What happened to the USS Selma?
The SS Selma In 1920, the concrete-made oil tanker SS Selma hit a jetty in Mexico tearing a 60-foot hole in its hull. It was brought to Galveston for repair, but when those efforts failed the craft was intentionally sunk off the eastern shore of Pelican Island near Galveston.
What is the concrete ship in Galveston?
SS Selma
A mile off of Galveston Island, this hulking concrete wreck is the only permanent shipwreck site in the Houston Ship Channel. A remnant of the experimental concrete ships approved by Woodrow Wilson during the WWI steel shortage, the SS Selma was built in 1919 by F.F. Ley and Company of Mobile, Alabama.
How did the SS Selma sink?
The SS Selma launched from Mobile, Alabama, in June 1919. It was abandoned after hitting a reef near Pelican Island that tore an unrepairable 60-foot hole in its hull, The Galveston County Daily News reported .
Who shipwrecked Galveston?
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
The Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca is shipwrecked on a low sandy island off the coast of Texas.
Where is the USS Cavalla?
Seawolf Park
Cavalla was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register on 30 December 1969. On 21 January 1971, Cavalla was transferred to the Texas Submarine Veterans of World War II. She now resides at Seawolf Park on Pelican Island, just north of Galveston, Texas.
What is the shipwreck in Galveston Bay?
SS Selma is the only permanent, and prominent, wreck along the Houston Ship Channel. It lies approximately one mile north of Galveston Island….SS Selma (1919)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Fate | Abandoned in 1922 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 6,826 GRT 4,225 NRT |
| Length | 425 ft (129.54 m) |
What is the sunken ship in Galveston Bay?
SS Selma is the only permanent, and prominent, wreck along the Houston Ship Channel. It lies approximately one mile north of Galveston Island….SS Selma (1919)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Selma |
| Builder | F.F. Ley and Company, Mobile, Alabama |
| Launched | 28 June 1919 |
| Fate | Abandoned in 1922 |
Who claimed Galveston for Mexico?
Explorers & Settlers In the late 1600’s, French explorer Robert Cavelier La Salle claimed this area for King Louis and named it St. Louis. Galveston was named for Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish colonial governor and general.
Can you tour the USS Cavalla?
Here, visitors can tour the USS Cavalla, a WWII submarine that sank a Japanese aircraft carrier involved in the Pearl Harbor attack, plus also tour the USS… More Stewart, the only Edsall-class destroyer escort preserved in the United States. The museum offers guided and self-guided tours.
Is the USS Cavalla open?
Both the Cavalla and Stewart are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Whats the oldest city in Texas?
Nacogdoches
Considered to be the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches was founded in 1779 by Don Antonio Gil Y’Barbo. This quaint little town is booming with history and stories from years past beginning with the Caddo Indians, who lived in the area before the Spanish, through the present day.
Why is Galveston Texas famous?
The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its successful revolution from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution. The city became one of the nation’s busiest ports and the world’s leading port for cotton exports.
When was the SS Selma oil tanker built?
SS Selma was an oil tanker built in 1919 by F.F. Ley and Company, Mobile, Alabama. President Woodrow Wilson approved the construction of 24 concrete vessels of which only 12 were actually completed. SS Selma is the only permanent, and prominent, wreck along the Houston Ship Channel.
Where is the wreck of the SS Selma?
SS Selma (1919) President Woodrow Wilson approved the construction of 24 concrete vessels of which only 12 were actually completed. SS Selma is the only permanent, and prominent, wreck along the Houston Ship Channel. It lies approximately one mile north of Galveston Island .
What kind of concrete was used on the Selma ship?
It required 2600 yds. of concrete reinforced with 1500 tons of smooth reinforcing bars. Expanded shale aggregaate was supplied in two graduations, fine and coarse. Diatomaceous earth was also used in the concrete.
When was the SS Selma launched in WW1?
The ship was launched on June 28, 1919, the same day Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially ending World War I. As a result, the 7,500-ton ship never served during the war.