1 00:00:00,567 --> 00:00:02,546 This is the steamship Pulaski. 2 00:00:02,570 --> 00:00:03,736 Wow, look at this. 3 00:00:05,171 --> 00:00:07,617 [dramatic music playing] 4 00:00:07,641 --> 00:00:10,587 A second engineer poured very cold water 5 00:00:10,611 --> 00:00:13,623 into a boiling copper boiler... 6 00:00:13,647 --> 00:00:15,614 - [explosion] - ...and created a bomb. 7 00:00:17,550 --> 00:00:20,964 We think that there was $100,000 8 00:00:20,988 --> 00:00:22,466 face value of coins. 9 00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:25,902 We translate that to today's value and that's roughly how much money? 10 00:00:25,926 --> 00:00:27,459 It's in the tens of millions of dollars. 11 00:00:31,331 --> 00:00:33,399 [dramatic music playing] 12 00:00:35,535 --> 00:00:36,546 [Josh Gates] In the water. 13 00:00:36,570 --> 00:00:38,215 What is this? 14 00:00:38,239 --> 00:00:41,974 - This coin is worth $30,000 to $40,000? - Correct. 15 00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:44,254 [Josh over radio] It's part of a ship! 16 00:00:44,278 --> 00:00:46,757 It is a massive part of a ship! 17 00:00:46,781 --> 00:00:48,947 It actually sort of gives you chills. I mean, it's eerie. 18 00:00:50,350 --> 00:00:52,362 Holy [bleep]! Holy! 19 00:00:52,386 --> 00:00:54,731 There's a gold coin in here. Look at this! 20 00:00:54,755 --> 00:00:56,655 [dramatic music playing] 21 00:00:59,659 --> 00:01:01,760 [dramatic music playing] 22 00:01:07,267 --> 00:01:09,579 The year is 1838, 23 00:01:09,603 --> 00:01:12,883 the age of the steam engine is in full roar. 24 00:01:12,907 --> 00:01:16,620 Ocean journeys that once lasted weeks now take mere days. 25 00:01:16,644 --> 00:01:18,522 A luxury available to anyone 26 00:01:18,546 --> 00:01:20,479 who can afford the steep fare. 27 00:01:21,781 --> 00:01:24,961 On the night of June 14th, the SS Pulaski, 28 00:01:24,985 --> 00:01:28,765 a brand-new state-of-the-art sidewheel steamer 29 00:01:28,789 --> 00:01:31,068 set sail out of Savannah, Georgia. 30 00:01:31,092 --> 00:01:34,171 She is loaded with the city's wealthiest citizens 31 00:01:34,195 --> 00:01:36,740 and some of their most valuable belongings 32 00:01:36,764 --> 00:01:40,444 headed north for a summer in cooler climates. 33 00:01:40,468 --> 00:01:44,347 As she passes about 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina, 34 00:01:44,371 --> 00:01:49,519 the Pulaski suddenly suffers a catastrophic explosion. 35 00:01:49,543 --> 00:01:52,422 Blasting her sidewheels clear off their axle 36 00:01:52,446 --> 00:01:57,094 and turning the entire midsection of the ship into splinters. 37 00:01:57,118 --> 00:01:59,896 Those passengers who don't die instantly 38 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,066 watched the ship crack in half and sink. 39 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:06,336 Nearly 130 lives are lost. 40 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,139 It's been called the Titanic of the south. 41 00:02:09,163 --> 00:02:10,974 And for almost two centuries 42 00:02:10,998 --> 00:02:14,611 the shipwreck's location has remained a maritime mystery. 43 00:02:14,635 --> 00:02:17,180 That is until a group of salvage experts 44 00:02:17,204 --> 00:02:21,251 recently discovered what they believe to be the Pulaski's boiler. 45 00:02:21,275 --> 00:02:24,121 Now, using top-of-the-line technology 46 00:02:24,145 --> 00:02:25,989 they're launching a new mission 47 00:02:26,013 --> 00:02:27,891 to find the rest of the ship. 48 00:02:27,915 --> 00:02:29,893 But there's another prize. 49 00:02:29,917 --> 00:02:31,761 It's believed the ship was carrying 50 00:02:31,785 --> 00:02:35,866 more than $20 million worth of rare coins. 51 00:02:35,890 --> 00:02:40,203 So, to help the team find the Pulaski and her cargo 52 00:02:40,227 --> 00:02:43,306 I'll be facing deep water, rough conditions 53 00:02:43,330 --> 00:02:45,041 and turbulent history. 54 00:02:45,065 --> 00:02:46,042 So get ready 55 00:02:46,066 --> 00:02:48,612 because adventure lies full steam ahead. 56 00:02:48,636 --> 00:02:50,736 [horn tooting] 57 00:02:52,372 --> 00:02:54,050 My name is Josh Gates. 58 00:02:54,074 --> 00:02:55,252 Hello! 59 00:02:55,276 --> 00:02:58,188 Explorer, adventurer... 60 00:02:58,212 --> 00:02:59,222 This is sick. 61 00:02:59,246 --> 00:03:00,624 Help! 62 00:03:00,648 --> 00:03:03,393 ...and a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 63 00:03:03,417 --> 00:03:04,294 Oh! [bleep] 64 00:03:04,318 --> 00:03:06,062 Woo! That was exciting. 65 00:03:06,086 --> 00:03:08,999 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained... 66 00:03:09,023 --> 00:03:10,033 [exclaims] 67 00:03:10,057 --> 00:03:11,601 ...I travel to the ends of the Earth, 68 00:03:11,625 --> 00:03:14,738 investigating the greatest legends in history. 69 00:03:14,762 --> 00:03:16,339 Okay, let's punch it. 70 00:03:16,363 --> 00:03:19,131 This is Expedition Unknown. 71 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:22,668 [guitar music playing] 72 00:03:23,636 --> 00:03:26,071 Wheels down. Savannah, Georgia. 73 00:03:26,606 --> 00:03:28,485 [horn tooting] 74 00:03:28,509 --> 00:03:31,588 The steamship Pulaski launched from these very docks 75 00:03:31,612 --> 00:03:33,490 and 183 years later 76 00:03:33,514 --> 00:03:36,782 the city remains a jewel of Southern preservation. 77 00:03:38,518 --> 00:03:41,164 It's the kind of place that envelops you. 78 00:03:41,188 --> 00:03:44,201 It sweeps you along with music and humidity. 79 00:03:44,225 --> 00:03:46,836 A place of neatly landscaped squares 80 00:03:46,860 --> 00:03:48,271 and stately mansions 81 00:03:48,295 --> 00:03:52,509 resting under the moss covered arms of towering oaks. 82 00:03:52,533 --> 00:03:55,545 This is the hostess city as she's long been known, 83 00:03:55,569 --> 00:03:59,049 a place that makes you realize that you never knew what hospitality meant. 84 00:03:59,073 --> 00:04:01,518 [both] We love Savannah! 85 00:04:01,542 --> 00:04:03,186 [Josh] Oh, and the food. 86 00:04:03,210 --> 00:04:04,476 I do declare. 87 00:04:05,478 --> 00:04:07,824 The Lowcountry boil has been a staple here 88 00:04:07,848 --> 00:04:10,260 for as long as folks have been pulling shrimp, 89 00:04:10,284 --> 00:04:14,086 crab, clams and crawfish from the mouth of the Savannah River. 90 00:04:23,563 --> 00:04:25,141 I'm gonna be here for awhile. 91 00:04:25,165 --> 00:04:26,209 Can I get a bib? 92 00:04:26,233 --> 00:04:29,045 In fact, from its founding in 1733 93 00:04:29,069 --> 00:04:32,449 life in Savannah has always revolved around the water. 94 00:04:32,473 --> 00:04:36,453 A history chronicled at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. 95 00:04:36,477 --> 00:04:39,556 This mansion belonged to one of the owners of the Savannah. 96 00:04:39,580 --> 00:04:42,592 The first steamship to cross the Atlantic. 97 00:04:42,616 --> 00:04:44,160 Amidst the museum's galleries 98 00:04:44,184 --> 00:04:48,131 I find New York Times best-selling author Patti Callahan, 99 00:04:48,155 --> 00:04:51,434 who recently wrote a novel about one of the south's most tragic 100 00:04:51,458 --> 00:04:54,237 and least known maritime accidents. 101 00:04:54,261 --> 00:04:57,607 And, Josh, this is the steamship Pulaski. 102 00:04:57,631 --> 00:04:58,675 [Josh] Wow. 103 00:04:58,699 --> 00:05:00,932 [dramatic music playing] 104 00:05:09,042 --> 00:05:11,621 When I was thinking early steamship 105 00:05:11,645 --> 00:05:13,857 I wasn't thinking about something like this. 106 00:05:13,881 --> 00:05:15,458 This thing looks like it was a behemoth. 107 00:05:15,482 --> 00:05:18,628 This thing was over 200 feet long which is 108 00:05:18,652 --> 00:05:22,732 more than twice the length of the ship that the colonists came over on. 109 00:05:22,756 --> 00:05:25,001 I have to say, and I'm sort of embarrassed to say, 110 00:05:25,025 --> 00:05:26,636 I have never heard this story. 111 00:05:26,660 --> 00:05:28,905 You're embarrassed? I researched Savannah, 112 00:05:28,929 --> 00:05:30,206 I write about Savannah 113 00:05:30,230 --> 00:05:34,177 and I had never heard of the steamship Pulaski disaster. 114 00:05:34,201 --> 00:05:37,747 You know, why isn't there a bigger historical record of this disaster? 115 00:05:37,771 --> 00:05:40,950 Some stories were just lost to time. 116 00:05:40,974 --> 00:05:44,020 [Josh] So I heard it referred to as the Titanic of the South. 117 00:05:44,044 --> 00:05:46,022 Is that a fair analogy? 118 00:05:46,046 --> 00:05:48,725 It's fair for loads of reasons. One is, 119 00:05:48,749 --> 00:05:50,860 there's not enough lifeboats. 120 00:05:50,884 --> 00:05:52,228 [Josh] It's just these four lifeboats? 121 00:05:52,252 --> 00:05:55,732 These four lifeboats for 190 passengers. 122 00:05:55,756 --> 00:05:57,334 - Wow. - But other than that, 123 00:05:57,358 --> 00:05:59,002 there was the innovation, 124 00:05:59,026 --> 00:06:01,504 the speed, the wealthy passengers, 125 00:06:01,528 --> 00:06:03,006 - the hubris. - Mmm. 126 00:06:03,030 --> 00:06:04,841 But while the sinking of the Titanic 127 00:06:04,865 --> 00:06:07,043 has been called a night to remember, 128 00:06:07,067 --> 00:06:10,513 the Pulaski has been largely forgotten, until now. 129 00:06:10,537 --> 00:06:12,582 This ship was designed to do what? 130 00:06:12,606 --> 00:06:14,551 It was designed to go fast 131 00:06:14,575 --> 00:06:16,486 and it was designed to be impressive. 132 00:06:16,510 --> 00:06:17,987 Why is she so fast? 133 00:06:18,011 --> 00:06:20,023 [Patti Callahan] She has two sidewheels 134 00:06:20,047 --> 00:06:22,158 and they're three storeys high. 135 00:06:22,182 --> 00:06:23,293 It was impressive. 136 00:06:23,317 --> 00:06:26,062 So this is, for its day, really high-tech? 137 00:06:26,086 --> 00:06:27,097 Yes. 138 00:06:27,121 --> 00:06:30,633 But we are only 30 years into steamship technology. 139 00:06:30,657 --> 00:06:33,536 Think about the first 30 years of aviation technology. 140 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,072 - Lot of accidents. - [bell dings] 141 00:06:36,096 --> 00:06:37,273 [Josh] Despite the risks, 142 00:06:37,297 --> 00:06:39,776 passage on the Pulaski was in high demand. 143 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,011 The ship's route began in Savannah 144 00:06:42,035 --> 00:06:45,749 where it would steam north to pick up more passengers in Charleston, 145 00:06:45,773 --> 00:06:48,351 before continuing to Baltimore, Maryland. 146 00:06:48,375 --> 00:06:50,387 All in just two days. 147 00:06:50,411 --> 00:06:53,523 Less than half the time it took old steamers. 148 00:06:53,547 --> 00:06:55,492 Let's talk about who's on board the Pulaski. 149 00:06:55,516 --> 00:06:58,027 These must have been very wealthy citizens. 150 00:06:58,051 --> 00:07:01,064 Very wealthy citizens but they were also from all over. 151 00:07:01,088 --> 00:07:03,666 We had influential families of the south 152 00:07:03,690 --> 00:07:06,236 including the owner of the ship. 153 00:07:06,260 --> 00:07:07,170 Lamar. 154 00:07:07,194 --> 00:07:09,939 Gazaway Bugg Lamar. 155 00:07:09,963 --> 00:07:11,975 [Josh] Gazaway Bugg Lamar, 156 00:07:11,999 --> 00:07:13,877 which, I promise, is a real name, 157 00:07:13,901 --> 00:07:15,745 was a wealthy merchant in Savannah 158 00:07:15,769 --> 00:07:19,149 who invested early in nascent steamship technology 159 00:07:19,173 --> 00:07:22,519 and commissioned the Pulaski in 1837. 160 00:07:22,543 --> 00:07:24,254 He's so proud of his new ship 161 00:07:24,278 --> 00:07:26,122 that he brings along his wife, 162 00:07:26,146 --> 00:07:27,991 six children, his sister 163 00:07:28,015 --> 00:07:30,460 and his niece on the voyage. 164 00:07:30,484 --> 00:07:33,296 Gazaway Bugg Lamar originally made his money 165 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,899 as many of the south's landed gentry did. 166 00:07:35,923 --> 00:07:37,467 In the cotton business. 167 00:07:37,491 --> 00:07:39,035 To be crystal clear, 168 00:07:39,059 --> 00:07:42,605 that meant he and many of the wealthy passengers on board 169 00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:44,307 were slave owners. 170 00:07:44,331 --> 00:07:46,242 Were there slaves aboard the Pulaski? 171 00:07:46,266 --> 00:07:48,178 There were a few. If you think about it, 172 00:07:48,202 --> 00:07:50,914 - this ship is headed to free lands. - Right. 173 00:07:50,938 --> 00:07:53,783 So they don't bring their enslaved with them. 174 00:07:53,807 --> 00:07:55,552 - [Josh] Okay. - [Patti] Maybe some domestic help. 175 00:07:55,576 --> 00:07:57,987 [Josh] And are they counted in the ship's manifest? 176 00:07:58,011 --> 00:08:00,390 They are. They aren't named with last names 177 00:08:00,414 --> 00:08:02,292 and sometimes they aren't named at all. 178 00:08:02,316 --> 00:08:04,060 [Josh] The enslaved people on board, 179 00:08:04,084 --> 00:08:05,628 while listed as passengers, 180 00:08:05,652 --> 00:08:08,832 were denied actual names on the ship's manifest. 181 00:08:08,856 --> 00:08:11,167 So we don't know who they were. 182 00:08:11,191 --> 00:08:13,203 Other passengers we do know about 183 00:08:13,227 --> 00:08:16,439 include former New York congressman William B. Rochester 184 00:08:16,463 --> 00:08:19,576 whose father founded the city that bears his name. 185 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,345 These wealthy passengers also brought something else 186 00:08:22,369 --> 00:08:24,247 aboard the Pulaski. Money. 187 00:08:24,271 --> 00:08:26,883 They would pack it with them for the summer. 188 00:08:26,907 --> 00:08:29,252 - [Josh] Right. - [Patti] If you think about it there was no paper money. 189 00:08:29,276 --> 00:08:31,955 So the coins... There's gold, there's silver, 190 00:08:31,979 --> 00:08:33,756 and they pack them in these trunks 191 00:08:33,780 --> 00:08:36,081 - because they're gonna be gone for months. - [Josh] Right. 192 00:08:37,016 --> 00:08:39,462 Today, these early mint U.S. coins 193 00:08:39,486 --> 00:08:42,932 are extremely rare and highly prized by collectors. 194 00:08:42,956 --> 00:08:46,369 A single coin can fetch tens of thousands of dollars. 195 00:08:46,393 --> 00:08:48,438 Which means a fortune estimated 196 00:08:48,462 --> 00:08:51,997 at more than $20 million was lost when the Pulaski sank. 197 00:08:53,900 --> 00:08:55,778 She leaves Savannah when? 198 00:08:55,802 --> 00:08:59,749 She leaves on June 13th, 1838 at 8:00 a.m. 199 00:08:59,773 --> 00:09:01,484 [bell dings] 200 00:09:01,508 --> 00:09:04,120 Ninety passengers got on board in Savannah 201 00:09:04,144 --> 00:09:06,511 and 60 more got on in Charleston. 202 00:09:07,346 --> 00:09:09,559 [Josh] Then, just after 11:00 p.m. 203 00:09:09,583 --> 00:09:13,329 in the darkness of the Atlantic, disaster strikes. 204 00:09:13,353 --> 00:09:15,365 [Patti] They're sailing towards Baltimore 205 00:09:15,389 --> 00:09:18,301 when the boiler on the starboard side 206 00:09:18,325 --> 00:09:19,691 goes dry. 207 00:09:20,793 --> 00:09:22,205 And the second engineer 208 00:09:22,229 --> 00:09:24,040 poured very cold water 209 00:09:24,064 --> 00:09:27,443 into a boiling copper boiler. 210 00:09:27,467 --> 00:09:28,967 And created a bomb. 211 00:09:31,804 --> 00:09:35,318 [Josh] The Pulaski's boiler explodes with tremendous force 212 00:09:35,342 --> 00:09:37,854 sending the three storey high paddle wheels 213 00:09:37,878 --> 00:09:39,455 sailing off their axle 214 00:09:39,479 --> 00:09:42,926 and blowing a gaping hole in the midsection of the ship. 215 00:09:42,950 --> 00:09:44,894 Only 45 minutes later, 216 00:09:44,918 --> 00:09:48,932 the last traces of the vessel are swallowed up by the sea. 217 00:09:48,956 --> 00:09:50,366 [Patti] Going back to the Titanic, 218 00:09:50,390 --> 00:09:52,135 it sinks in the same way. 219 00:09:52,159 --> 00:09:54,003 Meaning it collapses in the middle. 220 00:09:54,027 --> 00:09:56,372 - Right. - And the bow and the aft go upwards. 221 00:09:56,396 --> 00:09:59,208 And so these 190 passengers, 222 00:09:59,232 --> 00:10:01,744 - what becomes of them? - The captain was never seen again. 223 00:10:01,768 --> 00:10:04,581 First Mate Hibbert helped people get on the life rafts. 224 00:10:04,605 --> 00:10:06,449 Of the four life rafts, 225 00:10:06,473 --> 00:10:08,518 only two were seaworthy. 226 00:10:08,542 --> 00:10:11,120 - [scoffs] Of course. - Only two. 227 00:10:11,144 --> 00:10:13,957 [Josh] While a few are able to ride it out in lifeboats, 228 00:10:13,981 --> 00:10:17,393 other Pulaski survivors cling to pieces of the deck, 229 00:10:17,417 --> 00:10:20,396 hanging on for the next five days and nights 230 00:10:20,420 --> 00:10:22,465 until a schooner rescues them. 231 00:10:22,489 --> 00:10:25,368 And so of the 190 passengers how many survived? 232 00:10:25,392 --> 00:10:26,970 - Fifty-nine. - That's it? 233 00:10:26,994 --> 00:10:28,972 That's it. 234 00:10:28,996 --> 00:10:32,008 [Josh] The Pulaski was lost for nearly two centuries. 235 00:10:32,032 --> 00:10:33,710 That is, until a few years ago 236 00:10:33,734 --> 00:10:35,445 when a pair of salvage experts 237 00:10:35,469 --> 00:10:39,471 claimed to find part of her remains off the coast of North Carolina. 238 00:10:41,140 --> 00:10:44,420 After thanking Patti for sharing the story of the Pulaski with me, 239 00:10:44,444 --> 00:10:47,423 I leave Savannah in the rearview and drive north 240 00:10:47,447 --> 00:10:49,826 to meet the men who may have found her. 241 00:10:49,850 --> 00:10:52,028 I motor 300 miles from Savannah 242 00:10:52,052 --> 00:10:55,353 to the historic port of Wilmington, North Carolina. 243 00:10:56,789 --> 00:10:59,969 At the junction of the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean, 244 00:10:59,993 --> 00:11:02,839 Wilmington has been a center of maritime commerce 245 00:11:02,863 --> 00:11:05,341 since long before the American Revolution. 246 00:11:05,365 --> 00:11:08,277 I make my way to nearby Wrightsville Beach 247 00:11:08,301 --> 00:11:11,714 where I charter a boat to take me offshore. 248 00:11:11,738 --> 00:11:15,885 I soon see why the Pulaski has been such an elusive wreck. 249 00:11:15,909 --> 00:11:18,988 We steamed for nearly three hours away from the coast 250 00:11:19,012 --> 00:11:21,190 and out into open ocean. 251 00:11:21,214 --> 00:11:24,494 Finally, I spot salvage vessel the Blue Water Rose, 252 00:11:24,518 --> 00:11:26,229 and a pair of her crew. 253 00:11:26,253 --> 00:11:28,520 Micah Eldred and Captain Mark Martin. 254 00:11:29,321 --> 00:11:31,234 Got it. Woo! 255 00:11:31,258 --> 00:11:33,136 All right. Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Josh. 256 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:34,937 Nice to meet you, Josh. I'm Mark. 257 00:11:34,961 --> 00:11:36,272 - Hey, josh. Micah. - Micah. 258 00:11:36,296 --> 00:11:37,407 Nice to meet you. 259 00:11:37,431 --> 00:11:39,409 [Josh] Micah's company Blue Water Ventures 260 00:11:39,433 --> 00:11:41,911 with its President and CEO Keith Webb 261 00:11:41,935 --> 00:11:43,980 has already found treasure from ships 262 00:11:44,004 --> 00:11:46,416 like the Spanish galleon Santa Margarita 263 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,851 and the Steamship North Carolina. 264 00:11:48,875 --> 00:11:53,156 But right now, all of their attention is focused on finding the Pulaski. 265 00:11:53,180 --> 00:11:55,024 Welcome to the Blue Water Rose. 266 00:11:55,048 --> 00:11:57,126 - Let's head forward and get you settled. - All right. Let's do it. 267 00:11:57,150 --> 00:11:58,761 Come on. You guys are out here. 268 00:11:58,785 --> 00:12:00,697 - [Mark Martin] We're out here. - You're are out here. 269 00:12:00,721 --> 00:12:02,965 [Josh] How far offshore are we right now? 270 00:12:02,989 --> 00:12:05,868 [Micah Eldred] We're more than 40 miles offshore. 271 00:12:05,892 --> 00:12:06,958 Where are we anchored? 272 00:12:07,059 --> 00:12:10,306 We're on top of a part of the wreck of the Pulaski. 273 00:12:10,330 --> 00:12:11,507 It's here? It's under us? 274 00:12:11,531 --> 00:12:12,775 - Yes. - Part of it is under us. Yes. 275 00:12:12,799 --> 00:12:14,343 - Really? - Yes. Absolutely. 276 00:12:14,367 --> 00:12:16,546 - You sure about that? - We're positive sure about that. 277 00:12:16,570 --> 00:12:19,782 I mean, I don't see a lot of landmarks around here, Micah. 278 00:12:19,806 --> 00:12:21,517 Locating the wreck originally wasn't easy 279 00:12:21,541 --> 00:12:23,853 but today we're confident that we're on top of it. 280 00:12:23,877 --> 00:12:25,321 And how do we know that? 281 00:12:25,345 --> 00:12:27,490 Easiest way to tell you is to show you, 282 00:12:27,514 --> 00:12:29,525 so why don't you get suited up 283 00:12:29,549 --> 00:12:31,527 and get in the water and see what's underneath us. 284 00:12:31,551 --> 00:12:33,518 No time like the present. Let's get wet. Come on. 285 00:12:34,954 --> 00:12:36,621 I suit up and dive in. 286 00:12:40,059 --> 00:12:43,773 The waters are choppy and the current is ripping. 287 00:12:43,797 --> 00:12:47,632 Fortunately, the crew has left a shot line I can follow down to the bottom 288 00:12:48,634 --> 00:12:51,002 which rest at just over 100 feet. 289 00:12:53,372 --> 00:12:55,473 [dramatic music playing] 290 00:13:04,083 --> 00:13:06,395 As I dropped down my view is obscured 291 00:13:06,419 --> 00:13:08,653 by swarming schools of fish. 292 00:13:12,958 --> 00:13:15,171 I make my way through the fish-nado 293 00:13:15,195 --> 00:13:16,661 and approached the bottom. 294 00:13:20,533 --> 00:13:22,278 On the barren ocean floor 295 00:13:22,302 --> 00:13:24,514 shipwrecks become artificial reefs. 296 00:13:24,538 --> 00:13:27,105 An oasis for all kinds of sea life. 297 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,408 Something big is down here. 298 00:13:35,314 --> 00:13:36,681 [dramatic music playing] 299 00:13:46,225 --> 00:13:47,625 [Josh speaking] 300 00:13:53,032 --> 00:13:55,645 Sitting on the otherwise featureless sandy bottom 301 00:13:55,669 --> 00:13:58,381 lies a huge mass of twisted metal. 302 00:13:58,405 --> 00:14:00,316 Part of mammoth steam boilers 303 00:14:00,340 --> 00:14:02,919 that once powered the SS Pulaski. 304 00:14:02,943 --> 00:14:05,454 The so called Titanic of the South 305 00:14:05,478 --> 00:14:07,957 before it exploded off the Carolina coast 306 00:14:07,981 --> 00:14:09,380 in 1838. 307 00:14:20,326 --> 00:14:21,604 At 11:05 p.m., 308 00:14:21,628 --> 00:14:23,906 cold water dumped into a hot boiler 309 00:14:23,930 --> 00:14:26,175 created a reaction so powerful 310 00:14:26,199 --> 00:14:29,011 that it literally blew the sidewheels off the Pulaski 311 00:14:29,035 --> 00:14:31,147 and cracked the ship in half. 312 00:14:31,171 --> 00:14:35,206 This mangled wreckage is all that's left on this part of the sea floor. 313 00:14:43,349 --> 00:14:45,628 At this depth I don't have the luxury 314 00:14:45,652 --> 00:14:47,518 of investigating for long. 315 00:14:50,322 --> 00:14:52,323 [dramatic music playing] 316 00:14:55,027 --> 00:14:56,205 Huge! 317 00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:57,807 - Huge piece of machinery down there. - Yeah. Yeah. 318 00:14:57,831 --> 00:14:59,475 That looks like it could be a boiler. 319 00:14:59,499 --> 00:15:01,344 - See all the riveting on it and stuff. It's old. - Yeah. 320 00:15:01,368 --> 00:15:03,045 So, pretty good evidence. 321 00:15:03,069 --> 00:15:04,981 I mean, what else would be sitting out here 322 00:15:05,005 --> 00:15:07,049 that looks like it's from that era that's that size? 323 00:15:07,073 --> 00:15:08,784 And we've got another piece of evidence 324 00:15:08,808 --> 00:15:11,487 that proves that this is the Pulaski. 325 00:15:11,511 --> 00:15:13,389 - Okay. - Found a candlestick. 326 00:15:13,413 --> 00:15:15,958 And on the inside of that candlestick 327 00:15:15,982 --> 00:15:18,527 was engraved SS Pulaski. 328 00:15:18,551 --> 00:15:20,296 Get out of here. 329 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:21,564 After drying off, 330 00:15:21,588 --> 00:15:25,134 Micah shows me what else they found. 331 00:15:25,158 --> 00:15:28,137 Oh, you got the goods up here. Now, look at this! 332 00:15:28,161 --> 00:15:31,574 All these things were actually found within about 100 feet of the boiler 333 00:15:31,598 --> 00:15:33,031 that you just dove on. 334 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:36,746 [Josh] The first haul the team brought up included 335 00:15:36,770 --> 00:15:39,115 personal effects from some of the passengers. 336 00:15:39,139 --> 00:15:41,884 And coins. Lots of coins 337 00:15:41,908 --> 00:15:45,321 which they've now shielded inside protective containers. 338 00:15:45,345 --> 00:15:47,924 All right, so the thing that jumps out at me first of all 339 00:15:47,948 --> 00:15:50,126 is that they seem like they're from all over. 340 00:15:50,150 --> 00:15:52,461 This is from Bogota. This is Colombian. 341 00:15:52,485 --> 00:15:53,896 [Micah] That's right. 342 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,299 - [Josh] This says Bolivia. - [Micah] Yes, minted in Bolivia. 343 00:15:56,323 --> 00:15:58,301 - And Great Britain mixed in. - [Micah] Yes. 344 00:15:58,325 --> 00:16:00,002 So why coinage from all over? 345 00:16:00,026 --> 00:16:03,005 At the time of the sinking, um, 346 00:16:03,029 --> 00:16:06,442 the United States didn't have enough of its own mintage 347 00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:07,777 to support the economy. 348 00:16:07,801 --> 00:16:09,478 Foreign currency was legal tender 349 00:16:09,502 --> 00:16:11,347 up until mid-1850s. 350 00:16:11,371 --> 00:16:13,416 So you can use gold and silver 351 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,217 coinage from anywhere in the world? 352 00:16:15,241 --> 00:16:16,552 [Micah] It was all done by weight. 353 00:16:16,576 --> 00:16:19,088 They didn't care if the gold was from 354 00:16:19,112 --> 00:16:21,524 - Mexico, or United Kingdom-- - [Josh] Or Colombia. 355 00:16:21,548 --> 00:16:24,827 - Great Britain or Colombia. - So this ship is kind of a coin collector's dream. 356 00:16:24,851 --> 00:16:27,964 Well, that's what's really interesting for us is because 357 00:16:27,988 --> 00:16:31,634 the time period, some of these coins can be really rare. 358 00:16:31,658 --> 00:16:34,270 And so a perfect example is this little coin. 359 00:16:34,294 --> 00:16:35,404 [Josh] This is a U.S. coin? 360 00:16:35,428 --> 00:16:37,540 [Micah] It is and it's a $5 base amount. 361 00:16:37,564 --> 00:16:40,376 This is a 1836 $5 coin. 362 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,045 This is, what, a quarter ounce? 363 00:16:43,069 --> 00:16:45,181 Exactly. It's about a quarter of an ounce of gold. 364 00:16:45,205 --> 00:16:49,251 So the value of the gold here is about 365 00:16:49,275 --> 00:16:51,187 - four hundred, 500 bucks? - [Micah] That's right. 366 00:16:51,211 --> 00:16:53,422 Okay. But the value of the coin? 367 00:16:53,446 --> 00:16:56,314 This particular coin would exceed $10,000. 368 00:16:57,649 --> 00:17:00,518 [Josh] This coin is worth $10,000? 369 00:17:01,053 --> 00:17:02,865 So now my mind is reeling. 370 00:17:02,889 --> 00:17:04,600 Like, what else could be down there? 371 00:17:04,624 --> 00:17:07,169 Based on the archival research, 372 00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:09,271 we think that there was 373 00:17:09,295 --> 00:17:13,476 around $100,000 face value of coins. 374 00:17:13,500 --> 00:17:16,012 We translate that to today's collectible value 375 00:17:16,036 --> 00:17:17,613 and that's roughly how much money? 376 00:17:17,637 --> 00:17:19,670 It's in the ten of millions of dollars. 377 00:17:21,006 --> 00:17:22,918 Well, now I see why you guys are out here 378 00:17:22,942 --> 00:17:24,153 all this way offshore. 379 00:17:24,177 --> 00:17:28,257 All right, so the $10,000 question is, 380 00:17:28,281 --> 00:17:31,627 where are these coins coming from and how do you find more of them? 381 00:17:31,651 --> 00:17:34,830 The answer lies at the stern of the Blue Water Rose 382 00:17:34,854 --> 00:17:38,134 where Mark is keep wreck hunting missile. 383 00:17:38,158 --> 00:17:40,503 I was not aware there were weapons on board. 384 00:17:40,527 --> 00:17:42,872 Well, it's not a destructive weapon. 385 00:17:42,896 --> 00:17:44,106 It's a technological weapon. 386 00:17:44,130 --> 00:17:46,142 - Yes, so-- - It's a side scanning sonar. 387 00:17:46,166 --> 00:17:49,545 [Josh] By dragging this torpedo called a Towfish through the water 388 00:17:49,569 --> 00:17:52,181 side scan sonar will use sound waves 389 00:17:52,205 --> 00:17:55,985 to map the ocean floor and everything resting on it. 390 00:17:56,009 --> 00:17:58,554 We need this why? I mean, we're sitting right on top of the boilers. 391 00:17:58,578 --> 00:18:01,424 We are but you'll notice that there wasn't anything else around. 392 00:18:01,448 --> 00:18:02,925 No, that's right. It was just white sand. 393 00:18:02,949 --> 00:18:04,126 So it exploded. 394 00:18:04,150 --> 00:18:06,595 So we know that there's debris 395 00:18:06,619 --> 00:18:09,098 scattered in at least a two to three miles radius. 396 00:18:09,122 --> 00:18:10,633 - Two to three miles? - Yes. 397 00:18:10,657 --> 00:18:14,303 You gotta remember it took 45 minutes for this thing to sink. 398 00:18:14,327 --> 00:18:16,739 Right. In terms of these coins, 399 00:18:16,763 --> 00:18:19,141 and the really valuable items on board the ship, 400 00:18:19,165 --> 00:18:21,744 is there a part of the ship you think they were in? 401 00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:25,381 The aft section is probably where the majority 402 00:18:25,405 --> 00:18:27,283 of the gold and silver are. 403 00:18:27,307 --> 00:18:30,486 [Josh] Most of the coins would have been stowed in passenger cabins 404 00:18:30,510 --> 00:18:32,777 located in the rear half of the vessel. 405 00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:35,324 To hunt for more of the wreck 406 00:18:35,348 --> 00:18:37,326 Mark and I rig the Towfish 407 00:18:37,350 --> 00:18:40,451 and carefully bring it to the back of the boat to deploy. 408 00:18:41,286 --> 00:18:42,932 - Okay. - [Mark] All right. 409 00:18:42,956 --> 00:18:44,266 [Josh] Here we go. 410 00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:46,357 [dramatic music playing] 411 00:18:48,026 --> 00:18:49,171 Okay. 412 00:18:49,195 --> 00:18:50,639 Towfish in the water. 413 00:18:50,663 --> 00:18:52,608 All right. Let's go see what she sees. 414 00:18:52,632 --> 00:18:54,132 After you, come on. 415 00:18:56,368 --> 00:18:58,747 Here we go. Fingers crossed. 416 00:18:58,771 --> 00:19:01,050 - [Mark] We've got data. - [Josh] All right, she's running. 417 00:19:01,074 --> 00:19:02,551 So let's talk about what we are looking for 418 00:19:02,575 --> 00:19:04,286 other than a giant steamship. 419 00:19:04,310 --> 00:19:06,322 I mean, what would jump out at you in here? 420 00:19:06,346 --> 00:19:10,526 Anything that has a pretty decent size, 421 00:19:10,550 --> 00:19:12,728 - four-five meters or bigger. - Yeah. 422 00:19:12,752 --> 00:19:14,196 A complete circles 423 00:19:14,220 --> 00:19:17,133 - and right angles rarely happen in nature. - Yeah. 424 00:19:17,157 --> 00:19:18,767 So that's something to look at. 425 00:19:18,791 --> 00:19:20,436 If it's sitting high up 426 00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:23,572 you're gonna see a shadow off to one side or the other. 427 00:19:23,596 --> 00:19:25,508 So that's something to look at. 428 00:19:25,532 --> 00:19:28,533 All right. Well, let's do some watching. 429 00:19:31,069 --> 00:19:33,616 The Blue Water Rose runs along a straight path 430 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,217 for more than a mile and a half 431 00:19:35,241 --> 00:19:37,041 before changing course. 432 00:19:37,409 --> 00:19:38,988 Making a turn! 433 00:19:39,012 --> 00:19:40,156 [Mark] Roger! 434 00:19:40,180 --> 00:19:41,957 Let me know when we start the next line! 435 00:19:41,981 --> 00:19:43,292 Copy! 436 00:19:43,316 --> 00:19:44,515 All right. Coming around. 437 00:19:45,184 --> 00:19:47,251 [dramatic music playing] 438 00:19:52,391 --> 00:19:53,736 Ah, look, there's something. 439 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,037 [Josh] Yeah, there's something right there. 440 00:19:55,061 --> 00:19:57,173 [Mark] That thing's probably about four-five meters. 441 00:19:57,197 --> 00:19:58,841 But it's not big enough 442 00:19:58,865 --> 00:20:00,309 - and there's nothing around it. - Right. 443 00:20:00,333 --> 00:20:02,444 There's no debris field. There's just something sitting there. 444 00:20:02,468 --> 00:20:04,446 Yeah, it could be something that could've fallen off a boat. 445 00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:05,915 Right. That can be anything. 446 00:20:05,939 --> 00:20:07,271 - Yeah. - Okay. 447 00:20:08,140 --> 00:20:10,019 And this is how it goes. 448 00:20:10,043 --> 00:20:11,520 Search in a straight line... 449 00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:14,023 Making a turn to starboard! 450 00:20:14,047 --> 00:20:17,259 ...turn and repeat. 451 00:20:17,283 --> 00:20:21,230 Sonar scanning may not be the most glamorous part of a salvage operation 452 00:20:21,254 --> 00:20:24,600 but it's important to maintain razor sharp focus at all times 453 00:20:24,624 --> 00:20:26,190 while collecting data. 454 00:20:31,096 --> 00:20:33,976 Because good things come to those who wait. 455 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,144 - Oh, there we go! - Oh! 456 00:20:35,168 --> 00:20:37,213 - Look at that. Look at that. - There you go. Boom. 457 00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:39,215 - All right, we mark that as a target. - What... 458 00:20:39,239 --> 00:20:41,217 - There was a bunch of stuff there. - Yeah. 459 00:20:41,241 --> 00:20:43,018 And it looked kind of like, 460 00:20:43,042 --> 00:20:45,721 something coming out and then something turned off to the side. 461 00:20:45,745 --> 00:20:47,122 Looked like to the right. Looked like two pieces. 462 00:20:47,146 --> 00:20:49,458 -[Josh] That's cool. -[Mark] Yeah. That's worth looking at. 463 00:20:49,482 --> 00:20:51,927 -All right. Well, we got a target. -Okay. 464 00:20:51,951 --> 00:20:55,453 [Josh] We marked the sonar hit and continue mowing the lawn. 465 00:20:56,955 --> 00:20:58,467 Oh, there's some debris there. 466 00:20:58,491 --> 00:21:00,202 - Oh, big pieces. - [Josh] There's something. 467 00:21:00,226 --> 00:21:01,537 [Mark] Something big is coming in. 468 00:21:01,561 --> 00:21:04,940 That's gotta be five or six meters. Outrageous. 469 00:21:04,964 --> 00:21:06,475 Oh, oh, whoa. Look at this! More coming in. 470 00:21:06,499 --> 00:21:09,311 And it keeps going! Look at this! 471 00:21:09,335 --> 00:21:11,046 Yeah, huge. 472 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:13,048 That thing's at least 20 meters long. 473 00:21:13,072 --> 00:21:15,417 I mean, there's something sitting down there that's 60 feet long. 474 00:21:15,441 --> 00:21:18,053 [Mark] Yeah. And you've got a defined trail coming off-- 475 00:21:18,077 --> 00:21:19,521 All of this looks like a debris. Look at that. 476 00:21:19,545 --> 00:21:22,391 [Mark] Yeah. That stuff is obviously manmade. 477 00:21:22,415 --> 00:21:23,592 We gotta look at that. 478 00:21:23,616 --> 00:21:26,295 That's absolutely something we're gonna look at quickly. 479 00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:28,497 - So we got two killer targets right now. - Yeah. 480 00:21:28,521 --> 00:21:30,499 - Should we dive the first one? - Absolutely. 481 00:21:30,523 --> 00:21:33,035 All right. Let's get wet. Come on. 482 00:21:33,059 --> 00:21:36,538 The Blue Water Rose returns to the coordinates of the first target 483 00:21:36,562 --> 00:21:39,341 and sets a multi-point anchor. 484 00:21:39,365 --> 00:21:42,244 A small runabout is used to drag a large anchor 485 00:21:42,268 --> 00:21:46,448 from the stern of the ship 300 feet out to the side of the vessel. 486 00:21:46,472 --> 00:21:49,451 The same process is repeated on the other side. 487 00:21:49,475 --> 00:21:51,220 Along with the anchor off the bow 488 00:21:51,244 --> 00:21:54,890 the ship is now pinned in three places over the site. 489 00:21:54,914 --> 00:21:58,160 And that's because the Blue Water Rose is about to do something 490 00:21:58,184 --> 00:21:59,895 she was never designed for. 491 00:21:59,919 --> 00:22:02,931 - How are we doing? - We're exactly over the spot that we wanna blow 492 00:22:02,955 --> 00:22:04,800 so now we're about to drop the blowers. 493 00:22:04,824 --> 00:22:07,536 Now these are something you do not see on most boats? 494 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,073 No. The common name for these is called mailboxes. 495 00:22:11,097 --> 00:22:13,942 - Right. This is like Mel Fisher territory, right? - Um... Yeah. 496 00:22:13,966 --> 00:22:15,377 Yeah, he's the one that made them popular. 497 00:22:15,401 --> 00:22:18,447 [Josh] Mel Fisher is a legend among treasure hunters. 498 00:22:18,471 --> 00:22:21,483 In the 1960s, he pioneered blowers like these 499 00:22:21,507 --> 00:22:25,554 which helped him salvage a wrecked Spanish galleon called the Atocha. 500 00:22:25,578 --> 00:22:28,490 And recover 40 tons of gold and silver 501 00:22:28,514 --> 00:22:31,427 worth a cool half a billion dollars. 502 00:22:31,451 --> 00:22:33,751 - Okay. Well, let's grab them. - All right. 503 00:22:36,988 --> 00:22:42,071 The two massive mailbox blowers are lowered and pivoted into position. 504 00:22:42,095 --> 00:22:45,307 Under the boat, one of divers from the Blue Water Rose 505 00:22:45,331 --> 00:22:47,431 then pins them against the hull. 506 00:22:48,934 --> 00:22:51,347 After that, it's time to fire up the engine 507 00:22:51,371 --> 00:22:52,514 and stand back. 508 00:22:52,538 --> 00:22:54,605 [dramatic music playing] 509 00:22:58,076 --> 00:22:59,388 The engine revs 510 00:22:59,412 --> 00:23:02,124 and the propellers direct massive torrents of water 511 00:23:02,148 --> 00:23:04,293 straight down toward the sea floor 512 00:23:04,317 --> 00:23:06,829 clearing sand from the bottom and hopefully 513 00:23:06,853 --> 00:23:09,420 exposing whatever is hiding below. 514 00:23:16,194 --> 00:23:17,473 To find out what we've uncovered, 515 00:23:17,497 --> 00:23:20,909 Captain Rodney, tech diver Adam Drewbecker and I 516 00:23:20,933 --> 00:23:23,134 get kitted and take the plunge. 517 00:23:37,749 --> 00:23:40,985 We descend through the blue toward the sea floor. 518 00:23:42,087 --> 00:23:45,167 Like the boiler site, we're still in over 100 feet 519 00:23:45,191 --> 00:23:46,935 of water, at this depth, 520 00:23:46,959 --> 00:23:49,171 I'll have to monitor my computer carefully, 521 00:23:49,195 --> 00:23:52,341 remaining on the bottom for no longer than 15 minutes 522 00:23:52,365 --> 00:23:54,632 before risking decompression sickness. 523 00:23:59,204 --> 00:24:02,373 [man speaking] 524 00:24:05,343 --> 00:24:07,990 [Josh] Then, out of the haze, comes a shadow. 525 00:24:08,014 --> 00:24:12,049 A shadow that soon takes on an unmistakable shape. 526 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:24,706 Scattered along the bottom is rusted machinery 527 00:24:24,730 --> 00:24:26,597 from the SS Pulaski. 528 00:24:38,877 --> 00:24:42,313 [Josh] Nearby, something even more extraordinary. 529 00:24:43,915 --> 00:24:46,450 Remains of the ship herself. 530 00:25:00,232 --> 00:25:02,811 This is something we never expected. 531 00:25:02,835 --> 00:25:06,381 The blowers have exposed some of the actual ribs of the ship, 532 00:25:06,405 --> 00:25:10,407 not seen since her fateful voyage nearly two centuries ago. 533 00:25:16,348 --> 00:25:18,894 But I'm reminded that this ship also took 534 00:25:18,918 --> 00:25:21,530 128 souls down with her, 535 00:25:21,554 --> 00:25:23,999 though the team I'm here with are salvaging the wreck 536 00:25:24,023 --> 00:25:25,968 in accordance with maritime law, 537 00:25:25,992 --> 00:25:28,370 none of them lose sight of the history, 538 00:25:28,394 --> 00:25:31,340 each item they find is part of a dramatic 539 00:25:31,364 --> 00:25:33,330 and tragic human story. 540 00:25:39,204 --> 00:25:42,184 I have less than 10 minutes of bottom time remaining. 541 00:25:42,208 --> 00:25:44,453 Luckily, Captain Rodney has discovered 542 00:25:44,477 --> 00:25:46,388 another historical treasure, 543 00:25:46,412 --> 00:25:49,480 the very nails that held the ship together. 544 00:25:53,184 --> 00:25:56,253 [Rodney speaking] 545 00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:01,003 Captain Rodney uses an underwater scooter 546 00:26:01,027 --> 00:26:03,594 to clear sand from around the wreckage. 547 00:26:04,963 --> 00:26:08,210 Now, it's time to let the metal detectors get to work, 548 00:26:08,234 --> 00:26:11,113 an earpiece tucked under my mask strap will beep, 549 00:26:11,137 --> 00:26:12,636 if it gets a hit. 550 00:26:22,347 --> 00:26:23,614 [device beeping] 551 00:26:40,198 --> 00:26:42,166 [Josh speaking] 552 00:26:48,273 --> 00:26:50,741 [device beeping] 553 00:27:17,102 --> 00:27:19,615 [Josh] I have only four minutes of bottom time remaining, 554 00:27:19,639 --> 00:27:21,883 but as we furiously metal detect, 555 00:27:21,907 --> 00:27:23,574 the excitement continues. 556 00:27:30,949 --> 00:27:32,349 [laughs] 557 00:27:35,020 --> 00:27:37,599 We continue to scan the sand around the timbers, 558 00:27:37,623 --> 00:27:40,736 even though my computer is screaming at me. 559 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,105 In fact, I've got such treasure fever 560 00:27:43,129 --> 00:27:45,963 that another diver has to remind me to leave. 561 00:27:46,498 --> 00:27:50,134 [man speaking] 562 00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:53,771 Low on air, and out of time, we retreat from the bottom. 563 00:27:54,773 --> 00:27:57,386 The metal boiler pieces and coins mean 564 00:27:57,410 --> 00:27:59,921 we probably just discovered somewhere behind 565 00:27:59,945 --> 00:28:01,390 the midsection of the ship. 566 00:28:01,414 --> 00:28:04,515 And clearly, there's much more down there to be found. 567 00:28:08,386 --> 00:28:10,332 Unbelievable. Whoo! 568 00:28:10,356 --> 00:28:13,769 Oh, man, you have wreckage down there. 569 00:28:13,793 --> 00:28:15,971 - [laughs] - Unbelievable, dude. 570 00:28:15,995 --> 00:28:17,773 Are you kidding me? We got coins. 571 00:28:17,797 --> 00:28:20,809 - We got coins... - We got coins, we got a whole cluster of those 572 00:28:20,833 --> 00:28:22,611 - other silvery things. - Silver coin, yes. 573 00:28:22,635 --> 00:28:25,147 Silver coins and it looks like there's a gold embedded in there. 574 00:28:25,171 --> 00:28:26,948 Nice, nice. 575 00:28:26,972 --> 00:28:29,117 - You got the goods, right? - I got 'em, I got 'em. 576 00:28:29,141 --> 00:28:31,219 Do not drop it. 577 00:28:31,243 --> 00:28:33,255 [Josh] We carefully transfer the coins, 578 00:28:33,279 --> 00:28:35,857 and ourselves back on board the boat. 579 00:28:35,881 --> 00:28:38,026 I love that you put it into Crown Royal bag, 580 00:28:38,050 --> 00:28:39,895 it's a high class operation out here, I had no idea. 581 00:28:39,919 --> 00:28:41,263 - Only the best. - Only the best. 582 00:28:41,287 --> 00:28:42,597 - Only the best. - All right, come on. 583 00:28:42,621 --> 00:28:46,068 - Okay, here we go. - I mean, come on. 584 00:28:46,092 --> 00:28:47,736 - Look at this... - That's sweet. 585 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:49,938 -Are you kidding me? Look at... -Beautiful. 586 00:28:49,962 --> 00:28:51,773 - That's spikes, so... - See this spike. 587 00:28:51,797 --> 00:28:54,543 That's why it's all clumped because this iron started 588 00:28:54,567 --> 00:28:56,545 - to concrete before the silver did. - [Josh] Right. 589 00:28:56,569 --> 00:28:59,147 So it's, it's stuck them all to it. 590 00:28:59,171 --> 00:29:02,484 Oh, yes, so, one, two, three, four, five, 591 00:29:02,508 --> 00:29:04,319 and, dude. 592 00:29:04,343 --> 00:29:06,154 - Oh, gold, yes. - Gold. 593 00:29:06,178 --> 00:29:07,823 Nice. 594 00:29:07,847 --> 00:29:09,791 Sweet, and then look at this. 595 00:29:09,815 --> 00:29:11,126 - Oh, nice. - [Josh] There is more. 596 00:29:11,150 --> 00:29:13,762 Depending on the year and condition of these coins, 597 00:29:13,786 --> 00:29:15,731 I could be holding a few thousand, 598 00:29:15,755 --> 00:29:18,500 or tens of thousands of dollars in my hand. 599 00:29:18,524 --> 00:29:20,969 What is your move now? What do you do with these? 600 00:29:20,993 --> 00:29:23,004 [man] Now this stuff will go to NGC, 601 00:29:23,028 --> 00:29:25,140 an artifact conservation lab. 602 00:29:25,164 --> 00:29:27,843 - [Josh] Okay. - And they have processes that they use 603 00:29:27,867 --> 00:29:31,213 to clean all of this stuff up, separate it. 604 00:29:31,237 --> 00:29:34,049 - Get rid of the concretion-- - What, you pop these in the mail? 605 00:29:34,073 --> 00:29:36,151 Uh, no, no exactly, we hand deliver 'em. 606 00:29:36,175 --> 00:29:38,120 - Hand deliver 'em. - You up for a drive? 607 00:29:38,144 --> 00:29:40,856 - With this stuff. - Yeah, yeah, you might not see me again. 608 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:45,227 - But I'll drive away for sure. [laughs] - We'll send an escort. 609 00:29:45,251 --> 00:29:47,262 Before investigating our other target, 610 00:29:47,286 --> 00:29:49,498 the Blue Water Rose needs to return to port 611 00:29:49,522 --> 00:29:52,868 to refuel and resupply, so I say goodbye for now, 612 00:29:52,892 --> 00:29:56,104 and catch a flight from Wilmington to Sarasota, Florida. 613 00:29:56,128 --> 00:29:58,273 Thankful that the TSA didn't check the contents 614 00:29:58,297 --> 00:29:59,596 of my carry on. 615 00:30:01,599 --> 00:30:03,745 I'm here to meet up with Mark's contact 616 00:30:03,769 --> 00:30:06,148 at the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, 617 00:30:06,172 --> 00:30:08,071 also known as NGC. 618 00:30:09,841 --> 00:30:12,420 Numismatics, aside from being fun to say, 619 00:30:12,444 --> 00:30:16,858 is the study or collecting of coins, metals, and paper money. 620 00:30:16,882 --> 00:30:19,194 And NGC is one of the world's foremost 621 00:30:19,218 --> 00:30:22,753 authorities on conserving and grading rare coins. 622 00:30:27,025 --> 00:30:29,204 - Hey. - Hey, Josh, Dave, nice to meet you. 623 00:30:29,228 --> 00:30:30,572 - Dave, how are you? - Craig, nice to meet you 624 00:30:30,596 --> 00:30:31,873 Craig, nice to meet you as well. 625 00:30:31,897 --> 00:30:33,608 Okay, I have a lot of questions for you. 626 00:30:33,632 --> 00:30:35,911 - Okay. - So your customers are who? 627 00:30:35,935 --> 00:30:38,446 Dealers, collectors, crazy shipwreck hunters? 628 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:41,016 Exactly, so we go from our collectors, 629 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,484 all the way up to mints, 630 00:30:42,508 --> 00:30:46,121 US mints, world mints, it's the whole gamut in between, we do it all. 631 00:30:46,145 --> 00:30:48,256 And when we say that you're grading coins. 632 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,226 - Right. - That means you're determining their quality? 633 00:30:51,250 --> 00:30:53,962 That's true. First we make sure is the coin real, 634 00:30:53,986 --> 00:30:55,530 that's a basis and then from there, yes, 635 00:30:55,554 --> 00:30:59,100 it... is the coin new, is it worn, 636 00:30:59,124 --> 00:31:01,603 does it have a scratch on it and everything in between, 637 00:31:01,627 --> 00:31:03,371 we do a full evaluation on the coin. 638 00:31:03,395 --> 00:31:06,408 And along with grading them, you're actually cleaning them, 639 00:31:06,432 --> 00:31:08,510 you're conserving the coins, right? 640 00:31:08,534 --> 00:31:11,012 We'll take all the grease, all the grime off the surface 641 00:31:11,036 --> 00:31:12,314 and reveal the coin beneath. 642 00:31:12,338 --> 00:31:14,349 Okay, well I brought you a few goodies today 643 00:31:14,373 --> 00:31:17,118 that I think might be on the more challenging side. 644 00:31:17,142 --> 00:31:20,110 - Great, well, let's go to the lab. All right. - To the lab. Let's do it. 645 00:31:20,945 --> 00:31:23,825 Dave leads me to NGC's conservation lab 646 00:31:23,849 --> 00:31:26,361 where they've examined everything the Blue Water Rose 647 00:31:26,385 --> 00:31:28,296 has pulled up from the Pulaski. 648 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:32,400 - Right here, Josh. - Okay. Wow, look at this. 649 00:31:32,424 --> 00:31:35,370 - Hey. - Josh, this is Ryan, he's our chief lab tech. 650 00:31:35,394 --> 00:31:36,538 Nice to meet you. 651 00:31:36,562 --> 00:31:39,140 And he's been working all this cool Pulaski stuff, 652 00:31:39,164 --> 00:31:41,343 why don't we put on our safety glasses and gloves 653 00:31:41,367 --> 00:31:44,212 - and he can show us some neat stuff. - Sure. 654 00:31:44,236 --> 00:31:46,248 So, this is all from the Pulaski? 655 00:31:46,272 --> 00:31:48,416 Yes, it's all actually from the Pulaski, 656 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,219 what we have here is a key. 657 00:31:51,243 --> 00:31:53,421 - My fingers aren't gonna melt off here. - No, no, 658 00:31:53,445 --> 00:31:55,824 this is very safe chemical that we use in the lab. 659 00:31:55,848 --> 00:31:59,294 Look at that. What is it attached to? 660 00:31:59,318 --> 00:32:01,129 I don't know, it looks like it could be a tag 661 00:32:01,153 --> 00:32:03,265 for something, maybe, is what the key was for, 662 00:32:03,289 --> 00:32:05,567 maybe it said it was some room with a boiler room 663 00:32:05,591 --> 00:32:07,769 - and some sort of iron piece. - Yes, some iron piece. 664 00:32:07,793 --> 00:32:09,437 - Is that awesome? - [Josh] It's amazing. 665 00:32:09,461 --> 00:32:11,439 A lot of history in your hands. 666 00:32:11,463 --> 00:32:14,943 - Okay, and... - This one was actually a wax seal. 667 00:32:14,967 --> 00:32:16,144 They used to use. 668 00:32:16,168 --> 00:32:19,180 Look at that, so this would be if you were sealing a letter 669 00:32:19,204 --> 00:32:21,138 - or a document. - [Dave] Correct. Right. 670 00:32:22,073 --> 00:32:23,573 That's incredible. 671 00:32:25,109 --> 00:32:26,922 This is actually a hair comb. 672 00:32:26,946 --> 00:32:28,056 Wow. 673 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:32,127 Sometimes, it's not the gold and silver stuff, 674 00:32:32,151 --> 00:32:34,162 -it's the little personal item -Absolutely. 675 00:32:34,186 --> 00:32:36,564 That you really make you feel connected. 676 00:32:36,588 --> 00:32:37,933 That's beautiful. 677 00:32:37,957 --> 00:32:40,035 - And this guy? - This is a pocket watch 678 00:32:40,059 --> 00:32:41,569 that was actually found in the wreck. 679 00:32:41,593 --> 00:32:43,393 Oh, come on. 680 00:32:43,995 --> 00:32:46,274 That is crazy. 681 00:32:46,298 --> 00:32:49,577 [Ryan] And, Josh, if you carefully open that, you can notice the time. 682 00:32:49,601 --> 00:32:52,580 11:05, that's the moment of the explosion? 683 00:32:52,604 --> 00:32:53,770 Right. 684 00:32:53,938 --> 00:32:57,152 The watch I'm holding is literally frozen in time. 685 00:32:57,176 --> 00:32:59,387 Stopped forever at the exact moment 686 00:32:59,411 --> 00:33:02,390 - the boilers exploded. - [explosion] 687 00:33:02,414 --> 00:33:04,859 And the Pulaski sank, claiming the lives 688 00:33:04,883 --> 00:33:07,384 of nearly 130 passengers. 689 00:33:08,453 --> 00:33:11,121 It actually sort of gives you chills, I mean It's eerie. 690 00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:13,969 That's amazing. 691 00:33:13,993 --> 00:33:16,237 Artifacts like this tell a story, 692 00:33:16,261 --> 00:33:18,974 serving as a powerful reminder of the triumphs, 693 00:33:18,998 --> 00:33:21,609 and the sins of the antebellum era, 694 00:33:21,633 --> 00:33:24,179 a history that generated tremendous wealth 695 00:33:24,203 --> 00:33:26,281 for a select few. 696 00:33:26,305 --> 00:33:30,885 A portion of which I've carried here for conservation and analysis. 697 00:33:30,909 --> 00:33:33,888 Wow, this is really fantastic. You see this? 698 00:33:33,912 --> 00:33:35,290 Did I see it, are you kidding? 699 00:33:35,314 --> 00:33:37,225 -I almost drowned. I was so excited. -Wow. 700 00:33:37,249 --> 00:33:38,460 Look at that, Ryan, huh? 701 00:33:38,484 --> 00:33:40,628 That's fantastic. So there's a gold coin 702 00:33:40,652 --> 00:33:41,763 maybe another one in here. 703 00:33:41,787 --> 00:33:42,964 So what happens now, Ryan, 704 00:33:42,988 --> 00:33:45,100 how do we get from this to shiny coins? 705 00:33:45,124 --> 00:33:47,168 Right, it's a multi-step process, 706 00:33:47,192 --> 00:33:49,738 but the first process is to put it in these solutions. 707 00:33:49,762 --> 00:33:50,972 Okay. 708 00:33:50,996 --> 00:33:53,608 [Josh] Ryan places the coins into a chemical bath. 709 00:33:53,632 --> 00:33:55,977 Over the course of days or even weeks. 710 00:33:56,001 --> 00:33:59,280 The solutions will gently eat away at the encrustation 711 00:33:59,304 --> 00:34:01,416 revealing the coins beneath. 712 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,118 All right, so obviously we're not going to stand here 713 00:34:03,142 --> 00:34:05,387 for four or five days and watch this bubble, 714 00:34:05,411 --> 00:34:08,423 but do you have a sense of what these coins are? 715 00:34:08,447 --> 00:34:10,558 I do. I think I know what they are based on 716 00:34:10,582 --> 00:34:14,896 their size and shape and what's come off the Pulaski in the past. 717 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:16,931 [Josh] Dave leads me into the grading room 718 00:34:16,955 --> 00:34:18,933 where specialists evaluate currency, 719 00:34:18,957 --> 00:34:22,904 ranging from ancient Rome to modern day. 720 00:34:22,928 --> 00:34:25,173 Let's talk about our coins, the ones from the Pulaski. 721 00:34:25,197 --> 00:34:26,741 - Okay. - What do you think they are? 722 00:34:26,765 --> 00:34:29,744 I think actually they were probably these two coins we see right here. 723 00:34:29,768 --> 00:34:33,014 And so these are Mexican eight Real coins. 724 00:34:33,038 --> 00:34:35,450 - Which is like our silver dollar at the time. Correct? - Right. 725 00:34:35,474 --> 00:34:37,485 [Josh] And this one is actually from the Pulaski itself? 726 00:34:37,509 --> 00:34:39,788 - It certainly is. - And so today, 727 00:34:39,812 --> 00:34:41,456 what would the value be of something like this? 728 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:45,026 - This is probably like $1,000 for that coin. - Wow. 729 00:34:45,050 --> 00:34:48,396 So if there are five or six silver coins 730 00:34:48,420 --> 00:34:49,964 attached to that spike. 731 00:34:49,988 --> 00:34:51,933 - Right. - Just that one piece could be worth 732 00:34:51,957 --> 00:34:53,902 - five or six grand. - Yeah, but don't forget, 733 00:34:53,926 --> 00:34:55,737 - he also had the gold coin in there also. - Right, 734 00:34:55,761 --> 00:34:57,005 so what's that gold coin? 735 00:34:57,029 --> 00:34:59,541 Well, let's take a look. 736 00:34:59,565 --> 00:35:03,244 Next, Dave shows me a set of half eagle gold coins, 737 00:35:03,268 --> 00:35:06,147 the same type he expects to find in the conglomerate 738 00:35:06,171 --> 00:35:07,482 from the wreck. 739 00:35:07,506 --> 00:35:10,852 You got Liberty on there, 1836, the eagle on the back. 740 00:35:10,876 --> 00:35:12,320 - Right. - And... 741 00:35:12,344 --> 00:35:14,089 - Five D. Five dollars. - Five dollars. 742 00:35:14,113 --> 00:35:15,857 And United States of America. 743 00:35:15,881 --> 00:35:18,193 - And these also came off the Pulaski. - They did 744 00:35:18,217 --> 00:35:19,861 and the remarkable part about this is 745 00:35:19,885 --> 00:35:22,464 they literally show hardly anything wrong with them. 746 00:35:22,488 --> 00:35:24,532 - Yeah. - In fact, they look like the day 747 00:35:24,556 --> 00:35:27,035 they were just minted, so to find coins 748 00:35:27,059 --> 00:35:30,205 of this beauty and this originality is rare, 749 00:35:30,229 --> 00:35:31,606 - which seems kind of contradictory. - Right. 750 00:35:31,630 --> 00:35:33,808 'Cause you've got all these rich folks on the ship, 751 00:35:33,832 --> 00:35:36,144 they're getting newly minted coins from the bank 752 00:35:36,168 --> 00:35:37,378 - to take with them. - [Dave] Right. 753 00:35:37,402 --> 00:35:39,547 And then they get trapped after the shipwreck 754 00:35:39,571 --> 00:35:41,950 in the sand. Nobody ever touches them. 755 00:35:41,974 --> 00:35:43,518 - They're like brand new. - Right. 756 00:35:43,542 --> 00:35:47,322 [Josh] Of the original 550,000 or so half Eagles, 757 00:35:47,346 --> 00:35:49,824 the US Treasury minted in 1836 758 00:35:49,848 --> 00:35:52,360 only a few thousand survive. 759 00:35:52,384 --> 00:35:54,596 The Pulaski coins, which have been stashed 760 00:35:54,620 --> 00:35:57,866 in the bank of the Atlantic for more than 180 years, 761 00:35:57,890 --> 00:36:00,524 are some of the best preserved examples on Earth. 762 00:36:01,325 --> 00:36:03,138 Could I spend this today, by the way? 763 00:36:03,162 --> 00:36:04,672 - You absolutely can. - That's legal tender? 764 00:36:04,696 --> 00:36:07,408 - It's legal tender still. - I could walk into a store 765 00:36:07,432 --> 00:36:09,511 - and that would be worth five bucks. - Correct. 766 00:36:09,535 --> 00:36:11,146 - Not that you'd want to do that. - Right. 767 00:36:11,170 --> 00:36:13,581 - But walk into my store, okay? - You're right. 768 00:36:13,605 --> 00:36:15,550 What's the finest of these four coins? 769 00:36:15,574 --> 00:36:17,452 It's the last coin here. 770 00:36:17,476 --> 00:36:18,887 - May I? - Oh, yeah. 771 00:36:18,911 --> 00:36:21,556 - I mean it looks brand new. - Right. 772 00:36:21,580 --> 00:36:24,092 So this coin would be worth how much? 773 00:36:24,116 --> 00:36:26,016 Five grand, six grand? 774 00:36:28,019 --> 00:36:30,620 - Eight grand. - Probably 30 to 40,000. 775 00:36:32,790 --> 00:36:36,271 This coin is worth 30 to $40,000. 776 00:36:36,295 --> 00:36:38,428 That's in your hand. Correct. 777 00:36:40,665 --> 00:36:43,478 Okay. I'm gonna put that right back there. 778 00:36:43,502 --> 00:36:46,147 There you go. That's insane. 779 00:36:46,171 --> 00:36:49,317 Just the idea that there could be hundreds 780 00:36:49,341 --> 00:36:52,854 of these coins, still down in that wreckage. 781 00:36:52,878 --> 00:36:56,291 - Right. - You're just talking about astronomical amounts 782 00:36:56,315 --> 00:36:58,059 - of money here. - Absolutely. 783 00:36:58,083 --> 00:37:01,129 And the mother lode, chests of coins stored 784 00:37:01,153 --> 00:37:04,098 in the passenger cabins have yet to be found. 785 00:37:04,122 --> 00:37:06,267 I received word that the Blue Water Rose 786 00:37:06,291 --> 00:37:09,226 is about to return to our second sonar target. 787 00:37:12,797 --> 00:37:16,733 So I hurry back to Wilmington where I then catch a ride out to sea. 788 00:37:21,005 --> 00:37:23,151 Several hours later and more than 40 miles 789 00:37:23,175 --> 00:37:25,420 from the coast, I find Mark and Rodney 790 00:37:25,444 --> 00:37:28,211 anchoring the ship over the sonar hit. 791 00:37:29,113 --> 00:37:31,726 Somewhere below us, are the unseen remains 792 00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:34,062 of a historic American shipwreck, 793 00:37:34,086 --> 00:37:37,498 not to mention a bounty of more than $20 million 794 00:37:37,522 --> 00:37:39,289 in gold and silver, 795 00:37:48,266 --> 00:37:50,300 [Josh] Well, they're still out here, that's a good sign. 796 00:37:51,102 --> 00:37:52,636 How's it going, guys? 797 00:37:53,237 --> 00:37:54,738 I'm happy you're here. 798 00:37:57,575 --> 00:38:00,521 I'm 40 miles off the coast of North Carolina, 799 00:38:00,545 --> 00:38:02,523 searching for the remains of the Pulaski, 800 00:38:02,547 --> 00:38:06,049 a steamship that sank here in 1838. 801 00:38:08,052 --> 00:38:09,464 - Great to see you. - Great to see you again. 802 00:38:09,488 --> 00:38:11,099 How you doing, Rodney? How's it going out here? 803 00:38:11,123 --> 00:38:13,268 - Good, it's going great. - Turn your pockets out. 804 00:38:13,292 --> 00:38:15,236 - What do you got under there? - I dumped it before you got here. 805 00:38:15,260 --> 00:38:16,471 Of course you did. 806 00:38:16,495 --> 00:38:18,206 Remember that really nice sonar hit we had. 807 00:38:18,230 --> 00:38:19,907 - Hell yeah. - That's where we are. 808 00:38:19,931 --> 00:38:21,442 - You haven't been down there yet? - No. 809 00:38:21,466 --> 00:38:24,112 - Whatever that is, is big. - Yeah. 810 00:38:24,136 --> 00:38:26,047 When the Pulaski's boilers blew, 811 00:38:26,071 --> 00:38:28,316 the ship broke apart and scattered, 812 00:38:28,340 --> 00:38:30,418 creating a three mile debris field. 813 00:38:30,442 --> 00:38:32,420 - [Rodney] There she goes. - [Josh] In the water. 814 00:38:32,444 --> 00:38:35,223 Using sidescan sonar, we were able to pinpoint 815 00:38:35,247 --> 00:38:36,591 two promising sites. 816 00:38:36,615 --> 00:38:38,926 Oh, whoa, look at this, more... 817 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:41,117 And it keeps going. Look at this. 818 00:38:41,919 --> 00:38:43,831 This second target is large enough 819 00:38:43,855 --> 00:38:46,034 to be a significant portion of the wreck, 820 00:38:46,058 --> 00:38:47,791 which has never been found. 821 00:38:49,427 --> 00:38:51,205 All right, cool, let's do it, let's get wet, guys. Come on. 822 00:38:51,229 --> 00:38:52,329 All right. 823 00:38:54,498 --> 00:38:58,146 While we suit up, Captain Rodney drops anchor. 824 00:38:58,170 --> 00:39:00,048 Rough seas are in the forecast, 825 00:39:00,072 --> 00:39:02,216 and he wants to make sure we don't drift too far off 826 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:04,085 our target. 827 00:39:04,109 --> 00:39:07,043 Once we're geared up, we hit the water. 828 00:39:32,303 --> 00:39:34,515 [Rodney speaking] 829 00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:35,972 Read you loud and clear. 830 00:39:38,209 --> 00:39:39,509 Roger that. 831 00:39:41,312 --> 00:39:43,491 [Josh] We're either 100 feet from history, 832 00:39:43,515 --> 00:39:45,715 or an ocean full of nothing. 833 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:51,866 With conditions deteriorating topside, 834 00:39:51,890 --> 00:39:54,190 the water is less clear below. 835 00:40:07,304 --> 00:40:10,518 We continue the descent, straining to see the bottom, 836 00:40:10,542 --> 00:40:13,176 and hoping for any sign of wreckage. 837 00:40:26,290 --> 00:40:28,425 Josh, how's it look down there? 838 00:40:35,599 --> 00:40:37,133 Is it part of the wreck? 839 00:40:38,869 --> 00:40:41,070 [Josh speaking] 840 00:40:45,943 --> 00:40:48,856 As I close in on our target, it becomes clear 841 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:50,825 that the object is manmade, 842 00:40:50,849 --> 00:40:53,716 and that it's absolutely enormous. 843 00:41:01,325 --> 00:41:03,526 Can you make out anything specific? 844 00:41:11,902 --> 00:41:13,181 [Rodney speaking] 845 00:41:13,205 --> 00:41:15,817 That means we're probably in the center section. 846 00:41:15,841 --> 00:41:17,919 [Josh] This is a huge discovery, 847 00:41:17,943 --> 00:41:20,621 prior to these scans, the exploded boiler 848 00:41:20,645 --> 00:41:23,057 was the only documented part of the wreck. 849 00:41:23,081 --> 00:41:26,360 Now, we know there's more here, much more. 850 00:41:26,384 --> 00:41:28,529 This may be the entire engine area 851 00:41:28,553 --> 00:41:30,031 and sections aft. 852 00:41:30,055 --> 00:41:33,234 We circle the hulking remains of rusted machinery 853 00:41:33,258 --> 00:41:36,025 that hasn't been seen since the 1800s. 854 00:41:40,130 --> 00:41:44,167 Let's get as much on film as possible, so we can review it 855 00:41:52,776 --> 00:41:55,857 [Josh] Swimming past the towering hunks of twisted metal. 856 00:41:55,881 --> 00:41:58,192 I'm awe struck by the scale. 857 00:41:58,216 --> 00:42:01,584 This wreck is a crucial piece of nautical history, 858 00:42:02,119 --> 00:42:03,431 spanning 200 feet. 859 00:42:03,455 --> 00:42:05,500 The Pulaski was the most high tech 860 00:42:05,524 --> 00:42:07,502 and luxurious vessel of its day, 861 00:42:07,526 --> 00:42:09,792 a marvel from the steam age. 862 00:42:11,128 --> 00:42:13,196 Bring home some goodies, Josh. 863 00:42:14,498 --> 00:42:16,244 Outstanding. 864 00:42:16,268 --> 00:42:19,380 With limited bottom time and a storm brewing topside. 865 00:42:19,404 --> 00:42:22,149 We dropped to the sand, and begin to metal detect. 866 00:42:22,173 --> 00:42:23,940 [detector beeping] 867 00:42:26,110 --> 00:42:28,578 Immediately we start to get hits. 868 00:42:31,115 --> 00:42:34,751 And the Pulaski's treasures can't hide for long. 869 00:42:51,035 --> 00:42:53,114 [Josh] Savannah's Chippewa Square Park 870 00:42:53,138 --> 00:42:55,316 is a popular destination for tourists. 871 00:42:55,340 --> 00:42:58,141 All because of one very special bench. 872 00:43:01,211 --> 00:43:04,358 The network always said that Expedition Unknown 873 00:43:04,382 --> 00:43:06,516 was like a box of chocolates. 874 00:43:07,451 --> 00:43:10,498 You never know what you're gonna get. 875 00:43:10,522 --> 00:43:13,167 But there's one episode we did, 876 00:43:13,191 --> 00:43:16,037 it was like a caramel, because we got into 877 00:43:16,061 --> 00:43:18,839 a real sticky situation. 878 00:43:18,863 --> 00:43:22,076 This other show. It's like a pecan cluster, 879 00:43:22,100 --> 00:43:24,612 'cause things got real nutty real quick. 880 00:43:24,636 --> 00:43:27,181 I'm sorry, sir, I'm on the phone, could you... 881 00:43:27,205 --> 00:43:29,884 Well, sorry, sir, but from this day on, 882 00:43:29,908 --> 00:43:31,552 whenever I talk to someone. 883 00:43:31,576 --> 00:43:34,177 I am punning. 884 00:43:35,079 --> 00:43:36,724 Oh, my God, I just... 885 00:43:36,748 --> 00:43:39,148 He just sat down next to me, I don't... 886 00:44:02,406 --> 00:44:04,007 Topside here. 887 00:44:07,077 --> 00:44:08,478 Is it nice and shiny? 888 00:44:11,048 --> 00:44:12,448 Yes, yes. 889 00:44:14,551 --> 00:44:18,399 [Josh] The gold coin is a US piece from 1836. 890 00:44:18,423 --> 00:44:21,802 Face value, $5, value today, 891 00:44:21,826 --> 00:44:25,461 depending on the condition, tens of thousands of dollars. 892 00:44:26,997 --> 00:44:30,099 We scour the area, searching for more. 893 00:44:40,577 --> 00:44:43,613 [detector beeping] 894 00:44:53,190 --> 00:44:54,991 [laughs] 895 00:44:56,593 --> 00:44:58,472 [Josh] The salvage team manages to one up 896 00:44:58,496 --> 00:45:00,541 the Crown Royal bag from our last dive 897 00:45:00,565 --> 00:45:03,844 with another special numismatic containment device, 898 00:45:03,868 --> 00:45:06,035 a sack with a dollar sign on it. 899 00:45:08,572 --> 00:45:11,118 The excitement is nearly enough to make me forget 900 00:45:11,142 --> 00:45:13,209 that I can't stay down here forever. 901 00:45:21,752 --> 00:45:23,731 We kick our fins toward the light, 902 00:45:23,755 --> 00:45:26,100 and pull back from the extraordinary wreckage 903 00:45:26,124 --> 00:45:28,791 and treasures of the SS Pulaski. 904 00:45:38,202 --> 00:45:40,881 Our discovery of the Pulaski's keel section 905 00:45:40,905 --> 00:45:44,285 and the paddle wheel area is historic, 906 00:45:44,309 --> 00:45:48,244 and will help reveal more lost details about her sinking. 907 00:45:50,380 --> 00:45:54,795 Topside, our coins are cataloged and added to the whole. 908 00:45:54,819 --> 00:45:57,098 These two gold coins, plus the materials 909 00:45:57,122 --> 00:46:02,403 I brought to the lab and NGC, tally nearly $100,000. 910 00:46:02,427 --> 00:46:05,973 In the days that follow, 33 more gold coins 911 00:46:05,997 --> 00:46:09,343 are discovered, and nearly 100 silver coins. 912 00:46:09,367 --> 00:46:13,214 To date, the team has uncovered more than 700 coins, 913 00:46:13,238 --> 00:46:15,850 as well as haunting historic artifacts 914 00:46:15,874 --> 00:46:17,673 from the night of the explosion. 915 00:46:20,477 --> 00:46:23,724 As I journey home. I make one last stop. 916 00:46:23,748 --> 00:46:28,395 A quiet churchyard on South Carolina's Edisto Island. 917 00:46:28,419 --> 00:46:31,332 Here, a weathered obelisk stands in memory 918 00:46:31,356 --> 00:46:34,257 of parishioners who died aboard the Pulaski. 919 00:46:37,060 --> 00:46:41,375 Among them a 15 year old girl, and an 11 year old boy. 920 00:46:41,399 --> 00:46:45,446 It is the only real memorial to a nearly forgotten disaster 921 00:46:45,470 --> 00:46:48,004 that took the lives of so many. 922 00:46:54,478 --> 00:46:56,257 The coins recovered from the wreck 923 00:46:56,281 --> 00:46:58,392 have immense monetary value, 924 00:46:58,416 --> 00:47:01,228 and were a heart stopping thrill to uncover. 925 00:47:01,252 --> 00:47:04,098 [laughs] Yes, yes! 926 00:47:04,122 --> 00:47:07,723 But the true value of the treasures here runs deeper. 927 00:47:09,359 --> 00:47:12,139 They are a snapshot of America as it stood 928 00:47:12,163 --> 00:47:16,799 at 11:05 p.m. on June 14th, 1838. 929 00:47:18,135 --> 00:47:20,848 A nation so young that our minted currency 930 00:47:20,872 --> 00:47:22,338 was just emerging. 931 00:47:23,774 --> 00:47:27,221 And a place where vast wealth was forged in the furnace 932 00:47:27,245 --> 00:47:29,190 of human bondage. 933 00:47:29,214 --> 00:47:31,492 Missing from the ranks of those aboard 934 00:47:31,516 --> 00:47:33,994 are the unnamed servants and crew, 935 00:47:34,018 --> 00:47:38,866 enslaved people who sailed on an unwilling voyage. 936 00:47:38,890 --> 00:47:42,970 They died alongside some of the wealthiest citizens of the South, 937 00:47:42,994 --> 00:47:46,696 as the ocean claimed the powerful and powerless alike. 938 00:47:48,765 --> 00:47:51,045 It has taken 180 years. 939 00:47:51,069 --> 00:47:53,970 But now, both are being remembered.