1856 Shipwreck Found 200 Miles off MA

A print of the Le Lyonnais sinking in 1856.

Discovery team members include (left to right back row): Andrew Donn, Kurt Mintell, Joe Mazraani, Tom packer, (front row) Tim Whitehead, Eric Takakjian, and Jennifer Sellitti. They are holding portholes recovered from the wreck. Facebook Photo: DV/Tenacious

A team of professional commercial divers has located the wreck of the Le Lyonnais, a transatlantic passenger and mail service steamer and sailing vessel that was lost in a collision on November 2, 1856, some 200 miles off Nantucket.

Le Lyonnais sank after colliding with the Maine sailing vessel Adriatic, killing more than 100 passengers and crew. A handful of passengers managed to survive aboard makeshift life rafts and lifeboats.

The wreck was located after the dive team interviewed local fishermen and pinpointing several suspicious “humps” on the bottom using sophisticated sonar. After making a series of dives, the team eventually found the remains of Le Lyonnais, basing their identification on the vessel’s combination of steam-engine parts and sail rigging.