$2 Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal VOL. 20 NO. 1 FALL 2009 USS SHARK OFFICIAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE KEY WEST MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY 20th Year SOCIETY NEWS AND NOTES by Tom Hambright When the Key West Maritime the 36 influential people installed Historical Society was reactive in in the Key West Historic Memorial the 1990s one of the our missions Sculpture Garden. was to start a historical journal. Lewis G. Schmidt uncovered We hoped to tell some of the great the true story of Sandy Cornish the history of the Florida Keys, find remarkable leader of the African the grain of truth in the myths and American community in Key West lies that was being taken as history, before and during the Civil War. record some current history before Sandy never appeared in official the memory fades and uncover records but Lewis found his story some of the forgotten stories of our in the letters and diaries of the The Florida Keys Sea Heritage past. Union soldiers stationed here during Journal is published quarterly. In the summer of 1990 a the war. Besides improving race Subscription is available through committee of John Viele, Ed Little relation he was also the founder of membership. Copyright 2009 by Bill Muir, Carole Heinlein and the first A.M.E. Zion Church in the the Key West Maritime Historical myself was formed to work out State of Florida. From the article in Society of the Florida Keys, Inc. the details of the new publication. the Spring 1994 issue Sandy was The art on the masthead, the USS After several meeting it was decide also included in the 37 individuals Shark, was drawn by Bill Muir. to publish the first edition and work installed in the sculpture garden. out the problems from there. In the In the same issue we told the Editor: Lynda Hambright Production:Tom Hambright fall of 1990 volume one hit the forgotten story of Clarence K. Till, street. It had six pages . the first Key West police officer Some my favorite articles in the Letters and articles are welcome. killed in the line of duty. This Please write to: Editor, Florida Keys last nineteen years are: resulted in publication of his story in The Fall 1991 issue Carston Sea Heritage Journal, KWMHS, P.O. the press and his name being added Box 695, Key West, FL 33041. R. Heinlein told the tragic story to the National Law Enforcement of the loss of the USS Sturtevant Memorial in Washington, DC. Key West Maritime (DD 240) during World War II. He A maritime tragedy that had Historical Society was able to interview some of the never been fully told and as a results Board of Directors survivors during their reunion and a number of legends and myths had with official accounts told the story grown up about the sinking of the President: Edward J.Little,Jr. Vice President: Bill Verge of the loss of the ship. This is the Spanish steamer Valbanera and only article from the Journal that Secretary: Corey Malcom the loss of over 500 passengers and Treasurer: Tom Hambright has been reprinted in its entirety crewmen and the Commandant of when the Tin Can Sailor republished the Naval Station’s investigation. the article in its newsletter. In the Summer 1996 Journal we Andrea Comstock The Winter 1993 issue Lynda printed the translation Fernando J. George Craig Bill Grosscup Hambright told the remarkable Garcia Eckegogan’s true account story of Sister M. Louis Gabriel Tom Hambright of the loss of the Valbanera in the Mary Haffenreffer who served the religious and Hurricane of 1919. Fernando and John Jones educational needs of the community I had both searched the National Sheri Lohr for over 50 years. She also left a Archives for Commandant Benton Don Lowe prayer that protects the island from C. Decker’s report on the Navy Louis Maglio Julie McEnroe the ravages of a major hurricane. Communication Station action This helped Sister Louis being one Bill Verge to contact the Valbanera during John Viele New Member Davis F. Yates, Big Pine Key. 2 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - FALL 2009 and after the storm. After all the of it in some many issues the list Summer 2002 searching I found the report in Key would be very long. If you find Carysfort HMS wreck of West in the Wilhelmina Harvey’s Mr. Hackley’s life as interesting as Fall 1991 papers and published it in the Spring I do we the complete diary at the Carysfort Reef Button Wreck 2005 Journal. Library. Summer 2002 In the Spring 2000 we reprinted Carysfort Reef Lightship Adams Maitland article a paper given at the Florida Keys Winter 2006 Fall 1997 Carysfort Reef restoration area Maritime Conference about the African American buried Marquesas Island and the search Maine Plot Spring 2003 Charterboat Row history for the Spanish Galleon Atocha Fall 2004 African Cemetery at Higgs Summer 1998 by Dr. Eugene Lyon. We published Cholera ship arrives with this wonderful paper for a larger Beach Fall 2002 Spring 1996 audience and recorded it for future African Taken Key West to Christmas in Key West readers and researchers. Liberia Winter 1992 Corey Malcom, Director of Winter 2008 Cimbus wreck of Archaeology for the Mel Fisher Albertson Joseph in Memory Fall 1990 Maritime Heritage Society and Winter 1996 Civil War Col. Good given sword secretary of the KWMHS, for years Allen Joe in Memory Summer 2006 Fall 1994 been studying, researching and Civil War in Key West part 1 writing about the 1,432 African Appleby Joshua man & ship Winter 1999 Summer 1998 brought to Key West in 1860 where Army Cemetery Civil War in Key West part 2 295 died and were buried on Higgs Summer 2002 Fall 1998 Beach. Corey led the effort to have Army in Keys 1857 Civil War in Key West part 3 a memorial installed on the burial Summer 2003 Winter 1998 site and now efforts are underway Arnold Samuel B. Memoirs Civil War in Key West Part 4 to have the site marked as a World Fall 1996 Spring 1999 Heritage Site. We were happy Arnold William article Civil War in Key West Part 5 Spring 2004 Summer 1999 to have played a small part by Atocha Navigation Civil War in Key West Part 6 publishing two of Corey’s articles Summer 1994 Fall 1999 in Fall 2002 and Winter 2008/2009 Atocha search for Civil War in Key West Part 7 issues. Spring 2000 Winter 1999 One of our missions with the Aviation Records set in Key Civil War in Key West Part 8 Journal was to record current stories West Spring 2000 before the memory faded. In the Summer 1995 Civil War in Key West Part 9 Bahamian Roots story of the two young Key Westers Summer 2000 Summer 2005 Civil War Maritime events killed in World War One and how Bar fight 1903 some youngsters planted a tree in Spring 1995 Winter 1990 Clift Hiram Journal the memory of one of these. We Bartlum John article Summer 1992 able to record this story in Fall 2007 Spring 1997 Bartlum John shipbuilder Clione Yacht history of issue. article Winter 1990 This is just a few of the many Spring 1991 Coal Blocks on Horseshoe stories we have published in the last Barton Clara in Key West Reef nineteen years. If you missed any Spring 1991 Summer 2001 of these stores we have a number Black Sailors in Keys Coast Guard Cutter Thetis Spring 1992 Summer 1993 of the Journals on our web-site Coast Guard Ship Appleby keywestmaratime.org and we have Botanist in Keys 1884 Winter 1992 Winter 1999 complete set at the Monroe County Bradley Guy M. game warden Cornish Sandie article Library Key West. killed Spring 1994 In the index that follows I Fall 1995 Crusoe Edwin poem included the major subjects in the Brides Ship of Summer 1991 articles. I left Hackley’s Diary out Summer 1991 of the index because we had parts Button Wreck (Continued on page 4) FALL 2009 - FLORIDA KEYS SEA HERITAGE JOURNAL - 3 (Index from page 3) Fort Jefferson article Fall 1999 Winter 1990 Hurricane 1935 & Steamer Crusoe Edwin poem Fort Taylor artifacts removed Dixie Spring 1993 Winter 2007 Winter 2007 Hurricane 1935 Woman’s Cuban Fisheries off Keys Fyffe Jones P. article Summer 1996 Account Spring 1994 Summer 2006 Cuban Fishing at Vestal Shoal Gabriel Sister M. Louis article Winter 1996 Hurricanes & flooding report Winter 1993 Winter 2005 Cuban Insurgents 1895 Galleon deep water site found Fall 2004 Indian Key Raid Fall 1990 Summer 2001 Curry Family history Gardner Family Roots Fall 2006 Indian War letters Summer 2005 Fall 2001 Dance Hall fight Gato Eduardo H. article Spring 1995 Influenza 1918 Dixie Steamer & 1935 Winter 2002 Winter 2006 Hurricane Gauld’s Survey article Isaac Allerton wreck Winter 2007 Spring 1993 Winter 1991 Douglass Frederick in Key Giovanni A wreck of Jameson Colin in Memory West Winter 1990 Winter 1999 Fall 1999 Gisterer William Diary 1898 Jobes Harold in Flight Training Duel on Duval Street Winter 1997 Spring 2001 Goehring Edward Hurricane Summer 1999 Dutch Navy at Tortugas 1906 Journal win awards Fall 1991 Winter 1995 Spring 1992 Elliott Robert Jr. in Memory Good Tilghman Col. given Key Lime Pie Winter 1999 gold sword Fall 1997 Evangeline Log 1940 Fall 1994 Key West 1828 Spring 2002 Hanging first in Key West Winter 2001 Ewert Fred executed Spring 1999 Key West 1836 Spring 1994 Harbor in 1940 Summer 2002 Fackler Michael Reverend Spring 2002 Key West 1852 Harley Daniel O’Connel killed Fall 1995 Winter 2002 on Maine Fanning David Col.