of water on the Bird Key bank, ½ a nautical mile southwest of Garden Key. The Bird Key Wreck, located within Dry Tortugas National Park, is located in 4-9 ft. The composite hull is made up of a wrought iron frame with iron plates on the bottom and a wood exterior. It listing starboard with its bow facing the shore of the key. The wreck measures 107 feet long by 17 feet wide. The remains of the ship have been scatters by storms in the area. It is evident that the wreck was salvaged, as the engine and much of the machinery has been removed. The later date is when the yellow construction bricks were produced for the Federal government. The earlier date is when the firebricks found on the wreck were manufactured. All that is known is that the grounding and loss occurred sometime between 18. There is no specific information on the circumstances surrounding the wreck. The other two types were used in the firebox of the vessel. Yellow bricks identical to those used to construct the curtains, bastions, and other major portions of the fort. There are three types of brick associated with the wreck. They were the principal supplies of bricks for Fort Jefferson at this time. It is possibly the Scottish Chief, which was owned and operated by the Tift brothers out of Key West. The bricks were being used for the construction of nearby Fort Jefferson. Though the ship has not been positively identified, it is likely that it was transporting bricks to Garden Key. The Bird Key wreck is a screw-driven, narrow-beamed, shallow draft, flat-bottomed steamboat. Photos by and courtesy of National Park Service Submerged Resources Center
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