STARTING AT
10:00 A.M.
>> Tati: FOR 60 YEARS, SOMETHING
HAS BEEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
DETROIT RIVER BUT NOW MADE ITS
WAY ASHORE.
>> Jason: PHOTOGRAPHER ALEX
ATWELL SHARES THE UNIQUELY
PIECE OF DETROIT HISTORY.
♪♪
>> Reporter: WE ARE OUT HERE
TODAY TO RESCUE A LONG LOST
PIECE OF DETROIT'S MARITIME
HISTORY, THE ANCHOR THA IS FROM
ONE OF THE TWO LARGEST STEAMERS
EVER BUILT.
I'M AN AUTHOR OF LOCAL HISTORY.
GREATER DETROIT MADE ITS MAIDEN
VOYAGE IN 1924, SO IT'S A RELIC
OF THE ROARING '20s.
AND T GREATER DETROIT WAS 536
FE LONG.
IF YOU WERE TO STAND IT UP
STRAIGHT, IT WOULD BE 40 FEET
TALLER THAN THE GUARDIAN
BUILDING.
THESE WERE HUGE BOATS AND DECKED
TO THE NINES WITH FRESCOS, FANCY
WOODWORK, FLOATING PALACES AND
HAD ALL THE AMENITIES OF
TOP-FLIGHT HOTELS.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO GET FROM
DETROIT TO BUFFALO, NEW YORK, OR
DETROIT TO CLEVELAND, THIS IS
ONE OF THE BOATS.
AIRLINES.
STOPPED RUNNING.
IN 1956, THEY TOWED THE GREATER
THE MIDDLE OF LAKE ST. CLAIR AND
SET THEM ON FIRE.
IT WAS EASIER TO GET RID OF THE
WOOD AND FANCY PLASTER AND
FRESCOs TO BURN IT.
THE DERIVES ITS POWER FROM
STEAM.
AND THERE WAS NO POWER TO LIFT
THE ANCHOR BACK UP.
SO TO GET THE BOAT OUT INTO THE
WATER, THEY HAD TO CUT THE
ANCHOR, AND IT'S BEEN AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE DETROIT RIVER FOR
THE PAST 60 YEARS UNTIL TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING A BARGE
OUT THAT HAS A CRANE, AND THEN
THE CRANE WILL LOWER DOWN AND
THEN THE DIVE CREW WILL ATTACH
THE CHAIN TO THE ANCHOR AND
THEY'LL LIFT IT UP.
FOR ME, I'M A BOAT NERD AND
HISTORY NERD.
>> THERE IT IS!
YOU CAN SEE THE BOTTOM OF IT.
LOOK AT THE MUD CAKED ON THESE
THINGS.
>> I NEVER SAW ANY OF THESE
GONE.
SO I'VE ONLY CONNECTED WITH THEM
THROUGH PICTURES AND ARTIFACTS
POSTCARDS.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL PIECE OF THE
YEARS.
6,000 POUNDS.
I DO THINK WHEN PEOPLE SEE IT ON
DISPLAY, THEY'LL GET AN
APPRECIATION FOR HOW INCRED BIG
THE BOATS WERE.
LEGACY.
THE ANCHOR IS NOT THE MOST CLAIM
MOROUS PIECE, BUT IT'S A
TANGIBLE PIECE.
ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT PHOTOS OR
VIDEOS OF THE GREAT LAKES
CRUISESHIPS WHO NEVER SAW THEM
IN PERSON, AND HAVING A TANGIBLE
PIECE, IT MAKES A DISTANT PAST
SEEM MUCH MORE PRESENT TODAY.
>> Chuck: IN A MINUTE, WE'LL
EXPLAIN HOW IT CAN BE MORE
PRESENT FOR YOU.
JOINING IS JOHN FROM THE GREAT
LAKES MARITIME MUSEUM.
SO MUCH GOING ON.
TALK TO US ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF MARITIME HISTORY AND WHAT
YOUR GOAL IS AT THE INSTITUTE.
>> AS IT ENDS UP BEING, DETROIT
HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN
300 YEARS AS A FORT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS PRIMARILY A
UNIQUE ARTIFACT THAT CAME OFF
THE DETROIT AND CLEVELAND
NAVIGATION COMPANY VESSEL, THE
GREATER DETROIT.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS AN
ARTIFACT 6,000 POUNDS.
IT'S BEEN DOWN AND FOR THE MOST
PART PRIMARILY A PIECE THAT IS
GONNA BE ABLE TO BE SHARE WITH
A NUMBER OF FOLKS.
>> Chuck: HOW LONG DID WE KNOW
IT WAS RIGHT AT THATSPOT?
>> I HAD A -- AT THAT SPOT?
>> Chuck: YEAH.
>> ABOUT THREE YEARS.
WE HAD TO SEARCH FOR IT.
IT'S LIKE GOING DOWN WITH A
SEARCH LIGHT AND LOOKING AT A 7
OR 8 FOOT AREA AND CHECKING THE
BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.
THE PROBLEM ENDS UP BEING, IT
WAS OUT 150 FEET WHERE IT WASN'T
SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> Chuck: SO WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE
AT THIS MOMENT?
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'S BEEN PRIMED
AND PAINTED.
TOMORROW, IT WILL BE MOVED, IN
THE WESCOTT BACKYARD BEHIND THE
FENCE TO DO MORE PREPPING ON IT.
>> Chuck: THE WESCOTT WAS THE
MAIL BOAT.
>> IT STILL IS THE MAIL BOAT.
AND WE'LL TAKE IT TO THE PORT
AUTHORITY BUILDING AS PART OF
THE INTERPRETIVE AREA.
AND THERE WILL BE A KIOSK AND
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO IN THERE
AND LOOK AT THE BOAT GOING BY
YOU, TOUCH THE KIOSK AND IT WILL
SUCH AND SUCH.
>> Chuck: SO LET'S TALK ABOUT
THE FUND-RAISER BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT PEOPLE TO MISS THIS IDEA.
THIS IS HISTORY.
AND IF YOU BUY A RAFFLE TICKET,
RAFFLE.
>> IF YOU MAKE A DONATION OF
$100, YOU GET AN ORIGINAL STOCK
CERTIFICATE FROM THE DETROIT AND
CLEVELAND NAVIGATION COMPANY.
THEY WERE ISSUED AND WERE ALL
PAID OFF SO THEY WERE ALL
COLLECTED.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW COMPANIES
TO DO THAT.
>> Chuck: THERE ARE STAMPS ON
WOW!
>> THE THING IS, GREATER DETROIT
IS THE PARTICULAR VESSEL THAT'S
IN THE VIGNETTE.
SO YOU'LL GET THIS PARTICULAR
PIECE AND ALSO A RAFFLE TICKET.
THIS RAFFLE TICKET IS SOMETHING
YOU CAN REALLY NOT -- YOU COULD
BUY A TRIP ON A BOAT TO GO
BADGER.
BUT YOU CAN'T BUY A TRIP ON A
FREIGHTER.
THIS TRIP IS GOOD FOR FOUR
FREIGHTER.
>> Chuck: SO THERE'S NO WAY TO
BUY A TRIP LIKE THIS.
>> THE ONLY WAY IS TO WIN IT IN
A RAFFLE.
WE'RE INCLUDING A RAFFLE TICKET
WHICH IS GOOD NEXT YEAR AND THE
NICE PART ABOUT IT, THE DRAWING
IS LIKE MARCH 4th.
NEXT SUMMER, YOU C GO TO OUR