Tyger (ship)
Encyclopedia
The Tyger was the ship used by Dutch captain Adriaen Block
during his 1613 voyage to explore the East Coast of North America
and the present day Hudson River
. Its remains were uncovered in 1916 during the construction of the New York City subway system, on land that is now part of the World Trade Center complex
.
on the Hudson to trade with the Lenape
Indians. By November, the vessel had been filled with pelts of beaver, otter, and other skins obtained in barter for trifles.
In November, an accidental fire broke out and the Tyger rapidly burned to the waterline. The charred hull was beached and all but a small section of prow and keel that was salvaged in 1916 (see below) remain in that location, buried beneath what later became the intersection of Greenwich and Dey Streets in Lower Manhattan. During the fire, the crew salvaged some sails, rope, tools and fittings and, over the winter, Block and his men, with help from the Indians, built the Onrust
(Restless), which they used to explore the East River
and Long Island Sound
before returning to Europe
in 1614.
uncovered the prow and keel of the Tyger while excavating an extension for the New York City subway
near the intersection of Greenwich and Dey Streets. The ship and some related artifacts were discovered by Kelly's crew at a depth of about 20 feet below the street - right where it had been beached on the shoreline of Manhattan Island at the time of the ship's burning. Over a period of 150 years after the vessel had been beached, approximately 11 feet of silt accumulated and, in 1763, a waterfront fill-in project added another 8 to 9 feet.
Although the excavation crew was under great pressure to keep the pace of work on schedule, Kelly persuaded his supervisors to allow sufficient excavation to remove about 8½ feet of prow and keel with three of the hull's ribs. The timbers were placed in the seal tank of the New York Aquarium
in Battery Park
. In 1943, they were presented to the Museum of the City of New York
for exhibition in the Marine Gallery.
The remainder of the ship may still rest approximately 20 feet (6 m) below ground, due east of the former site of the North Tower of the World Trade Center
; however, it might have been dug up in the process of building the World Trade Center. Also, the Tyger appears not to have been the only ship wrecked on the World Trade Center site.
Adriaen Block
Adriaen Block was a Dutch private trader and navigator who is best known for exploring the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts during four voyages from 1611 to 1614, following the 1609 expedition by Henry Hudson...
during his 1613 voyage to explore the East Coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the present day Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Its remains were uncovered in 1916 during the construction of the New York City subway system, on land that is now part of the World Trade Center complex
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
.
Shipwreck
In late summer of 1613, the Tyger had moored in Lower ManhattanLower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
on the Hudson to trade with the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Indians. By November, the vessel had been filled with pelts of beaver, otter, and other skins obtained in barter for trifles.
In November, an accidental fire broke out and the Tyger rapidly burned to the waterline. The charred hull was beached and all but a small section of prow and keel that was salvaged in 1916 (see below) remain in that location, buried beneath what later became the intersection of Greenwich and Dey Streets in Lower Manhattan. During the fire, the crew salvaged some sails, rope, tools and fittings and, over the winter, Block and his men, with help from the Indians, built the Onrust
Onrust
The Onrust was a Dutch ship that was built by Adriaen Block and the crew of the Tyger, which had been destroyed by fire. The ship, a yacht, was the first decked vessel to be built entirely in America. The construction took one winter on Manhattan Island...
(Restless), which they used to explore the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
before returning to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1614.
Rediscovery
In 1916, workmen led by James A. KellyJames A. Kelly
James Andrew Kelly was Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs . President George W. Bush nominated Kelly on April 3, 2001; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 26, 2001 and sworn in on May 1, 2001....
uncovered the prow and keel of the Tyger while excavating an extension for the New York City subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
near the intersection of Greenwich and Dey Streets. The ship and some related artifacts were discovered by Kelly's crew at a depth of about 20 feet below the street - right where it had been beached on the shoreline of Manhattan Island at the time of the ship's burning. Over a period of 150 years after the vessel had been beached, approximately 11 feet of silt accumulated and, in 1763, a waterfront fill-in project added another 8 to 9 feet.
Although the excavation crew was under great pressure to keep the pace of work on schedule, Kelly persuaded his supervisors to allow sufficient excavation to remove about 8½ feet of prow and keel with three of the hull's ribs. The timbers were placed in the seal tank of the New York Aquarium
New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, having opened in Castle Garden in Battery Park, Manhattan in 1896. Since 1957, it has been located on the boardwalk in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The aquarium is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society as...
in Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
. In 1943, they were presented to the Museum of the City of New York
Museum of the City of New York
The Museum of the City of New York is an art gallery and history museum founded in 1923 to present the history of New York City, USA and its people...
for exhibition in the Marine Gallery.
The remainder of the ship may still rest approximately 20 feet (6 m) below ground, due east of the former site of the North Tower of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
; however, it might have been dug up in the process of building the World Trade Center. Also, the Tyger appears not to have been the only ship wrecked on the World Trade Center site.