REMEMBERING THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY IN THE FLORIDA KEYS SUBJECT: Capt. Chuck Mitchell (1938-2006) VESSEL: Shaggy Cannon VOCATION: Treasure Hunter/Diver Chuck Mitchell was early on the California diving scene through his acquaintances at Mel’s (that is Mel Fisher’s) Aqua Shop in Redondo Beach. He spent a majority of his time at La Jolla [...]
FACT: Miller Dunn of Miami, Florida manufactured diving helmets for the U.S. Navy beginning in WWI with the Miller Dunn “Divinhoods” and continuing through WWII. The Miller Dunn Mark V helmets are rare and highly collectable. The company went bust after the WWII due to high supply and low demand. Considered a military secret, the [...]
The battleship USS Maine arrived in the harbor of Havana, Cuba on January 25, 1898. She moored next to the Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII. About February 14, the Ward Line steamer, City of Washington skillfully maneuvered to the mooring next to the Maine. Dwight Sigsbee, captain of the Maine, allegedly commented on the ease that [...]
Excerpts from Miami Herald articles, “Key Largo Surveyors: New Reef” by Barry Schatz and “Scientist Submerged in Search for Reef” by Anne Wilder: April 3, 1979, “Scientists taking a survey off Key Largo last week confirmed the existence of a deep-water reef that may hold organisms and sunken treasures so far unknown to the area. [...]
