Discoverer Of U.S.S. Arizona Hopes To Find Artifacts
By Ed Ballam

PLAQUEMINES, La. - This November, Rob Christopher hopes to bring to the surface of the Mississippi River artifacts that will conclusively prove that he's found the U.S.S. Arizona, a Union gunboat that sank in 1865.

Christopher has explored the depths of the Mississippi twice with sonar and a proton-magnetometer and is convinced that the images of the 200-foot by 34-foot iron-hulled vessel on the bottom are the Arizona.

"It's got the right dimensions, it's in the right location and just about everyone who see the images thinks it's the Arizona," he says.

Nevertheless, the only way to tell for sure is to explore the wreck with divers and bring up artifacts that can be analyzed.
And that's exactly what Christopher hopes to do in November when the river is at its lowest and the conditions are the most favorable for a successful dive in the 70-foot deep waters some 30 miles south of New Orleans.

In early August, Christopher went out on the river for a second time with sophisticated sonar and got better images of the wreck which is substantially intact sitting on bottom.

"We'll have to study those images and see what we have," he says.

After some two years of researching the wreck and its location, Christopher found the vessel near the mouth of the Mississippi with only 20 minutes of sonar exploration on June 28.

Christopher, who is a native of Arizona, became interested in the vessel while working on his thesis at Arizona State University about 2-1/2 years ago. Christopher learned that little had been written about the Arizona, so not only did he decide to write a thesis, he decided to find it. He teaches advanced placement history for college credit to high school juniors and seniors at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Castle Rock, Colo.

After establishing a non-profit corporation, called the U.S.S. Arizona Civil War Gunboat Foundation, of which he is chairman and project manager, Christopher solicited funds.

"It was almost an obsession for a couple of years," he says.

Research at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., turned up clues to the vessel's history, its demise and whereabouts.

Once he located the vessel, he started working with the U.S. Navy, which owns the wreck and anything on or near it.

"They've been very good to work with," Christopher says. "They've told me what I have to do and how to do it."

To fulfill his quest to bring artifacts to the surface, Christopher has to have support of an established museum that is willing to accept what is found during the diving. The government requires that the repository for the artifacts be able to conserve them and be financially stable so it won't go out of business with the assets from the wreck being lost or liquidated.

So far, Christopher has talked with representatives of The Mariners' Museum, Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum and Louisiana State Museum. The state museum has promised "shelf space" for anything he might fine, he says.
He's also continuing to solicit money for the project and estimates he will need about $10,000 to adequately fund the diving exploration.

The Tosco refinery has made its dock available to Christopher and his team of investigators. He's looking for other corporate sponsors to help finance the project. Individuals are also encouraged to contribute.

Christopher is leaving the diver selection process to the professionals. Tom Veilleux, a Louisiana historical archivist who has contacts with divers, is making arrangements to hire skilled divers to explore the wreck in November. Christopher also is working with Allan Saluts, a professional archaeologist with 20 years' experience working in Louisiana, often with divers.

Christopher says that before the dive takes place, there will be plenty of time to interpret and review the 100 digital sonar images that were taken in August.

So far, the sonar has revealed a crack in the iron hull and a 4 by 8-foot hole in the side as well as damage to the deck.
The U.S.S. Arizona is intriguing to Christopher because it encapsulates so much naval history in one vessel.

It was built as a civilian ship in 1858-1859 in Wilmington, Del., for Charles Morgan, the owner of the Southern Steamship Company of New Orleans. It was one of 14 vessels in his fleet. As a civilian steamer, it sailed from New Orleans to the Texas coast, plus occasional trips to England.

In April 1862, the Arizona was confiscated by the Confederates and used as a blockade runner until October 1862 when the Union Navy captured it.

In March 1863, it returned to the Gulf coast as a blockade gunboat for the Western Gulf Blockade Squadron. It was fitted with several heavy guns.

The Arizona served in the Gulf until October 1864 when it was refitted with a new boiler for its new mission as the flagship for the squadron under Adm. David Farragut. It was returned to service in December 1864 and it burned on Feb. 28, 1865.

Christopher says it's unclear whether any of Farragut's belongings were on board the ship at the time it caught fire, but he does have a theory about what caused the blaze.

He believes that the boiler was installed with insufficient clearance and the heat caused the pitch on the deck to seep out and ignite on the hot boiler causing the fire, which burned undetected for a period of time.

When the fire bell rang, the fire had already caused some damage. The fire was reported at 9:20 p.m. and seven minutes later the order to abandon ship was given. The vessel burned for about three hours before an explosion, presumably from the magazine, caused it to sink. Five men died in the mishap.

Christopher says that the boat might not have sunk had the crew been able to flood the magazine as the captain ordered, but fewer than a third of the 26 cocks could be opened. There was a foot or less of water in the magazine when the explosion occurred, according to Christopher, who found court of inquiry records in the National Archives.
He says it's unclear whether the Union tried to recover the guns after the sinking.

Christopher would like to raise the vessel if it's possible and someone is able to conserve it properly. If not, he would be satisfied to salvage all the artifacts possible and place a highway historic marker near the shore where the vessel sank.

Christopher says his family has naval service in its heritage and he has always been interested in military activities away from the big battlefields. He is also interested in the people who served on the Arizona, not only while it was a blockade runner, but as a blockade gunboat as well.

"People forget the importance of the blockade," Christopher says. "It strangled the South and the only hope they had was with blockade runners." Ironically the Arizona served in both capacities.

"People are now beginning to realize that there were some important things happening on the water too," he says.

To learn more about the Arizona or contribute to the foundation write: U.S.S. Arizona Civil War Gunboat Foundation, 691 Mango Dr., Castle Rock, CO 80104 or call (720) 939-8130.