As a child, stories of shipwrecks and buried treasure always played into the imagination and would most often come to life when preparing for a beach vacation or playing along a beach and watching the vast ocean and crashing waves. While most stories take place in faraway seas, and tend to become part fact and part lore over time and retelling, the story of the Sindia that ran aground in Ocean City, New Jersey is the real deal.
The Sindia, a 329 feet British Barque or Bark, a four-masted vessel, called that because of the figuration of the sails, was traveling under the command of Captain Allan MacKinzie, from Japan to New York City, loaded with 3,315 crates of silk, fine porcelain and china, camphor oil and other household items. The ships manifest also listed 200 cases of manganese ore for ballast. The Sindia was caught in a violent storm that raged for four days. On December 15, 1901, she ran aground in Ocean City, between 16th and 17th Streets, just 150 yards from the beach. She sat emerged from the water and her masts could be seen until the early 1970s.
The storm ripped the sails and rigging and the cold gale force winds and turbulent seas drove her aground on the beach, just days before the end of the long voyage. Luckily, the crew of 33 men were all saved by the members Ocean City Life Saving Station, with the Captain the only reported injury. Salvage efforts started immediately, but within a few hours the steel hull began to crack and she took on water and sank lower into the sand. About a third of the cargo was saved. Residents and others salvaged some of the cargo and collected pieces found along the beach. There is an impressive collection of items at the Ocean City Historical Museum.
The Sindia was built in 1887 and was considered the largest cargo carrying vessel of its time. She was built on Queen’s Island in Belfast, Ireland by Harland and Wolff, the same company who two decades later built another famous ship, the Titanic. She sailed thousands of miles and several continents delivering cargo to many ports during her 14 years in service. Her last voyage lasted 14 months and they were within 100 miles when she went down.
As with all good shipwreck stories there is some speculation about the Captain and the crew that is not accounted for in the news reports. However, there is documentation that Captain MacKinzie was brought before the British Naval Court in New York City within weeks of the wreck, and found guilty of “failing to exercise proper seamanlike care and precaution”. MacKinzie’s captain license was suspended and he returned to his home in Scotland, and died shortly thereafter, never to sail again.
About a year before she sank, the Sindia was purchased by the Anglo-American Oil Company owned by John D. Rockefeller. There are many stories about what was actually in her hull ranging from a solid gold Budda statue to silver coins belonging to Mr. Rockefeller. Was it really manganese ore in those 200 boxes? Why was it boxed? Were there secret treasures from the Orient in the hull?
The tale of the wreck of the Sindia, comes alive at the Ocean City Historical Museum, located at 1735 Simpson Avenue in Ocean City, (ocnjmuseum.org). Learn more about the wreck of the Sindia and get answers to the puzzling questions. See some of the many salvaged items on display and don’t miss seeing the replica of the ship or the original figurehead from the vessel. The museum is great place for the family to learn about the Sindia, along with other interesting historical facts and stories about Ocean City, New Jerse, and their place in the history of Cape May County.
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