During the First World War as steel was becoming a scarce commodity, an experimental program sanctioned by President Woodrow Wilson approved the construction of an emergency fleet of 24 ships to be made out of concrete instead of steel. Of the 24 sanctioned a total of 12 were finally constructed towards the end of the war and were used for various post war activities. Perhaps one of the most famous of these concrete ships the S.S Atlantus is now a wreck just off the shore of Cape May in New Jersey and attracts tourist from all over to view the wreck which lies partially in as well as partly above the water line. The Atlantus is also listed as one of the New Jersey shoreline’s wreck diving spots and scuba divers often frequent these waters to get a close-up look at this marvel of World War One engineering.
The Atlantus was built in the December of 1918 a month after the end of the war and was used as a troop transport to ferry soldiers back from Europe. However its service was short-lived and the ship was sent to the salvage yard in 1920, only to be revived in 1926 when a plan to put the concrete ship back into service as a ferry resulted in its restoration. However in the same year a storm hit and the ship broke free of her moorings and ran aground 150 feet off the coast of Sunset Beach. All attempts to free the ship were unsuccessful. Since then the 250 foot Atlantis has remained grounded just off Cape May and over time the vessel has split apart in its midsection into two.
While the proximity of the Atlantus to the shore makes the wreck relatively unfavorable to dive with strong currents, cold water and poor visibility, New Jersey divers claim that when the tides are low (slack tide) and during the winter months, visibility can be astonishingly good, however a dry suit is a must. Shore diving the wreck is extremely tricky and the timing of the dive has to be planned precisely to the slack tide hours otherwise swimming back to the shore against the receding tide is nearly impossible.
The wreck itself which lies in just 20 feet of water and lists on her port side split in two. The main inhabitants of the wreck are mussels that have made every square inch of the concrete surface their home. Divers have also reported spotting large sea bass, stripers, blues, weakfish and flounder in and around the vessel.
Though there may be not much to see at the Atlantus for a recreational dive, the reason most divers brave the dangerous and cold waters around the wreck is for the simple reason that it is said to have golf ball sized Cape May Diamonds around it. Cape May diamonds are quartz crystals originating from the Delaware River, resembling translucent pebbles, found on the beaches of Cape May, New Jersey that are shiny and polished by the constant tumbling of the waves. These “Diamonds” though not worth nearly as much as a real diamond are still worth a pretty penny and usually are found in sizes not much bigger than a marble or a tooth.
