348 00:15:54,540 --> 00:15:56,540 Yes, minted in Bolivia. 349 00:15:56,540 --> 00:15:57,540 And Great Britain mixed in. 350 00:15:57,540 --> 00:15:58,540 Yeah. 351 00:15:58,540 --> 00:16:00,540 So why coinage from all over? 352 00:16:00,540 --> 00:16:02,540 At the time of this sinking, 353 00:16:02,540 --> 00:16:06,540 the United States didn't have enough of its own mintage 354 00:16:06,540 --> 00:16:07,540 to support the economy. 355 00:16:07,540 --> 00:16:11,540 Foreign currency was legal tender up until the mid-1850s. 356 00:16:11,540 --> 00:16:13,540 So you could use gold and silver coinage 357 00:16:13,540 --> 00:16:15,540 from anywhere in the world? 358 00:16:15,540 --> 00:16:16,540 It was all done by weight. 359 00:16:16,540 --> 00:16:19,540 They didn't care if the gold was from Mexico 360 00:16:19,540 --> 00:16:22,540 or United Kingdom or Great Britain or Columbia. 361 00:16:22,540 --> 00:16:24,540 So this ship is kind of a coin collector's dream? 362 00:16:24,540 --> 00:16:26,540 Well, that's what's really interesting for us 363 00:16:26,540 --> 00:16:28,540 is because the time period, 364 00:16:28,540 --> 00:16:31,540 some of these coins can be really rare. 365 00:16:31,540 --> 00:16:34,540 And so a perfect example is this little coin. 366 00:16:34,540 --> 00:16:35,540 This is a U.S. coin? 367 00:16:35,540 --> 00:16:37,540 It is, and it's a $5 face amount. 368 00:16:37,540 --> 00:16:40,540 This is an $1836 coin. 369 00:16:40,540 --> 00:16:42,540 This is, what, a quarter of an ounce? 370 00:16:42,540 --> 00:16:44,540 Exactly. It's about a quarter of an ounce of gold. 371 00:16:44,540 --> 00:16:50,540 So the value of the gold here is about $400, $500? 372 00:16:50,540 --> 00:16:51,540 That's right. 373 00:16:51,540 --> 00:16:53,540 Okay. But the value of the coin? 374 00:16:53,540 --> 00:16:57,540 This particular coin would exceed $10,000 today. 375 00:16:57,540 --> 00:17:00,540 This coin is worth $10,000? 376 00:17:00,540 --> 00:17:04,540 So now my mind is really, like, what else could be down there? 377 00:17:04,540 --> 00:17:06,540 Based on the archival research, 378 00:17:06,540 --> 00:17:13,540 we think that there was around $100,000 base value of coins. 379 00:17:13,540 --> 00:17:15,540 We translate that to today's collectible value, 380 00:17:15,540 --> 00:17:17,540 and that's roughly how much money? 381 00:17:17,540 --> 00:17:20,540 It's in the tens of millions of dollars. 382 00:17:20,540 --> 00:17:22,540 Well, now I see why you guys are out here 383 00:17:22,540 --> 00:17:24,540 all this way offshore. 384 00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:27,540 All right, so the $10,000 question is, 385 00:17:27,540 --> 00:17:29,540 where are these coins coming from 386 00:17:29,540 --> 00:17:31,540 and how do you find more of them? 387 00:17:31,540 --> 00:17:34,540 The answer lies at the stern of the Blue Water Rose, 388 00:17:34,540 --> 00:17:37,540 where Mark is keeping a wreck hunting missile. 389 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:40,540 It's not aware there were weapons on board. 390 00:17:40,540 --> 00:17:42,540 Well, it's not a destructive weapon. 391 00:17:42,540 --> 00:17:44,540 It's a technological weapon. 392 00:17:44,540 --> 00:17:46,540 It's a side scan sonar. 393 00:17:46,540 --> 00:17:49,540 By dragging this torpedo called a towfish through the water, 394 00:17:49,540 --> 00:17:51,540 side-scan sonar will use sound waves 395 00:17:51,540 --> 00:17:55,540 to map the ocean floor and everything resting on it. 396 00:17:55,540 --> 00:17:56,540 We need this why. 397 00:17:56,540 --> 00:17:58,540 I mean, we're sitting right on top of the boilers. 398 00:17:58,540 --> 00:18:00,540 We are, but you'll notice that there wasn't anything else around. 399 00:18:00,540 --> 00:18:02,540 No, that's right. It's just white sand. 400 00:18:02,540 --> 00:18:03,540 It exploded. 401 00:18:03,540 --> 00:18:06,540 So we know that there's debris scattered 402 00:18:06,540 --> 00:18:08,540 in at least a two to three mile radius. 403 00:18:08,540 --> 00:18:09,540 Two to three miles? 404 00:18:09,540 --> 00:18:11,540 Yes. You got to remember, 405 00:18:11,540 --> 00:18:13,540 it took 45 minutes for this thing to sink. 406 00:18:13,540 --> 00:18:16,540 Right. In terms of these coins 407 00:18:16,540 --> 00:18:18,540 and the really valuable items on board the ship, 408 00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:21,540 is there a part of the ship you think they were in? 409 00:18:21,540 --> 00:18:24,540 The aft section is probably where the majority 410 00:18:24,540 --> 00:18:26,540 of the gold and silver are. 411 00:18:26,540 --> 00:18:28,540 Most of the coins would have been stowed 412 00:18:28,540 --> 00:18:32,540 in passenger cabins located in the rear half of the vessel. 413 00:18:32,540 --> 00:18:34,540 To hunt for more of the wreck, 414 00:18:34,540 --> 00:18:36,540 Mark and I rig the towfish 415 00:18:36,540 --> 00:18:39,540 and carefully bring it to the back of the boat to deploy. 416 00:18:39,540 --> 00:18:40,540 Okay. 417 00:18:40,540 --> 00:18:41,540 All right. 418 00:18:41,540 --> 00:18:42,540 Here we go. 419 00:18:47,540 --> 00:18:48,540 Okay. 420 00:18:48,540 --> 00:18:49,540 Toefish's in the water. 421 00:18:49,540 --> 00:18:51,540 All right. Let's go see what she sees. 422 00:18:51,540 --> 00:18:53,540 After you. Come on. 423 00:18:55,540 --> 00:18:57,540 Here we go. Fingers crossed. 424 00:18:58,540 --> 00:18:59,540 We've got data. 425 00:18:59,540 --> 00:19:00,540 All right. She's running. 426 00:19:00,540 --> 00:19:02,540 So let's talk about what we are looking for 427 00:19:02,540 --> 00:19:03,540 other than a giant steam ship. 428 00:19:03,540 --> 00:19:05,540 I mean, what would jump out at you on here? 429 00:19:05,540 --> 00:19:10,540 Anything that has a pretty decent size, 430 00:19:10,540 --> 00:19:11,540 four or five meters or bigger. 431 00:19:11,540 --> 00:19:12,540 Yeah. 432 00:19:12,540 --> 00:19:14,540 Complete circles and right angles 433 00:19:14,540 --> 00:19:16,540 rarely happen in nature. 434 00:19:16,540 --> 00:19:17,540 Yeah. 435 00:19:17,540 --> 00:19:18,540 So that's something to look at. 436 00:19:18,540 --> 00:19:20,540 If it's sitting high up, 437 00:19:20,540 --> 00:19:23,540 you're going to see a shadow off to one side or the other. 438 00:19:23,540 --> 00:19:25,540 So that's something to look at. 439 00:19:25,540 --> 00:19:28,540 All right. Well, let's do some watching. 440 00:19:30,540 --> 00:19:33,540 The Blue Water Rose runs along a straight path 441 00:19:33,540 --> 00:19:36,540 for more than a mile and a half before changing course. 442 00:19:36,540 --> 00:19:38,540 Making a turn. 443 00:19:38,540 --> 00:19:39,540 My turn. 444 00:19:39,540 --> 00:19:41,540 Let me know when we start the next line. 445 00:19:41,540 --> 00:19:42,540 Copy. 446 00:19:42,540 --> 00:19:44,540 All right. Coming around. 447 00:19:52,540 --> 00:19:53,540 Look, there's something. 448 00:19:53,540 --> 00:19:54,540 Yeah. There's something right there. 449 00:19:54,540 --> 00:19:56,540 That thing's probably about four or five meters, 450 00:19:56,540 --> 00:19:59,540 but it's not big enough and there's nothing around it. 451 00:19:59,540 --> 00:20:00,540 Right. There's no debris field. 452 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:01,540 There's just something sitting there. 453 00:20:01,540 --> 00:20:03,540 It's just something and that could have fallen off a boat. 454 00:20:03,540 --> 00:20:05,540 Right. That could be anything. 455 00:20:05,540 --> 00:20:06,540 Yeah. 456 00:20:06,540 --> 00:20:07,540 Okay. 457 00:20:07,540 --> 00:20:09,540 And this is how it goes. 458 00:20:09,540 --> 00:20:11,540 Search in a straight line. 459 00:20:11,540 --> 00:20:12,540 Making a turn. 460 00:20:12,540 --> 00:20:13,540 Starboard. 461 00:20:13,540 --> 00:20:16,540 Turn and repeat. 462 00:20:16,540 --> 00:20:19,540 Sonar scanning may not be the most glamorous part 463 00:20:19,540 --> 00:20:20,540 of a salvage operation, 464 00:20:20,540 --> 00:20:23,540 but it's important to maintain razor sharp focus 465 00:20:23,540 --> 00:20:25,540 at all times while collecting data. 466 00:20:30,540 --> 00:20:33,540 Because good things come to those who wait. 467 00:20:33,540 --> 00:20:34,540 Oh, there you go. 468 00:20:34,540 --> 00:20:35,540 There you go. 469 00:20:35,540 --> 00:20:36,540 Look at that. 470 00:20:36,540 --> 00:20:38,540 All right. We mark that as a target. 471 00:20:38,540 --> 00:20:40,540 There was a bunch of stuff there. 472 00:20:40,540 --> 00:20:41,540 Yeah. 473 00:20:41,540 --> 00:20:43,540 And it looked kind of like something coming out 474 00:20:43,540 --> 00:20:45,540 and then something turned off to the side. 475 00:20:45,540 --> 00:20:46,540 Right. It looked like two pieces. 476 00:20:46,540 --> 00:20:47,540 That's cool. 477 00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:49,540 Yeah. That's worth looking at. 478 00:20:49,540 --> 00:20:51,540 All right. Well, we got a target. 479 00:20:51,540 --> 00:20:52,540 Okay. 480 00:20:52,540 --> 00:20:55,540 Mark the sonar hit and continue mowing the lawn. 481 00:20:55,540 --> 00:20:58,540 Oh, there's some debris there. 482 00:20:58,540 --> 00:21:00,540 Oh, big piece of something. 483 00:21:00,540 --> 00:21:01,540 Something big is coming in. 484 00:21:01,540 --> 00:21:04,540 That's got to be five or six meters outrageous. 485 00:21:04,540 --> 00:21:06,540 Oh, oh, oh, look at this more coming. 486 00:21:06,540 --> 00:21:08,540 And it keeps going. 487 00:21:08,540 --> 00:21:09,540 Look at this. 488 00:21:09,540 --> 00:21:10,540 Yeah. Huge. 489 00:21:10,540 --> 00:21:12,540 That thing's at least 20 meters long. 490 00:21:12,540 --> 00:21:14,540 I mean, there's something sitting down at that 60 feet long. 491 00:21:14,540 --> 00:21:15,540 Yeah. 492 00:21:15,540 --> 00:21:17,540 And you've got a defined trail coming along. 493 00:21:17,540 --> 00:21:18,540 Oh, this looks like debris. 494 00:21:18,540 --> 00:21:19,540 Look at that. 495 00:21:19,540 --> 00:21:20,540 Yeah. 496 00:21:20,540 --> 00:21:22,540 And obviously man made. 497 00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:23,540 We got to look at that. 498 00:21:23,540 --> 00:21:26,540 That's absolutely something we're going to look at quickly. 499 00:21:26,540 --> 00:21:28,540 So we got two killer targets right now. 500 00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:29,540 Should we dive the first one? 501 00:21:29,540 --> 00:21:30,540 Absolutely. 502 00:21:30,540 --> 00:21:32,540 All right. Let's go back. Come on. 503 00:21:32,540 --> 00:21:36,540 The Blue Water Rose returns to the coordinates of the first target 504 00:21:36,540 --> 00:21:39,540 and sets a multi point anchor. 505 00:21:39,540 --> 00:21:43,540 A small runabout is used to drag a large anchor from the stern of the ship 506 00:21:43,540 --> 00:21:46,540 300 feet out to the side of the vessel. 507 00:21:46,540 --> 00:21:49,540 The same process is repeated on the other side. 508 00:21:49,540 --> 00:21:51,540 Along with the anchor off the bow, 509 00:21:51,540 --> 00:21:54,540 the ship is now pinned in three places over the site. 510 00:21:54,540 --> 00:21:59,540 And that's because the Blue Water Rose is about to do something she was never designed for. 511 00:21:59,540 --> 00:22:00,540 All right. What are we doing? 512 00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:02,540 We're exactly over the spot that we want to blow. 513 00:22:02,540 --> 00:22:04,540 So now we're about to drop the blowers. 514 00:22:04,540 --> 00:22:07,540 Now these, these are something you do not see on most boats. 515 00:22:07,540 --> 00:22:10,540 Common name for these is called mailboxes. 516 00:22:10,540 --> 00:22:11,540 Right. 517 00:22:11,540 --> 00:22:13,540 This is, this is like Mel Fisher territory, right? 518 00:22:13,540 --> 00:22:14,540 Yeah. Yeah. 519 00:22:14,540 --> 00:22:15,540 He's the one that made him popular. 520 00:22:15,540 --> 00:22:18,540 Mel Fisher is a legend among treasure hunters. 521 00:22:18,540 --> 00:22:21,540 In the 1960s, he pioneered blowers like these, 522 00:22:21,540 --> 00:22:25,540 which helped him salvage a wrecked Spanish galleon called the Atotcha 523 00:22:25,540 --> 00:22:31,540 and recover 40 tons of gold and silver worth a cool half a billion dollars. 524 00:22:31,540 --> 00:22:33,540 Okay. Well, let's drop them. 525 00:22:33,540 --> 00:22:34,540 All right. 526 00:22:37,540 --> 00:22:41,540 The two massive mailbox blowers are lowered and pivoted into position. 527 00:22:41,540 --> 00:22:45,540 Under the boat, one of the divers from the Blue Water Rose 528 00:22:45,540 --> 00:22:47,540 then pins them against the hull. 529 00:22:48,540 --> 00:22:52,540 After that, it's time to fire up the engine and stand back. 530 00:22:58,540 --> 00:23:01,540 The engine revs and the propellers direct massive torrents of water 531 00:23:01,540 --> 00:23:05,540 straight down toward the sea floor, clearing sand from the bottom 532 00:23:05,540 --> 00:23:09,540 and hopefully exposing whatever is hiding below. 533 00:23:10,540 --> 00:23:17,540 To find out what we've uncovered, Captain Rodney, tech diver Adam Drobecker 534 00:23:17,540 --> 00:23:20,540 and I get kitted and take the plunge. 535 00:23:28,540 --> 00:23:31,540 Okay. We are headed down the line. Let's see what's here. 536 00:23:32,540 --> 00:23:35,540 We descend through the blue toward the sea floor. 537 00:23:36,540 --> 00:23:40,540 Like the boiler site, we're still in over 100 feet of water. 538 00:23:40,540 --> 00:23:43,540 At this depth, I'll have to monitor my computer carefully, 539 00:23:43,540 --> 00:23:46,540 remaining on the bottom for no longer than 15 minutes 540 00:23:46,540 --> 00:23:49,540 before risking decompression sickness. 541 00:23:49,540 --> 00:23:53,540 Passing 50 feet, no sign of anything yet. 542 00:23:53,540 --> 00:23:56,540 Come on, the fire should be coming in. 543 00:23:56,540 --> 00:24:02,540 Then out of the haze comes a shadow, a shadow that soon takes on an unmistakable shape. 544 00:24:02,540 --> 00:24:05,540 Wreckage! We've got wreckage down here! 545 00:24:07,540 --> 00:24:09,540 That's part of the ship. 546 00:24:12,540 --> 00:24:17,540 Scattered along the bottom is rusted machinery from the SS Pulaski. 547 00:24:17,540 --> 00:24:19,540 The ship is now in the water. 548 00:24:19,540 --> 00:24:21,540 The ship is now in the water. 549 00:24:21,540 --> 00:24:26,540 Scattered along the bottom is rusted machinery from the SS Pulaski. 550 00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:29,540 Some sort of equipment from the ship, baby. 551 00:24:29,540 --> 00:24:32,540 Another part of the boiler system. 552 00:24:34,540 --> 00:24:36,540 Josh, look at this. 553 00:24:38,540 --> 00:24:42,540 Nearby, something even more extraordinary. 554 00:24:43,540 --> 00:24:46,540 Remains of the ship herself. 555 00:24:47,540 --> 00:24:49,540 Oh, my word! 556 00:24:49,540 --> 00:24:53,540 What? We've got part of the actual ship here! 557 00:24:54,540 --> 00:24:57,540 I cannot believe this is preserved! 558 00:24:57,540 --> 00:24:58,540 Look at this! 559 00:24:58,540 --> 00:25:00,540 Look at this! 560 00:25:00,540 --> 00:25:02,540 This is something we never expected. 561 00:25:02,540 --> 00:25:06,540 The blowers have exposed some of the actual ribs of the ship, 562 00:25:06,540 --> 00:25:10,540 not seen since her fateful voyage nearly two centuries ago. 563 00:25:10,540 --> 00:25:15,540 The wood looks perfectly preserved and insane! 564 00:25:16,540 --> 00:25:21,540 But I'm reminded that this ship also took 128 souls down with her. 565 00:25:21,540 --> 00:25:25,540 Though the team I'm here with are salvaging the wreck in accordance with maritime law, 566 00:25:25,540 --> 00:25:28,540 none of them lose sight of the history. 567 00:25:28,540 --> 00:25:33,540 Each item they find is part of a dramatic and tragic human story. 568 00:25:34,540 --> 00:25:37,540 Such a strange feeling seeing all of this. 569 00:25:37,540 --> 00:25:38,540 Wow! 570 00:25:39,540 --> 00:25:42,540 I have less than 10 minutes of bottom time remaining. 571 00:25:42,540 --> 00:25:46,540 Luckily, Captain Rodney has discovered another historical treasure, 572 00:25:46,540 --> 00:25:49,540 the very nails that held the ship together. 573 00:25:49,540 --> 00:25:53,540 Unreal! Looks like a copper spike here! 574 00:25:53,540 --> 00:25:56,540 Okay, get ready. I'm going to blow some sand. 575 00:25:58,540 --> 00:26:03,540 Captain Rodney uses an underwater scooter to clear sand from around the wreckage. 576 00:26:04,540 --> 00:26:08,540 Now, it's time to let the metal detectors get to work. 577 00:26:08,540 --> 00:26:12,540 An earpiece tucked under my mask strap will beep if it gets ahead. 578 00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:17,540 Up in here! Keep clearing! 579 00:26:22,540 --> 00:26:25,540 I've got something! Got something here! I got a head! 580 00:26:28,540 --> 00:26:33,540 Josh! What have you got? Holy s***! Holy s***! 581 00:26:38,540 --> 00:26:42,540 It's a mass of coins! They're all encrusted. 582 00:26:42,540 --> 00:26:49,540 Most likely silver, yeah? Looks like one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, ten. 583 00:26:49,540 --> 00:26:53,540 I've got something! I've got something here! I've got a head! 584 00:26:54,540 --> 00:26:58,540 Josh! What have you got? Holy s***! 585 00:26:58,540 --> 00:27:02,540 Coins! Yes! It's a mass of coins! 586 00:27:02,540 --> 00:27:06,540 They're all encrusted. Most likely silver, yeah? 587 00:27:06,540 --> 00:27:15,540 Looks like one, two, three, four, five, six, gold! There's a gold coin in here! Look at this! 588 00:27:15,540 --> 00:27:16,540 Woohoo! 589 00:27:16,540 --> 00:27:23,540 I have only four minutes of bottom time remaining, but as we furiously metal detect, the excitement continues. 590 00:27:24,540 --> 00:27:27,540 I got a coin! Another coin! 591 00:27:29,540 --> 00:27:32,540 And another! Oh! My c***! 592 00:27:32,540 --> 00:27:34,540 C***! 593 00:27:35,540 --> 00:27:40,540 We continue to scan the sand around the timbers, even though my computer is screaming at me. 594 00:27:40,540 --> 00:27:46,540 In fact, I've got such treasure fever that another diver has to remind me to leave. 595 00:27:46,540 --> 00:27:49,540 Okay, okay! Let's head up to the surface. 596 00:27:50,540 --> 00:27:53,540 Low on air and out of time, we retreat from the bottom. 597 00:27:54,540 --> 00:28:01,540 The metal boiler pieces and coins mean we've probably just discovered somewhere behind the midsection of the ship, 598 00:28:01,540 --> 00:28:04,540 and clearly there's much more down there to be found. 599 00:28:08,540 --> 00:28:16,540 Unbelievable! Woo! Oh man! You got wreckage down there! Unbelievable, dude! Are you kidding me? 600 00:28:16,540 --> 00:28:21,540 We got coins! We got coins! We got coins! We got a whole cluster of those. Are there silver things? 601 00:28:21,540 --> 00:28:24,540 Silver coins, yes. Silver coins, and it looks like there's a gold embedded in there. 602 00:28:24,540 --> 00:28:26,540 I believe there's one on the leaf. Nice! 603 00:28:26,540 --> 00:28:29,540 You got the goods, right? I got them. I got them. 604 00:28:29,540 --> 00:28:31,540 Do not drop it! 605 00:28:31,540 --> 00:28:35,540 We carefully transfer the coins and ourselves back on board the boat. 606 00:28:35,540 --> 00:28:39,540 I love that you put it in a crowned royal bag. It's a high-class operation out here, I had no idea. 607 00:28:39,540 --> 00:28:41,540 Only the best. Only the best. Only the best. 608 00:28:41,540 --> 00:28:43,540 Alright, come on. Okay, here we go. 609 00:28:43,540 --> 00:28:47,540 I mean, come on! Look at this. You're sweet. 610 00:28:47,540 --> 00:28:49,540 Are you kidding me? Look at this. Beautiful. 611 00:28:49,540 --> 00:28:56,540 That's a spike. That's why it's all clumped, because this iron started to concrete before the silver did. 612 00:28:56,540 --> 00:28:59,540 So it stuck them all to it. 613 00:28:59,540 --> 00:29:04,540 So one, two, three, four, five, and... dude! 614 00:29:04,540 --> 00:29:06,540 Oh, gold! Yes! Gold! 615 00:29:06,540 --> 00:29:08,540 Nice. Sweet. 616 00:29:08,540 --> 00:29:11,540 And then, look at this. Oh, nice. There is more. 617 00:29:11,540 --> 00:29:18,540 Depending on the year and condition of these coins, I could be holding a few thousand or tens of thousands of dollars in my hand. 618 00:29:18,540 --> 00:29:20,540 What is your move now? What do you do with these? 619 00:29:20,540 --> 00:29:24,540 Now this stuff will go to NGC, an artifact conservation lab. 620 00:29:24,540 --> 00:29:25,540 Okay. 621 00:29:25,540 --> 00:29:32,540 And they have processes that they use to clean all of this stuff up, separate it, get rid of the concretion. 622 00:29:32,540 --> 00:29:34,540 So what, do you pop these in the mail? 623 00:29:34,540 --> 00:29:36,540 No, not exactly. We hand deliver them. 624 00:29:36,540 --> 00:29:37,540 Hand deliver them? 625 00:29:37,540 --> 00:29:38,540 You up for a drive? 626 00:29:38,540 --> 00:29:39,540 With this stuff? Yeah. 627 00:29:39,540 --> 00:29:42,540 Yeah, you might not see me again, but I'll drive away, for sure. 628 00:29:42,540 --> 00:29:44,540 We'll send an escort. 629 00:29:45,540 --> 00:29:51,540 Before investigating our other target, the Blue Water Rose needs to return to port to refuel and resupply. 630 00:29:51,540 --> 00:29:56,540 So I say goodbye for now and catch a flight from Wilmington to Sarasota, Florida. 631 00:29:56,540 --> 00:29:59,540 Thankful that the TSA didn't check the contents of my carry-on. 632 00:30:01,540 --> 00:30:08,540 I'm here to meet up with Mark's contact at the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation, also known as NGC. 633 00:30:09,540 --> 00:30:16,540 Numismatics, aside from being fun to say, is the study or collecting of coins, metals and paper money. 634 00:30:16,540 --> 00:30:22,540 And NGC is one of the world's foremost authorities on conserving and grading rare coins. 635 00:30:26,540 --> 00:30:27,540 Hey. 636 00:30:27,540 --> 00:30:28,540 Hey, Josh. 637 00:30:28,540 --> 00:30:29,540 Dave, nice to meet you. 638 00:30:29,540 --> 00:30:30,540 Dave, how are you? 639 00:30:30,540 --> 00:30:31,540 Craig, nice to meet you. 640 00:30:31,540 --> 00:30:32,540 Craig, nice to meet you as well. 641 00:30:32,540 --> 00:30:33,540 Okay, I have a lot of questions for you. 642 00:30:33,540 --> 00:30:34,540 Okay. 643 00:30:34,540 --> 00:30:38,540 So your customers are who? Dealers, collectors, crazy shipwreck hunters? 644 00:30:38,540 --> 00:30:42,540 Exactly. So we go from our collectors all the way up to mints. 645 00:30:42,540 --> 00:30:46,540 U.S. mints, world mints, it's the whole gamut in between. We do it all. 646 00:30:46,540 --> 00:30:51,540 And when we say that you're grading coins, that means you're determining their quality? 647 00:30:51,540 --> 00:30:54,540 That's true. First we make sure is the coin real. That's a basis. 648 00:30:54,540 --> 00:31:00,540 And then from there, yes, it's the coin new. Is it worn? Is it have a scratch on it? 649 00:31:00,540 --> 00:31:03,540 And everything in between, we do a full evaluation on the coin. 650 00:31:03,540 --> 00:31:08,540 And along with grading them, you're actually cleaning them. You're conserving the coins, right? 651 00:31:08,540 --> 00:31:12,540 We'll take all the grease, all the grime off the surface and reveal the coin beneath. 652 00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:17,540 Okay. Well, I brought you a few goodies today that I think might be on the more challenging side. 653 00:31:17,540 --> 00:31:18,540 Great. Let's go to the lab. 654 00:31:18,540 --> 00:31:20,540 To the lab. Let's do it. 655 00:31:20,540 --> 00:31:28,540 Dave leads me to NGC's Conservation Lab, where they've examined everything the blue water rose has pulled up from the Pulaski. 656 00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:29,540 Right in here, Josh. 657 00:31:29,540 --> 00:31:30,540 Okay. 658 00:31:30,540 --> 00:31:32,540 Wow. Look at this. 659 00:31:32,540 --> 00:31:33,540 Hey. 660 00:31:33,540 --> 00:31:35,540 Josh, this is Ryan. He's our chief lab tech. 661 00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:36,540 Oh, yeah. 662 00:31:36,540 --> 00:31:42,540 And he's been working all this cool Pulaski stuff. Why don't we put on our safety glasses and gloves and he can show us some neat stuff. 663 00:31:42,540 --> 00:31:43,540 Sure. 664 00:31:43,540 --> 00:31:46,540 So, this is all from the Pulaski? 665 00:31:46,540 --> 00:31:50,540 Yes, it's all actually from the Pulaski. What we have here is a key. 666 00:31:50,540 --> 00:31:52,540 My fingers aren't going to melt off. 667 00:31:52,540 --> 00:31:57,540 No, no, no. This is very safe chemical that we use in the lab. Look at that. 668 00:31:57,540 --> 00:31:59,540 What is it attached to? 669 00:31:59,540 --> 00:32:03,540 I don't know. It looks like it could be a tag for something. Maybe it is what the key was for. 670 00:32:03,540 --> 00:32:06,540 Maybe it said it was some room or the boiler room and who knew. 671 00:32:06,540 --> 00:32:07,540 Some iron piece. 672 00:32:07,540 --> 00:32:08,540 Yeah, some iron piece. Is that awesome? 673 00:32:08,540 --> 00:32:09,540 It's amazing. 674 00:32:09,540 --> 00:32:10,540 A lot of history in your hands. 675 00:32:10,540 --> 00:32:12,540 Yeah. Okay. And? 676 00:32:12,540 --> 00:32:15,540 This one was actually a wax seal they used to use. 677 00:32:15,540 --> 00:32:19,540 Look at that. So, this would be if you were sealing a letter or a document. 678 00:32:19,540 --> 00:32:21,540 Correct. Right. 679 00:32:21,540 --> 00:32:23,540 That's incredible. 680 00:32:23,540 --> 00:32:26,540 This is actually a hair comb. 681 00:32:26,540 --> 00:32:31,540 Wow. You know, sometimes it's not the gold and silver stuff. 682 00:32:31,540 --> 00:32:33,540 It's the little personal items. 683 00:32:33,540 --> 00:32:34,540 Absolutely. 684 00:32:34,540 --> 00:32:37,540 That really make you feel connected. That's beautiful. 685 00:32:37,540 --> 00:32:38,540 And this guy? 686 00:32:38,540 --> 00:32:41,540 This is a pocket watch that was actually found in the wreck. 687 00:32:41,540 --> 00:32:45,540 Oh, come on. That is crazy. 688 00:32:45,540 --> 00:32:49,540 And Josh, if you carefully open that, you can notice the time. 689 00:32:49,540 --> 00:32:52,540 11.05. That's the moment of the explosion. 690 00:32:52,540 --> 00:32:53,540 Right. 691 00:32:53,540 --> 00:32:57,540 The watch I'm holding is literally frozen in time. 692 00:32:57,540 --> 00:33:02,540 Stopped forever at the exact moment the boilers exploded 693 00:33:02,540 --> 00:33:08,540 and the Pulaski sank, claiming the lives of nearly 130 passengers. 694 00:33:08,540 --> 00:33:12,540 It actually sort of gives you chills. I mean, it's eerie. 695 00:33:12,540 --> 00:33:14,540 That's amazing. 696 00:33:14,540 --> 00:33:19,540 Artifacts like this tell a story serving as a powerful reminder of the triumphs 697 00:33:19,540 --> 00:33:24,540 and the sins of the antebellum era, a history that generated tremendous wealth 698 00:33:24,540 --> 00:33:30,540 for a select few, a portion of which I've carried here for conservation and analysis. 699 00:33:30,540 --> 00:33:33,540 Wow, this is really fantastic. You see this? 700 00:33:33,540 --> 00:33:36,540 Did I see it? Are you kidding? I almost drowned. I was so excited. 701 00:33:36,540 --> 00:33:39,540 Wow. Look at that, Ryan. That's fantastic. 702 00:33:39,540 --> 00:33:41,540 So there's a gold coin, maybe another one in here. 703 00:33:41,540 --> 00:33:45,540 So what happens now, Ryan? How do we get from this to shiny coins? 704 00:33:45,540 --> 00:33:46,540 All right. 705 00:33:46,540 --> 00:33:50,540 We're going to do a three-step process, but the first process is to put it in these solutions. 706 00:33:50,540 --> 00:33:51,540 Okay. 707 00:33:51,540 --> 00:33:54,540 Ryan places the coins into a chemical bath. 708 00:33:54,540 --> 00:33:59,540 Over the course of days or even weeks, the solutions will gently eat away at the end crustacean, 709 00:33:59,540 --> 00:34:01,540 revealing the coins beneath. 710 00:34:01,540 --> 00:34:05,540 All right. So obviously we're not going to stand here for four or five days and watch this bubble. 711 00:34:05,540 --> 00:34:08,540 But do you have a sense of what these coins are? 712 00:34:08,540 --> 00:34:12,540 I do. I think I know what they are based on their size and shape 713 00:34:12,540 --> 00:34:14,540 and what's come off the Pulaski in the past. 714 00:34:14,540 --> 00:34:22,540 Dave leads me into the grading room where specialists evaluate currency ranging from ancient Rome to modern day. 715 00:34:22,540 --> 00:34:25,540 Let's talk about our coins, the ones from the Pulaski. 716 00:34:25,540 --> 00:34:26,540 Okay. 717 00:34:26,540 --> 00:34:27,540 What do you think they are? 718 00:34:27,540 --> 00:34:30,540 I think actually they were probably these two coins we see right here. 719 00:34:30,540 --> 00:34:33,540 And so these are Mexican eight-real coins. 720 00:34:33,540 --> 00:34:35,540 Which is like our silver dollar at the time. 721 00:34:35,540 --> 00:34:36,540 Right. 722 00:34:36,540 --> 00:34:38,540 And this one is actually from the Pulaski itself? 723 00:34:38,540 --> 00:34:39,540 It certainly is. 724 00:34:39,540 --> 00:34:41,540 And so today what would the value be of something like this? 725 00:34:41,540 --> 00:34:43,540 This is probably like a thousand dollars for that coin. 726 00:34:43,540 --> 00:34:44,540 Wow. 727 00:34:44,540 --> 00:34:49,540 So if there are five or six silver coins attached to that spike, 728 00:34:49,540 --> 00:34:52,540 just that one piece could be worth five or six grand. 729 00:34:52,540 --> 00:34:55,540 Yeah, but don't forget you also had the gold coin in there also. 730 00:34:55,540 --> 00:34:56,540 Right. So what's that gold coin? 731 00:34:56,540 --> 00:34:59,540 Well, let's take a look. 732 00:34:59,540 --> 00:35:03,540 Next, Dave shows me a set of half eagle gold coins, 733 00:35:03,540 --> 00:35:07,540 the same type he expects to find in the conglomerate from the wreck. 734 00:35:07,540 --> 00:35:10,540 We've got Liberty on there, 1836, the eagle in the back. 735 00:35:10,540 --> 00:35:11,540 Right. 736 00:35:11,540 --> 00:35:13,540 And the 5D, five dollars. 737 00:35:13,540 --> 00:35:15,540 Five dollars in the United States of America. 738 00:35:15,540 --> 00:35:17,540 And these also came off the Pulaski. 739 00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:18,540 They did. 740 00:35:18,540 --> 00:35:22,540 And the remarkable part about this is they literally show hardly anything wrong with them. 741 00:35:22,540 --> 00:35:23,540 Yeah. 742 00:35:23,540 --> 00:35:25,540 In fact, they look like the day they were just minted. 743 00:35:25,540 --> 00:35:30,540 So to find coins of this beauty and this originality is rare, 744 00:35:30,540 --> 00:35:31,540 which seems kind of contradictory. 745 00:35:31,540 --> 00:35:33,540 Right, because you've got all these rich folks on the ship. 746 00:35:33,540 --> 00:35:36,540 They're getting newly minted coins from the bank to take with them. 747 00:35:36,540 --> 00:35:37,540 Right. 748 00:35:37,540 --> 00:35:40,540 And then they get trapped after the shipwreck and the sand. 749 00:35:40,540 --> 00:35:41,540 Nobody ever touches them. 750 00:35:41,540 --> 00:35:42,540 They're like brand new. 751 00:35:42,540 --> 00:35:43,540 Right. 752 00:35:43,540 --> 00:35:49,540 Of the original 550,000 or so half eagles, the U.S. Treasury minted in 1836. 753 00:35:49,540 --> 00:35:51,540 Only a few thousand survive. 754 00:35:51,540 --> 00:35:57,540 The Pulaski coins, which have been stashed in the bank of the Atlantic for more than 180 years, 755 00:35:57,540 --> 00:36:00,540 are some of the best preserved examples on Earth. 756 00:36:00,540 --> 00:36:02,540 Could I spend this today, by the way? 757 00:36:02,540 --> 00:36:03,540 You absolutely can. 758 00:36:03,540 --> 00:36:04,540 That's legal tender. 759 00:36:04,540 --> 00:36:05,540 It's legal tender still. 760 00:36:05,540 --> 00:36:08,540 I can walk into a store and that would be worth five bucks. 761 00:36:08,540 --> 00:36:09,540 Correct. 762 00:36:09,540 --> 00:36:10,540 Not that you'd want to do that. 763 00:36:10,540 --> 00:36:11,540 Right. 764 00:36:11,540 --> 00:36:12,540 If I walk into my store, okay? 765 00:36:12,540 --> 00:36:13,540 Right. 766 00:36:13,540 --> 00:36:15,540 What's the finest of these four coins? 767 00:36:15,540 --> 00:36:16,540 It's the last coin here. 768 00:36:16,540 --> 00:36:17,540 May I? 769 00:36:17,540 --> 00:36:18,540 Oh, yeah. 770 00:36:18,540 --> 00:36:20,540 I mean, it looks brand new. 771 00:36:20,540 --> 00:36:21,540 Right. 772 00:36:21,540 --> 00:36:23,540 So this coin would be worth how much? 773 00:36:23,540 --> 00:36:24,540 Five grand? 774 00:36:24,540 --> 00:36:25,540 Six grand? 775 00:36:27,540 --> 00:36:28,540 Eight grand? 776 00:36:28,540 --> 00:36:30,540 Probably 30 to 40,000. 777 00:36:32,540 --> 00:36:35,540 This coin is worth 30 to 40,000 dollars? 778 00:36:35,540 --> 00:36:36,540 It's in your hand. 779 00:36:36,540 --> 00:36:37,540 Correct. 780 00:36:37,540 --> 00:36:38,540 Okay. 781 00:36:38,540 --> 00:36:40,540 I'm going to put that right back there. 782 00:36:40,540 --> 00:36:41,540 There you go. 783 00:36:41,540 --> 00:36:43,540 That's insane. 784 00:36:43,540 --> 00:36:48,540 Just the idea that there could be hundreds of these coins 785 00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:50,540 still down in that wreckage. 786 00:36:50,540 --> 00:36:51,540 Right. 787 00:36:51,540 --> 00:36:53,540 You're just talking about astronomical amounts of money here. 788 00:36:53,540 --> 00:36:54,540 Absolutely. 789 00:36:54,540 --> 00:36:59,540 And the mother load, chests of coins stored in the passenger cabins, 790 00:36:59,540 --> 00:37:01,540 have yet to be found. 791 00:37:01,540 --> 00:37:06,540 I receive word that the Blue Water Rose is about to return to the White River 792 00:37:06,540 --> 00:37:10,540 and that the White River is about to return to our second sonar target. 793 00:37:13,540 --> 00:37:17,540 So I hurry back to Wilmington, where I then catch a ride out to sea. 794 00:37:21,540 --> 00:37:24,540 Several hours later, and more than 40 miles from the coast, 795 00:37:24,540 --> 00:37:28,540 I find Mark and Rodney anchoring the ship over the sonar hip. 796 00:37:29,540 --> 00:37:34,540 Somewhere below us are the unseen remains of a historic American shipwreck, 797 00:37:34,540 --> 00:37:39,540 not to mention a bounty of more than 20 million dollars in gold and silver. 798 00:37:48,540 --> 00:37:49,540 Well, they're still out here. 799 00:37:49,540 --> 00:37:50,540 That's a good sign. 800 00:37:51,540 --> 00:37:52,540 How's it going, guys? 801 00:37:52,540 --> 00:37:53,540 Good. 802 00:37:53,540 --> 00:37:54,540 I'm happy you're here. 803 00:37:54,540 --> 00:37:56,540 So are we. 804 00:37:57,540 --> 00:38:00,540 I'm 40 miles off the coast of North Carolina, 805 00:38:00,540 --> 00:38:05,540 searching for the remains of the Pulaski, a steam ship that sank here in 1838. 806 00:38:08,540 --> 00:38:09,540 Great to see you. 807 00:38:09,540 --> 00:38:10,540 Good to see you. 808 00:38:10,540 --> 00:38:11,540 How you doing, man? 809 00:38:11,540 --> 00:38:12,540 How's it going out here? 810 00:38:12,540 --> 00:38:13,540 It's going great. 811 00:38:13,540 --> 00:38:14,540 Turn your pockets out. 812 00:38:14,540 --> 00:38:15,540 What do you got in there? 813 00:38:15,540 --> 00:38:16,540 I dumped it before you got here. 814 00:38:16,540 --> 00:38:17,540 Of course you did. 815 00:38:17,540 --> 00:38:18,540 Remember that really nice sonar hip we had? 816 00:38:18,540 --> 00:38:19,540 Hell yeah. 817 00:38:19,540 --> 00:38:20,540 That's where we are. 818 00:38:20,540 --> 00:38:21,540 You haven't been down there yet? 819 00:38:21,540 --> 00:38:22,540 No. 820 00:38:22,540 --> 00:38:23,540 Whatever that is, it's big. 821 00:38:23,540 --> 00:38:24,540 Yeah. 822 00:38:24,540 --> 00:38:28,540 When the Pulaski's boilers blew, the ship broke apart and scattered, 823 00:38:28,540 --> 00:38:30,540 creating a three-mile debris field. 824 00:38:30,540 --> 00:38:31,540 Let's go. 825 00:38:31,540 --> 00:38:32,540 Okay, it's in the water. 826 00:38:32,540 --> 00:38:36,540 Using side scan sonar, we were able to pinpoint two promising sites. 827 00:38:36,540 --> 00:38:38,540 Oh, oh, oh, look at this. 828 00:38:38,540 --> 00:38:39,540 More coming out. 829 00:38:39,540 --> 00:38:40,540 And it keeps going. 830 00:38:40,540 --> 00:38:41,540 Look at this. 831 00:38:41,540 --> 00:38:46,540 This second target is large enough to be a significant portion of the wreck, 832 00:38:46,540 --> 00:38:48,540 which has never been found. 833 00:38:49,540 --> 00:38:50,540 All right, cool. 834 00:38:50,540 --> 00:38:51,540 Let's do it. 835 00:38:51,540 --> 00:38:52,540 Let's get wet, guys. 836 00:38:52,540 --> 00:38:53,540 Come on. 837 00:38:53,540 --> 00:38:54,540 All right. 838 00:38:54,540 --> 00:38:57,540 While we suit up, Captain Rodney drops anchor. 839 00:38:58,540 --> 00:39:03,540 Rough seas are in the forecast, and he wants to make sure we don't drift too far off our target. 840 00:39:04,540 --> 00:39:07,540 Once we're geared up, we hit the water. 841 00:39:24,540 --> 00:39:26,540 Roger that. 842 00:39:26,540 --> 00:39:34,540 We're either a hundred feet from history or an ocean full of nothing. 843 00:39:34,540 --> 00:39:39,540 With conditions deteriorating topside, the water is less clear below. 844 00:39:39,540 --> 00:39:41,540 We're going to have to get to the bottom of the water. 845 00:39:41,540 --> 00:39:42,540 Roger that. 846 00:39:42,540 --> 00:39:43,540 Roger that. 847 00:39:43,540 --> 00:39:44,540 Roger that. 848 00:39:44,540 --> 00:39:45,540 Roger that. 849 00:39:45,540 --> 00:39:46,540 Roger that. 850 00:39:46,540 --> 00:39:47,540 Roger that. 851 00:39:47,540 --> 00:39:48,540 Roger that. 852 00:39:48,540 --> 00:39:49,540 Roger that. 853 00:39:49,540 --> 00:39:50,540 Roger that. 854 00:39:50,540 --> 00:39:51,540 Roger that. 855 00:39:51,540 --> 00:39:52,540 Roger that. 856 00:39:52,540 --> 00:39:53,540 Roger that. 857 00:39:53,540 --> 00:39:54,540 Roger that. 858 00:39:54,540 --> 00:39:57,540 You can see it getting unclear below. 859 00:40:05,540 --> 00:40:13,540 We continue the descent, straining to see the bottom and hoping for any sign of wreckage. 860 00:40:13,540 --> 00:40:23,540 Okay, the bottom is coming into view. 861 00:40:23,540 --> 00:40:25,540 Stand by. 862 00:40:25,540 --> 00:40:28,540 Josh, how's it look down there? 863 00:40:28,540 --> 00:40:33,540 Topside, we got debris down here. 864 00:40:33,540 --> 00:40:35,540 Huge pieces. 865 00:40:35,540 --> 00:40:37,540 Is it part of the wreck? 866 00:40:37,540 --> 00:40:40,540 It's metal for sure. 867 00:40:40,540 --> 00:40:43,540 It looks like I don't know it could be part of the engine maybe. 868 00:40:43,540 --> 00:40:46,540 It's definitely from the wreck. 869 00:40:46,540 --> 00:40:51,540 As I close in on our target, it becomes clear that the object is man-made, 870 00:40:51,540 --> 00:40:55,540 and that it's absolutely enormous. 871 00:40:55,540 --> 00:40:59,540 It's part of the ship? It is a massive part of the ship? 872 00:40:59,540 --> 00:41:01,540 Yes, outstanding. 873 00:41:01,540 --> 00:41:04,540 Can you make out anything specific? 874 00:41:04,540 --> 00:41:07,540 Iron, metal, everywhere. 875 00:41:07,540 --> 00:41:11,540 I think this is the engine, the whole engine area. 876 00:41:11,540 --> 00:41:13,540 Amazing. 877 00:41:13,540 --> 00:41:15,540 That means we're probably in the center section. 878 00:41:15,540 --> 00:41:18,540 This is a huge discovery. 879 00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:23,540 Prior to these scans, the exploded boiler was the only documented part of the wreck. 880 00:41:23,540 --> 00:41:26,540 Now, we know there's more here. Much more. 881 00:41:26,540 --> 00:41:30,540 This may be the entire engine area and sections aft. 882 00:41:30,540 --> 00:41:36,540 We circle the hulking remains of rusted machinery that hasn't been seen since the 1800s. 883 00:41:37,540 --> 00:41:40,540 There's debris everywhere. 884 00:41:40,540 --> 00:41:44,540 Let's get as much on film as possible so we can review it. 885 00:41:44,540 --> 00:41:46,540 We'll do our best. 886 00:41:46,540 --> 00:41:50,540 You got a big part of your shipwreck here, Mark. 887 00:41:50,540 --> 00:41:52,540 Absolutely incredible. 888 00:41:52,540 --> 00:41:58,540 Swimming past the towering hunks of twisted metal, I'm awestruck by the scale. 889 00:41:58,540 --> 00:42:02,540 This wreck is a crucial piece of nautical history. 890 00:42:02,540 --> 00:42:07,540 Spanning 200 feet, the Pulaski was the most high-tech and luxurious vessel of its day, 891 00:42:07,540 --> 00:42:10,540 a marvel from the steam age. 892 00:42:10,540 --> 00:42:13,540 Bring home some goodies, Josh. 893 00:42:13,540 --> 00:42:15,540 I'll see what I can find. 894 00:42:15,540 --> 00:42:17,540 I'm standing. 895 00:42:17,540 --> 00:42:23,540 With limited bottom time and a storm brewing topside, we drop to the sand and begin to metal detect. 896 00:42:23,540 --> 00:42:26,540 It's hot. Bottom's iron around here. 897 00:42:26,540 --> 00:42:29,540 Immediately, we start to get hits. 898 00:42:29,540 --> 00:42:31,540 Not sure what we're getting. 899 00:42:31,540 --> 00:42:35,540 And the Pulaski's treasures can't hide for long. 900 00:42:35,540 --> 00:42:38,540 Stop, stop, stop! What is that? 901 00:42:40,540 --> 00:42:45,540 That's gold! That's a coin! Unbelievable! 902 00:42:51,540 --> 00:42:58,540 Savannah's Chippewa Square Park is a popular destination for tourists, all because of one very special bench. 903 00:43:01,540 --> 00:43:07,540 The network always said that expedition unknown was like a box of chocolates. 904 00:43:07,540 --> 00:43:10,540 You never know what you're gonna get. 905 00:43:10,540 --> 00:43:13,540 Like, there's one episode we did. 906 00:43:13,540 --> 00:43:19,540 It was like a caramel, because we got into a real sticky situation. 907 00:43:19,540 --> 00:43:25,540 On this other show, it's like a pecan cluster, because things got real nutty real quick. 908 00:43:25,540 --> 00:43:27,540 I'm sorry, sir. I'm on the phone. Could you...? 909 00:43:27,540 --> 00:43:34,540 Well, I'm sorry, sir, but from this day on, whenever I talk to someone, I am punning! 910 00:43:37,540 --> 00:43:39,540 He just sat down next to me. I don't... 911 00:43:45,540 --> 00:43:47,540 Hey, stop, stop, stop! What is that? 912 00:43:50,540 --> 00:43:53,540 That's gold! That's a coin! 913 00:43:53,540 --> 00:43:55,540 Woohoo! Yes! Yes! 914 00:43:57,540 --> 00:43:59,540 Yes! We got a coin! 915 00:43:59,540 --> 00:44:02,540 Josh, the topside, do you read me? 916 00:44:02,540 --> 00:44:04,540 Topside here. 917 00:44:04,540 --> 00:44:06,540 Mark, I got a present down here for you. 918 00:44:06,540 --> 00:44:08,540 Is it nice and shiny? 919 00:44:08,540 --> 00:44:11,540 It sure is, man. We found a gold coin! 920 00:44:11,540 --> 00:44:12,540 Yes, yes! 921 00:44:12,540 --> 00:44:14,540 Unbelievable! 922 00:44:14,540 --> 00:44:18,540 The gold coin is a U.S. piece from 1836. 923 00:44:18,540 --> 00:44:20,540 Face value, $5. 924 00:44:20,540 --> 00:44:25,540 Value today, depending on the condition, tens of thousands of dollars. 925 00:44:27,540 --> 00:44:30,540 We scour the area, searching for more. 926 00:44:51,540 --> 00:44:55,540 Another one! Another one! Ha-ha! Nice! 927 00:44:56,540 --> 00:45:06,540 The salvage team manages to one-up the Crown Royal bag from our last dive with another special pneumismatic containment device, a SAC with a dollar sign on it. 928 00:45:08,540 --> 00:45:13,540 The excitement is nearly enough to make me forget that I can't stay down here forever. 929 00:45:13,540 --> 00:45:18,540 I am way out of bottom time. We gotta come up. We gotta go. Let's rock and roll! 930 00:45:18,540 --> 00:45:28,540 We kick our fins toward the light and pull back from the extraordinary wreckage and treasures of the SS Pulaski. 931 00:45:38,540 --> 00:45:43,540 Our discovery of the Pulaski's keel section and the paddle wheel area is historic, 932 00:45:44,540 --> 00:45:48,540 and will help reveal more lost details about her sinking. 933 00:45:50,540 --> 00:45:54,540 Topside, our coins are catalogued and added to the haul. 934 00:45:54,540 --> 00:46:01,540 These two gold coins, plus the materials I brought to the lab at NGC, tally nearly $100,000. 935 00:46:01,540 --> 00:46:09,540 In the days that follow, 33 more gold coins are discovered and nearly 100 silver coins. 936 00:46:09,540 --> 00:46:17,540 To date, the team has uncovered more than 700 coins, as well as haunting historic artifacts from the night of the explosion. 937 00:46:20,540 --> 00:46:27,540 As I journey home, I make one last stop, a quiet churchyard on South Carolina's Edisto Island. 938 00:46:28,540 --> 00:46:34,540 Here, a weathered obelisk stands in memory of parishioners who died aboard the Pulaski. 939 00:46:35,540 --> 00:46:40,540 Among them, a 15-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. 940 00:46:40,540 --> 00:46:47,540 It is the only real memorial to a nearly forgotten disaster that took the lives of so many. 941 00:46:54,540 --> 00:47:00,540 The coins recovered from the wreck have immense monetary value and were a heart-stopping thrill to uncover. 942 00:47:01,540 --> 00:47:06,540 But the true value of the treasures here runs deeper. 943 00:47:08,540 --> 00:47:15,540 They are a snapshot of America as it stood at 11.05 p.m. on June 14, 1838. 944 00:47:17,540 --> 00:47:21,540 A nation so young that our minted currency was just emerging, 945 00:47:23,540 --> 00:47:27,540 and a place where vast wealth was forged in the furnace of human bondage. 946 00:47:28,540 --> 00:47:33,540 Missing from the ranks of those aboard are the unnamed servants and crew, 947 00:47:33,540 --> 00:47:37,540 enslaved people who sailed on an unwilling voyage. 948 00:47:38,540 --> 00:47:46,540 They died alongside some of the wealthiest citizens of the South, as the ocean claimed the powerful and powerless alike. 949 00:47:48,540 --> 00:47:53,540 It has taken 180 years, but now both are being remembered.