1 00:00:08,042 --> 00:00:09,675 Narrator: Dynamic. 2 00:00:11,078 --> 00:00:12,745 In your face. 3 00:00:13,948 --> 00:00:16,882 And always moving forward. 4 00:00:17,568 --> 00:00:19,935 Watson: No city looks more to the future than new york city. 5 00:00:20,638 --> 00:00:23,272 Narrator: The big apple grew out of water. 6 00:00:25,276 --> 00:00:29,044 The secret story of its success lies hidden under its two rivers... 7 00:00:30,047 --> 00:00:32,281 And its mighty harbor... 8 00:00:35,603 --> 00:00:38,904 Delgado: This is one of the most notorious stretches of water on 9 00:00:38,939 --> 00:00:40,873 The new york waterfront. 10 00:00:43,444 --> 00:00:46,078 Narrator: Imagine if we could empty the oceans. 11 00:00:48,015 --> 00:00:50,432 Letting the water drain away... 12 00:00:51,001 --> 00:00:53,736 To reveal the secrets of the sea floor. 13 00:00:54,638 --> 00:00:57,106 Now we can. 14 00:00:57,641 --> 00:01:01,210 Using accurate data and astonishing technology 15 00:01:03,948 --> 00:01:08,067 To bring light once again to a lost world. 16 00:01:14,041 --> 00:01:18,811 How does the horror of 911 lead to an extraordinary discovery 17 00:01:18,846 --> 00:01:21,513 From the birth of america? 18 00:01:21,782 --> 00:01:25,100 Watson: The most grizzly and bloodiest event of the entire revolutionary war. 19 00:01:26,504 --> 00:01:28,537 Narrator: What does this off-shore wreck 20 00:01:28,572 --> 00:01:31,373 Reveal about the city's explosive growth? 21 00:01:32,076 --> 00:01:34,409 Jaffe: People talked about a forest of masts. 22 00:01:35,846 --> 00:01:38,781 Narrator: And what sank this huge us warship, 23 00:01:39,316 --> 00:01:41,667 Just miles from new york? 24 00:01:44,171 --> 00:01:49,842 (theme music plays). 25 00:02:01,405 --> 00:02:03,939 The largest city in america... 26 00:02:05,409 --> 00:02:08,177 300 square miles. 27 00:02:09,947 --> 00:02:12,614 Eight and a half million people. 28 00:02:16,804 --> 00:02:18,637 Tenacious. 29 00:02:18,672 --> 00:02:20,239 Powerful. 30 00:02:20,274 --> 00:02:22,441 Confident. 31 00:02:24,211 --> 00:02:26,678 All of it built from scratch... 32 00:02:26,914 --> 00:02:29,948 In just 400 years. 33 00:02:30,467 --> 00:02:33,335 And the secret to its success: 34 00:02:33,571 --> 00:02:36,405 Its rivers and harbor. 35 00:02:37,074 --> 00:02:39,474 In the waters around new york, 36 00:02:39,510 --> 00:02:42,544 Archaeologists have located thousands of wrecks. 37 00:02:43,848 --> 00:02:45,214 Time capsules... 38 00:02:45,549 --> 00:02:48,934 That can reveal this city's incredible story in a new light. 39 00:02:51,372 --> 00:02:53,739 One in particular... 40 00:02:54,909 --> 00:02:57,876 What is this strange wreck? 41 00:02:57,912 --> 00:03:00,179 And why is it here? 42 00:03:07,605 --> 00:03:09,304 (explosion) 43 00:03:14,445 --> 00:03:16,545 (screams) 44 00:03:17,815 --> 00:03:21,800 (siren and horn) 45 00:03:25,906 --> 00:03:29,441 As new yorkers recover from the shock of 9/11. 46 00:03:30,244 --> 00:03:33,512 The ruins of the twin towers reveal a secret... 47 00:03:33,948 --> 00:03:37,132 From the very start of their city's story. 48 00:03:37,701 --> 00:03:40,235 Riess: Little did we know that from this terrible tragedy, 49 00:03:40,271 --> 00:03:42,604 There would be a major discovery. 50 00:03:44,208 --> 00:03:46,275 A secret from the past. 51 00:03:48,012 --> 00:03:52,414 Narrator: By 2010 1.8 million tons of debris have been removed. 52 00:03:55,569 --> 00:03:58,637 The construction of a high-security parking garage is underway. 53 00:04:00,774 --> 00:04:03,275 Riess: They decided to make that entrance underground, 54 00:04:03,310 --> 00:04:05,510 So they dug down deeper than they had before. 55 00:04:07,047 --> 00:04:09,348 Narrator: 22 feet beneath the tarmac. 56 00:04:12,369 --> 00:04:14,770 In the shadow of the twin towers... 57 00:04:15,406 --> 00:04:17,940 The remnants of an ancient ship. 58 00:04:20,577 --> 00:04:22,711 Reporter (over tv): At the construction site at ground zero, 59 00:04:22,746 --> 00:04:24,346 A rare find. 60 00:04:24,381 --> 00:04:26,965 What we can see is believed to be half of a ship. 61 00:04:31,005 --> 00:04:32,838 Narrator: Construction halts. 62 00:04:32,873 --> 00:04:36,475 And a team of archaeologists rush to ground zero. 63 00:04:37,511 --> 00:04:40,612 The principle investigator: Warren riess. 64 00:04:42,149 --> 00:04:43,732 Riess: It was right there. 65 00:04:43,767 --> 00:04:47,235 Right where the security area is for parking at the world trade center. 66 00:04:48,872 --> 00:04:51,606 Narrator: When warren arrives only part of the ship is exposed. 67 00:04:52,876 --> 00:04:56,044 Its secrets still hidden under the mud. 68 00:04:56,380 --> 00:05:01,066 Riess: The history of this particular vessel might fill in tremendous gaps in our 69 00:05:02,303 --> 00:05:04,870 Knowledge about the history of new york city itself. 70 00:05:06,507 --> 00:05:10,809 Narrator: To find out more, warren's team scan the excavated site with 71 00:05:10,844 --> 00:05:12,911 High-accuracy laser technology. 72 00:05:15,115 --> 00:05:17,566 Combining the high-resolution 3-d data, 73 00:05:18,102 --> 00:05:20,202 With cutting-edge computer-imaging... 74 00:05:20,904 --> 00:05:24,639 We can turn back time and drain ground zero... 75 00:05:36,203 --> 00:05:40,639 To reveal an astonishing subterranean secret. 76 00:05:44,912 --> 00:05:48,747 Layers of earth crumble away. 77 00:05:52,736 --> 00:05:56,605 22 feet underground, in the heart of manhattan... 78 00:05:59,009 --> 00:06:02,010 The flattened wreck of a wooden ship. 79 00:06:06,683 --> 00:06:11,103 It's 30-foot-long and its wooden structure is roughly-hewn. 80 00:06:12,873 --> 00:06:15,540 Riess: We'd never seen a vessel just like this one. 81 00:06:16,443 --> 00:06:19,244 It was not only rare it's one of a kind. 82 00:06:20,114 --> 00:06:22,047 Narrator: What is this ship? 83 00:06:22,082 --> 00:06:25,033 And what's it doing beneath the heart of manhattan? 84 00:06:25,402 --> 00:06:29,237 More than 500 yards from the shoreline. 85 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:34,376 To find out, riess and his team need to learn its age. 86 00:06:37,848 --> 00:06:43,001 Taking a closer look inside the wood they find well preserved tree rings. 87 00:06:47,007 --> 00:06:51,643 They reveal that the timber was felled in 1773 or soon after. 88 00:06:54,848 --> 00:06:57,632 Riess: It was like a time capsule, a secret time capsule. 89 00:06:59,436 --> 00:07:03,939 Narrator: In america the 1770s mean only one thing... 90 00:07:04,475 --> 00:07:06,141 Revolution. 91 00:07:06,176 --> 00:07:08,276 Riess: What we have is a, 92 00:07:08,312 --> 00:07:10,479 A vessel that's been hiding underneath new york city 93 00:07:10,514 --> 00:07:12,714 That's from the revolutionary period. 94 00:07:13,283 --> 00:07:17,803 Narrator: Back then, new york is home to just 25,000 people. 95 00:07:17,838 --> 00:07:21,673 But the quality of its harbor has already made it one of america's 96 00:07:21,708 --> 00:07:24,276 Most successful ports. 97 00:07:24,978 --> 00:07:28,980 Its strategic importance puts new york firmly in the cross hairs of 98 00:07:29,016 --> 00:07:31,600 Britain's king george... 99 00:07:33,137 --> 00:07:37,405 When the american revolution begins in 1775. 100 00:07:38,942 --> 00:07:43,745 Just a year later a huge british invasion force drives george washington's 101 00:07:43,780 --> 00:07:45,680 Army out of the city. 102 00:07:47,267 --> 00:07:50,702 (gunfire) 103 00:07:51,088 --> 00:07:54,773 Could this ship have been part of the battle? 104 00:07:58,111 --> 00:08:02,180 Going back to the drained wreckage, clues emerge... 105 00:08:04,051 --> 00:08:09,437 Beneath the decking, 327 pieces of artillery. 106 00:08:10,574 --> 00:08:14,543 Including a cannonball and 56 musket balls. 107 00:08:18,048 --> 00:08:23,268 Soldiers from one side or another have clearly been on board this ship. 108 00:08:26,139 --> 00:08:28,273 Then, in the center of the wreck, 109 00:08:28,308 --> 00:08:32,377 Warren riess's team discover the smallest of clues. 110 00:08:36,350 --> 00:08:38,099 Riess: This button was found, 111 00:08:38,135 --> 00:08:40,302 In the midships area on the vessel, 112 00:08:40,337 --> 00:08:43,104 Between some frames and some planks and 113 00:08:43,140 --> 00:08:47,008 Because of that we know it was on the ship before it was buried. 114 00:08:49,146 --> 00:08:52,814 Narrator: The pewter button is stamped with the number fifty-two. 115 00:08:53,150 --> 00:08:56,868 It's fallen from the uniform of a soldier from the fifty second regiment 116 00:08:56,904 --> 00:08:58,703 Of the british army. 117 00:08:59,239 --> 00:09:02,374 Riess: They were grenadiers which means they were very aggressive assault troops. 118 00:09:04,378 --> 00:09:09,614 Pretty exciting to find this because this ties the ship to a british soldier, 119 00:09:10,968 --> 00:09:13,501 In new york during the revolution. 120 00:09:13,537 --> 00:09:16,171 A common soldier who's lost their button. 121 00:09:18,008 --> 00:09:21,276 Narrator: If this ship was used by some of the most fearsome troops in 122 00:09:21,311 --> 00:09:24,713 The british army, what were they using it for? 123 00:09:27,367 --> 00:09:31,202 Combining the scanning data with new research by texas a&m university, 124 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,874 We can resurrect the ship. 125 00:09:39,546 --> 00:09:44,566 As her original form rises from the dirt, her full size becomes clear 126 00:09:46,003 --> 00:09:48,503 And her striking features. 127 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:51,506 50-feet-long... 128 00:09:51,541 --> 00:09:53,925 Her beam, eighteen feet. 129 00:09:54,144 --> 00:09:56,745 With the hull of a river craft. 130 00:09:57,014 --> 00:10:00,548 Just four feet deep and a small keel. 131 00:10:01,401 --> 00:10:04,502 This is not an ocean-going vessel... 132 00:10:05,238 --> 00:10:08,940 It's specifically designed for use in sheltered coastal waters. 133 00:10:11,278 --> 00:10:13,678 Riess: It was able to get into shallow water, 134 00:10:14,414 --> 00:10:17,082 Into little coves, up alongside ships. 135 00:10:21,238 --> 00:10:25,006 Narrator: A ship that's perfect for operating within new york harbor, 136 00:10:25,275 --> 00:10:27,942 And crewed by british grenadiers. 137 00:10:27,978 --> 00:10:32,047 Evidence that she could be part of a little known but brutal story. 138 00:10:35,535 --> 00:10:39,437 During the war british forces ferried many thousands of americans... 139 00:10:39,806 --> 00:10:42,073 To a horrifying destination. 140 00:10:42,476 --> 00:10:44,242 Just two miles away... 141 00:10:44,277 --> 00:10:46,711 Off the shores of brooklyn. 142 00:10:47,514 --> 00:10:49,080 Riess: During the american revolution. 143 00:10:49,116 --> 00:10:54,469 This was known as wallabout bay and it was the most lethal place during 144 00:10:55,439 --> 00:10:57,672 The whole revolution for the americans. 145 00:11:00,143 --> 00:11:03,278 Watson: New york city still has its secrets, its dark past. 146 00:11:04,481 --> 00:11:06,614 Including the most grisly and bloody, 147 00:11:06,650 --> 00:11:09,567 Bloodiest event of the entire revolutionary war. 148 00:11:11,571 --> 00:11:14,205 Narrator: As the british try to quell the uprising, 149 00:11:14,241 --> 00:11:17,042 They capture thousands of prisoners and ferry them 150 00:11:17,077 --> 00:11:23,481 Out onto the waters of wallabout bay to a place known as 'hell afloat'. 151 00:11:27,637 --> 00:11:30,739 A flotilla of festering british ships. 152 00:11:30,974 --> 00:11:36,361 Overcrowded, freezing cold, poorly supplied and run by brutal guards. 153 00:11:38,982 --> 00:11:42,267 Watson: The diseases that swept through just terrorized the men on board. 154 00:11:44,271 --> 00:11:48,440 Narrator: Most notorious of all, the hms jersey. 155 00:11:49,976 --> 00:11:54,379 Watson: She would serve as potentially the worst prison ship, floating dungeon, 156 00:11:55,148 --> 00:11:57,532 In human history. 157 00:11:57,901 --> 00:12:01,236 Narrator: Warren riess believes that the world trade center ship may 158 00:12:01,271 --> 00:12:05,206 Play a role in this dark chapter of new york's history. 159 00:12:07,344 --> 00:12:11,045 Riess: They needed boats to go back and forth and to bring prisoners out and 160 00:12:11,081 --> 00:12:13,782 This would have been a perfect vessel for that. 161 00:12:14,601 --> 00:12:17,702 They would have just stuffed them in there even if they had to pack them in, 162 00:12:18,071 --> 00:12:20,004 Sitting down. 163 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,807 It might carry 100 people on board. 164 00:12:25,746 --> 00:12:28,279 Narrator: The casualty figures are staggering. 165 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:32,033 Far worse than 9/11. 166 00:12:33,270 --> 00:12:38,973 Historians estimate that 11,000 men die on hms jersey alone... 167 00:12:40,377 --> 00:12:45,313 Watson: Twice as many men died aboard the jersey as were lost in combat during 168 00:12:45,715 --> 00:12:49,134 The entirety of the revolutionary war. 169 00:12:49,402 --> 00:12:51,536 It's unimaginable. 170 00:12:54,074 --> 00:12:56,641 Riess: It was a very dark chapter of american history. 171 00:13:04,701 --> 00:13:08,136 Narrator: One last mystery remains about the british ferryboat. 172 00:13:09,372 --> 00:13:13,408 Why was it found under the heart of manhattan? 173 00:13:29,543 --> 00:13:32,610 Narrator: America finally wins independence. 174 00:13:33,814 --> 00:13:36,181 And new york changes fast. 175 00:13:39,970 --> 00:13:42,337 Jaffe: In the years after the american revolution, 176 00:13:42,372 --> 00:13:44,973 New york very much uh is like a phoenix 177 00:13:45,008 --> 00:13:48,243 Rising from the ashes politically and economically. 178 00:13:49,145 --> 00:13:52,213 Narrator: At its heart, a thriving dock... 179 00:13:52,582 --> 00:13:56,401 That looks very different to the city of today. 180 00:13:57,370 --> 00:13:59,370 Riess: We're in the middle of a modern city here, 181 00:13:59,406 --> 00:14:02,240 In the lower districts of manhattan and about 182 00:14:02,275 --> 00:14:05,059 Halfway down that block was the original shoreline. 183 00:14:06,713 --> 00:14:10,932 Narrator: Eager to improve their harbor new yorkers build new wharves. 184 00:14:12,035 --> 00:14:15,136 Extending the island of manhattan out into the bay... 185 00:14:16,439 --> 00:14:18,406 Abandoned in the docks, 186 00:14:18,441 --> 00:14:20,475 Half sunk in the mud, 187 00:14:20,510 --> 00:14:24,078 The old british ferry is simply built around and over. 188 00:14:28,134 --> 00:14:29,567 Centuries later, 189 00:14:29,636 --> 00:14:34,539 The world trade center rises on top of the old dockland and the ships 190 00:14:35,041 --> 00:14:37,859 That had witnessed america's bloody birth. 191 00:14:40,513 --> 00:14:45,333 Commerce drives the city's expansion and for commerce, location is everything. 192 00:14:48,638 --> 00:14:50,705 Facing the roaring atlantic, 193 00:14:50,740 --> 00:14:53,041 At the mouth of the hudson river, 194 00:14:54,044 --> 00:14:56,110 New york's huge natural harbor 195 00:14:56,146 --> 00:14:58,880 Is the perfect place for an international port. 196 00:15:01,668 --> 00:15:04,335 Miles of shoreline in a protected bay. 197 00:15:05,171 --> 00:15:08,706 From which an independent america can trade with the world. 198 00:15:10,176 --> 00:15:11,776 In the 1800s, 199 00:15:11,811 --> 00:15:15,680 More passengers and cargo flow through new york than all other 200 00:15:15,715 --> 00:15:17,765 Us ports combined. 201 00:15:18,635 --> 00:15:22,537 Jaffe: There were so many sailing vessels, coming and going and docking here, 202 00:15:23,139 --> 00:15:26,507 That observers would describe it as a forest of masts. 203 00:15:29,846 --> 00:15:33,081 Narrator: But the city's ambition soon outgrows the fabulous 204 00:15:33,116 --> 00:15:35,600 Harbor provided by nature. 205 00:15:37,404 --> 00:15:39,904 Just yards from bustling uptown manhattan... 206 00:15:44,544 --> 00:15:48,713 Evidence of an earth-shattering event that reshaped this city. 207 00:15:51,801 --> 00:15:57,372 Just how far would new yorkers go to make their port the greatest on earth? 208 00:16:05,749 --> 00:16:09,300 New york harbor's main entrance is the verrazano narrows. 209 00:16:14,774 --> 00:16:17,208 But there's a second gateway to the atlantic... 210 00:16:18,011 --> 00:16:20,311 Long island sound. 211 00:16:22,816 --> 00:16:26,034 Crucial to sustaining the frenzied flow of commerce. 212 00:16:29,339 --> 00:16:32,907 But it's obstructed by a perilous stretch of the east river. 213 00:16:35,845 --> 00:16:37,979 Hell gate. 214 00:16:38,682 --> 00:16:42,400 In the 1850s, one in fifty ships are devoured here. 215 00:16:43,536 --> 00:16:45,336 A terrifying statistic. 216 00:16:48,975 --> 00:16:50,742 James delgado, 217 00:16:50,777 --> 00:16:55,380 Maritime archaeologist from search incorporated, wants to learn more about the 218 00:16:55,415 --> 00:16:57,181 Dangers of hell gate. 219 00:16:59,302 --> 00:17:01,035 Delgado: This early map is particularly 220 00:17:01,071 --> 00:17:03,571 Remarkable because it shows us hell gate... 221 00:17:05,141 --> 00:17:07,542 With the positions of a number of rocks marked. 222 00:17:10,613 --> 00:17:14,148 Narrator: Islands and hidden reefs choke the shipping lane. 223 00:17:15,502 --> 00:17:18,069 Churning the water into a maelstrom. 224 00:17:19,739 --> 00:17:21,672 Delgado: This is a challenging, if not dangerous, 225 00:17:21,708 --> 00:17:23,574 Area to navigate... 226 00:17:24,344 --> 00:17:26,377 A gauntlet to be run. 227 00:17:27,847 --> 00:17:30,681 Narrator: Among the many perils of hell gate, 228 00:17:30,717 --> 00:17:33,134 One monster looms large and deadly... 229 00:17:34,971 --> 00:17:36,738 Flood rock. 230 00:17:39,242 --> 00:17:43,444 Nine acres of stone lurking just beneath the surface. 231 00:17:46,316 --> 00:17:48,800 Right at the heart of hell gate. 232 00:17:55,475 --> 00:17:58,376 Today, the channel is still dangerous... 233 00:18:00,847 --> 00:18:02,847 Delgado: The major obstacle was basically right 234 00:18:02,882 --> 00:18:04,866 In the middle of the road, right off of here. 235 00:18:06,503 --> 00:18:10,571 Narrator: But there's no sign of flood rock above the water. 236 00:18:11,808 --> 00:18:16,110 Does the ship-devouring monster lie beneath the surface? 237 00:18:19,182 --> 00:18:22,100 James takes to the water. 238 00:18:23,937 --> 00:18:26,104 Man (over radio): Alright, sounds good. 239 00:18:32,245 --> 00:18:35,346 Delgado: This is one of the most notorious stretches of water on 240 00:18:35,398 --> 00:18:37,515 The new york waterfront. 241 00:18:42,038 --> 00:18:45,573 What you would have been faced with is all this fast-moving water, 242 00:18:45,608 --> 00:18:46,974 And it's not just 243 00:18:47,010 --> 00:18:48,743 Moving in one direction it's going back and forth, 244 00:18:48,778 --> 00:18:51,012 It's swirling around rocks. 245 00:18:51,681 --> 00:18:54,832 You'd sail through, you lose the wind and suddenly that movement of 246 00:18:54,868 --> 00:18:57,835 Water drags you right into the teeth. 247 00:18:58,571 --> 00:19:01,706 Narrator: In search of flood rock, the team from noaa scans 248 00:19:01,741 --> 00:19:05,109 Hell gate with multi-beam sonar... 249 00:19:05,445 --> 00:19:07,979 Firing sound waves into the murky depths... 250 00:19:09,182 --> 00:19:12,166 The return signal records the shape of the features beneath. 251 00:19:14,170 --> 00:19:17,605 Man: This is a real time image of the bottom. You can see all the rubble. 252 00:19:18,374 --> 00:19:20,491 Delgado: Wow. 253 00:19:20,810 --> 00:19:23,744 Narrator: Using the 3-d multi-beam data and the latest 254 00:19:23,780 --> 00:19:26,447 Computer visualization technology... 255 00:19:26,749 --> 00:19:30,535 It's now possible to pull the plug on the entire harbor. 256 00:19:33,206 --> 00:19:36,774 To reveal a jaw-dropping sight... 257 00:19:41,247 --> 00:19:44,182 Icons of the city, as never seen before... 258 00:19:51,841 --> 00:19:54,742 As the water recedes from the east river, 259 00:19:54,777 --> 00:19:57,612 The remains of flood rock should come into view... 260 00:20:01,217 --> 00:20:05,136 But there's not a trace of the beast that is shown in the old charts. 261 00:20:08,675 --> 00:20:12,009 Nine acres of rock have vanished. 262 00:20:14,914 --> 00:20:16,914 How? 263 00:20:20,570 --> 00:20:23,237 Buried in the archives... 264 00:20:23,573 --> 00:20:27,875 An incredible story of new york self-confidence and ambition. 265 00:20:30,847 --> 00:20:33,814 Delgado: This 1848 chart by the us coast survey is actually a working 266 00:20:34,317 --> 00:20:36,534 Document it was never published. 267 00:20:36,569 --> 00:20:39,704 This is for an engineer to figure out how best to start dealing with this. 268 00:20:40,873 --> 00:20:44,208 How do we pull these teeth to make this a smoother ride through? 269 00:20:46,246 --> 00:20:48,679 Narrator: Backed by wealthy new york merchants, 270 00:20:48,715 --> 00:20:51,615 The city fathers make a decision. 271 00:20:51,901 --> 00:20:54,702 The future of the city is at stake. 272 00:20:54,704 --> 00:20:57,371 Flood rock has got to go. 273 00:20:58,308 --> 00:21:02,710 Delgado: It is the beginning of an age in which nothing was deemed impossible, 274 00:21:03,513 --> 00:21:05,613 If enough ingenuity, 275 00:21:05,648 --> 00:21:10,601 Engineering and perhaps money was put behind it as human beings worked to 276 00:21:11,004 --> 00:21:13,437 Reshape the planet to their purposes. 277 00:21:14,941 --> 00:21:18,776 Narrator: James discovers how the city's engineers planned to do it. 278 00:21:20,213 --> 00:21:22,146 By attacking the problem.... 279 00:21:22,181 --> 00:21:23,948 From beneath. 280 00:21:25,735 --> 00:21:29,403 First, they sink a 70-foot shaft into the heart of the island. 281 00:21:31,557 --> 00:21:33,908 Over nine long years, 282 00:21:33,943 --> 00:21:36,410 Miners dig four miles of tunnels... 283 00:21:37,814 --> 00:21:43,851 And drill 15,000 bore-holes and in them they place a staggering 284 00:21:43,886 --> 00:21:47,538 150 tons of explosives. 285 00:21:50,243 --> 00:21:54,312 Delgado: The hell gate work is an epic moment in the history of civil engineering... 286 00:21:55,848 --> 00:22:00,201 This is a moment in which technology will triumph over nature. 287 00:22:08,678 --> 00:22:13,381 Flock to 288 00:22:13,416 --> 00:22:16,200 New york's east river. 289 00:22:16,235 --> 00:22:18,903 Delgado: Everybody is waiting for the big show. 290 00:22:19,438 --> 00:22:21,772 Narrator: Flood rock is primed with explosives... 291 00:22:23,743 --> 00:22:26,277 And the detonator is pushed. 292 00:22:26,979 --> 00:22:30,581 (explosions) 293 00:22:33,069 --> 00:22:38,706 Seven million cubic feet of pulverized rock flies up into the skies over new york city. 294 00:22:41,144 --> 00:22:43,811 Delgado: The greatest explosion, not only that new york has seen, 295 00:22:43,846 --> 00:22:46,547 But that the world has seen up to that time. 296 00:22:49,302 --> 00:22:51,402 Narrator: And when the spray clears, 297 00:22:51,437 --> 00:22:54,205 Flood rock is history. 298 00:22:56,876 --> 00:23:00,077 Leaving the riverbed looking like a gravel pit. 299 00:23:01,914 --> 00:23:06,100 Jaffe: If you really wanna think about how new yorkers have reconfigured and 300 00:23:06,536 --> 00:23:10,237 Reshaped their entire environment both on land and 301 00:23:10,273 --> 00:23:13,574 In water I think the word chutzpah is perfect for that. 302 00:23:17,413 --> 00:23:20,081 Narrator: With its second entrance now secure, 303 00:23:20,116 --> 00:23:22,400 New york's shipping business increases at an 304 00:23:22,435 --> 00:23:24,402 Ever-faster rate. 305 00:23:26,272 --> 00:23:28,472 Cargo ships move sugar, 306 00:23:28,508 --> 00:23:32,343 Spices, cotton, machinery and construction materials... 307 00:23:36,582 --> 00:23:39,533 All to feed america's booming economy. 308 00:23:43,372 --> 00:23:46,440 Delgado: New york expands dramatically in the 19th century... 309 00:23:47,643 --> 00:23:50,377 It's becoming the industrial and commercial heart of the united states. 310 00:23:52,548 --> 00:23:56,967 Narrator: By the 1880s the city's population is more than a million. 311 00:23:58,304 --> 00:24:01,138 And its waters are getting crowded... 312 00:24:01,707 --> 00:24:03,307 Dangerously so. 313 00:24:04,343 --> 00:24:08,179 In the wild atlantic, just a few miles beyond new york harbor... 314 00:24:08,948 --> 00:24:14,084 What can one strange offshore wreck tell us of the pace of trade through 315 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,570 The waters of new york? 316 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,075 And the peril facing those pursuing the american dream. 317 00:24:25,348 --> 00:24:28,632 Before daybreak, on March the 14th, 1886... 318 00:24:29,836 --> 00:24:34,472 The ss oregon is nearing the end of a 3,000-mile voyage from England. 319 00:24:36,676 --> 00:24:41,445 Transporting her cargo and over 600 passengers through the dark approach to 320 00:24:41,481 --> 00:24:43,614 New york harbor. 321 00:24:45,735 --> 00:24:47,935 It's a calm night. 322 00:24:48,237 --> 00:24:52,173 Just 60 miles stand between her and her final destination. 323 00:24:56,145 --> 00:24:58,112 But at first light, 324 00:24:58,147 --> 00:25:01,899 A look-out from fire island signal station reports her masts 325 00:25:01,934 --> 00:25:04,235 Drifting off course. 326 00:25:07,373 --> 00:25:11,709 Moments later the oregon disappears. 327 00:25:14,914 --> 00:25:18,182 And never arrives in new york. 328 00:25:18,634 --> 00:25:22,469 What happens to her and all the people onboard, 329 00:25:23,839 --> 00:25:25,839 Out in the darkness? 330 00:25:32,682 --> 00:25:35,900 Delgado: As flat as this seems, this is a dangerous section of ocean. 331 00:25:38,504 --> 00:25:43,474 There are many disasters that happen within the reach of this light's beams but every 332 00:25:43,876 --> 00:25:45,309 Once in a while, 333 00:25:45,344 --> 00:25:48,295 There comes a big disaster in which a large ship is lost. 334 00:25:51,667 --> 00:25:54,368 Narrator: For over 130 years, 335 00:25:54,403 --> 00:25:57,705 Oregon has lain shrouded by the atlantic. 336 00:26:00,243 --> 00:26:02,843 Delgado: The waters off the new york coast are dark, 337 00:26:02,878 --> 00:26:05,212 Cold and often murky. 338 00:26:05,248 --> 00:26:08,933 Narrator: The ocean has concealed her secrets. 339 00:26:09,502 --> 00:26:11,535 But now that's changing. 340 00:26:14,874 --> 00:26:17,241 Off the southern shore of fire island, 341 00:26:17,276 --> 00:26:20,177 The ferdinand r. Hassler goes in search of wreckage. 342 00:26:21,781 --> 00:26:24,648 Kidd: You are clear to turn around and make another pass. 343 00:26:25,101 --> 00:26:29,703 Narrator: For hundreds of years the national oceanic and atmospheric administration's 344 00:26:29,739 --> 00:26:33,374 Coast survey has been charting and re-charting these waters. 345 00:26:34,644 --> 00:26:38,078 Kidd: We're about 12 nautical miles south of fire island and we're 346 00:26:38,114 --> 00:26:40,581 About to go right on top of her now. 347 00:26:40,816 --> 00:26:45,402 Narrator: Multi-beam scanners in the ship's hull emit sonar pulses. 348 00:26:45,938 --> 00:26:49,306 Kidd: We use this technology to very accurately and precisely 349 00:26:49,342 --> 00:26:51,709 Map features on the ocean floor. 350 00:26:53,379 --> 00:26:56,013 Oh, wow there it is! 351 00:26:56,949 --> 00:26:58,715 Look at that, that's awesome! 352 00:27:01,270 --> 00:27:04,605 Narrator: Based upon this detailed three-dimensional data, 353 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,206 We can bring the oregon, 354 00:27:06,242 --> 00:27:09,410 And her story, back into the light.... 355 00:27:18,237 --> 00:27:21,939 First, a towering structure of tangled metal. 356 00:27:27,947 --> 00:27:30,147 The water receding further... 357 00:27:32,435 --> 00:27:35,969 The oregon as never seen before. 358 00:27:38,741 --> 00:27:41,175 She's taken a beating from the ocean; 359 00:27:41,210 --> 00:27:44,978 Her insides are exposed to the elements allowing us to 360 00:27:45,014 --> 00:27:47,414 Examine what type of ship she is. 361 00:27:49,135 --> 00:27:51,835 Though her masts were seen from ashore, 362 00:27:51,871 --> 00:27:54,438 They must have been supplementary. 363 00:27:55,174 --> 00:27:57,408 Oregon isn't a sail ship. 364 00:27:57,443 --> 00:28:01,011 In fact, she represents a revolution in shipping. 365 00:28:02,048 --> 00:28:04,815 She is a steamer. 366 00:28:05,801 --> 00:28:08,635 Beneath her four-story high steam engine, 367 00:28:08,671 --> 00:28:11,071 The remains of nine boilers... 368 00:28:11,107 --> 00:28:13,474 Each 16-feet wide. 369 00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:16,076 Delgado: This thing is a behemoth. 370 00:28:16,112 --> 00:28:18,379 With so many fires going, 371 00:28:18,414 --> 00:28:21,582 That it's consuming massive amounts of coal. 372 00:28:23,502 --> 00:28:25,102 Narrator: And towards her stern, 373 00:28:25,137 --> 00:28:28,572 A huge screw propeller, 24 feet wide. 374 00:28:31,977 --> 00:28:34,611 This is the corpse of an athlete... 375 00:28:35,448 --> 00:28:38,348 A ship built with one thing in mind... 376 00:28:39,535 --> 00:28:41,568 Speed. 377 00:28:41,804 --> 00:28:43,837 But why? 378 00:28:46,075 --> 00:28:50,110 The answer is part of the dna of new york city itself... 379 00:28:52,181 --> 00:28:53,781 Immigrants. 380 00:28:55,735 --> 00:28:58,235 Watson: Folks from all around the world came for opportunity and for 381 00:28:58,270 --> 00:29:01,171 This dream that new york city was. 382 00:29:01,774 --> 00:29:05,309 Narrator: More than 70% of immigrants bound for america arrive 383 00:29:05,344 --> 00:29:06,944 In new york. 384 00:29:07,513 --> 00:29:11,582 Jaffe: New york is the gateway, as lincoln said, it was the front door. 385 00:29:13,102 --> 00:29:18,272 Narrator: By the late 1800s 650,000 immigrants arrive, 386 00:29:18,307 --> 00:29:21,775 Every year and up to 20,000 boats a year 387 00:29:21,811 --> 00:29:24,111 Maneuver through the harbor, 388 00:29:24,146 --> 00:29:26,680 And everyone is in a hurry. 389 00:29:27,349 --> 00:29:29,600 Delgado: It's a time of rampant capitalism. 390 00:29:29,635 --> 00:29:31,902 Great fortunes are being made. 391 00:29:31,937 --> 00:29:34,037 Profit is everything! 392 00:29:35,307 --> 00:29:37,875 Jaffe: The waters are just alive with vessels. 393 00:29:40,212 --> 00:29:43,614 Narrator: Faster ships mean more trade and bigger profits. 394 00:29:46,035 --> 00:29:48,168 Time is money. 395 00:29:55,444 --> 00:29:59,213 The quest for profit leads to an extraordinary technological race to 396 00:29:59,248 --> 00:30:02,666 Build ships that will cross the atlantic faster and faster. 397 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,542 Delgado: The early days of ocean steam are cut-throat. 398 00:30:12,077 --> 00:30:14,945 You have entrepreneurs who are battling it out on the ocean. 399 00:30:18,184 --> 00:30:20,868 By the 1870s and into the 1880s, 400 00:30:21,370 --> 00:30:23,971 That's when you begin to see the birth of truly 401 00:30:24,006 --> 00:30:26,173 Magnificent ocean steamers. 402 00:30:26,208 --> 00:30:27,674 Greyhounds of the sea. 403 00:30:27,710 --> 00:30:29,776 Leviathans. 404 00:30:31,180 --> 00:30:33,580 Narrator: The british-operated 'guion line' 405 00:30:33,616 --> 00:30:37,901 Builds the oregon in 1881 to boost its new york express service. 406 00:30:41,006 --> 00:30:42,706 And she's cutting-edge. 407 00:30:44,610 --> 00:30:47,444 Delgado: It has the largest steam engine yet put into one of these ships. 408 00:30:49,481 --> 00:30:52,633 Narrator: Consuming over 200 tons of coal a day, 409 00:30:53,102 --> 00:30:56,904 Her boilers generate upwards of 12,000 horsepower... 410 00:30:57,740 --> 00:31:02,075 Driving the huge screw propeller that thrusts oregon forward at an 411 00:31:02,111 --> 00:31:04,177 Astonishing eighteen knots. 412 00:31:05,814 --> 00:31:10,601 In April 1884 she crosses the atlantic in under 6 and a half days. 413 00:31:11,670 --> 00:31:14,404 Slashing 13 hours off the record. 414 00:31:15,107 --> 00:31:17,674 Delgado: It's something that nobody had thought could be done. 415 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:25,332 Narrator: Oregon claims the prize and earns the nickname greyhound of the atlantic. 416 00:31:30,105 --> 00:31:33,840 So, what took down such a powerful machine? 417 00:31:36,412 --> 00:31:39,413 Returning to the drained wreck there's a clue. 418 00:31:39,682 --> 00:31:42,699 Disguised by decades of decay. 419 00:31:45,271 --> 00:31:49,539 On her port side a section of the hull is more crumpled than anywhere else. 420 00:31:55,514 --> 00:31:58,482 Something must have ripped a hole right here. 421 00:32:02,404 --> 00:32:04,471 But what? 422 00:32:04,773 --> 00:32:08,308 The degradation means it's impossible to tell from the wreckage alone. 423 00:32:13,015 --> 00:32:16,099 An article from the new york times holds the answer. 424 00:32:20,339 --> 00:32:24,341 Oregon is a victim of new york's heaving waterways. 425 00:32:27,379 --> 00:32:31,548 Jaffe: The risk of getting into a collision is actually shockingly high. 426 00:32:35,537 --> 00:32:38,905 Narrator: Combining this research with the evidence from the drained wreck, 427 00:32:38,941 --> 00:32:42,175 We can piece together the final moments. 428 00:32:45,414 --> 00:32:48,899 At 4:30 in the morning oregon is bound for new york. 429 00:32:49,435 --> 00:32:51,835 Under a full head of steam. 430 00:32:52,104 --> 00:32:53,770 Delgado: It's a dark night, 431 00:32:53,806 --> 00:32:56,073 They're lining up and heading towards the port. 432 00:32:56,108 --> 00:32:59,977 They can see the lights along the long island shore, 433 00:33:00,012 --> 00:33:03,313 The fire island light is brilliantly lit. 434 00:33:06,235 --> 00:33:08,869 Narrator: A light appears on her port side. 435 00:33:09,538 --> 00:33:10,971 Delgado: It's another ship, 436 00:33:11,006 --> 00:33:14,007 Heading right for them and it strikes them dramatically on the side. 437 00:33:18,580 --> 00:33:20,914 Then the other ship backs off and disappears. 438 00:33:23,035 --> 00:33:25,502 The ocean is pouring into the heart of oregon. 439 00:33:31,577 --> 00:33:35,779 Narrator: Over eight frantic hours nearby boats rescue every passenger 440 00:33:35,814 --> 00:33:37,781 On board the oregon. 441 00:33:39,535 --> 00:33:42,569 Their dreams of a new life in america still intact. 442 00:33:46,642 --> 00:33:49,943 But the mighty oregon has suffered a fatal blow. 443 00:33:53,449 --> 00:33:57,701 Delgado: This greyhound of the atlantic has been gored and sunk just off the 444 00:33:58,070 --> 00:33:59,603 Entrance to the city. 445 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:05,475 Narrator: While oregon never makes it to port thousands more liners do. 446 00:34:07,780 --> 00:34:10,414 Ellis island opens in 1892. 447 00:34:11,950 --> 00:34:16,036 Twelve million new americans pour through its halls. 448 00:34:19,608 --> 00:34:23,076 Ocean liners flood the harbor, beckoning a golden age... 449 00:34:25,314 --> 00:34:29,866 In just a century new york's population grows from 60,000 to 450 00:34:30,402 --> 00:34:32,619 Three and a half million. 451 00:34:34,073 --> 00:34:38,175 By 1900 it's the largest city in the western hemisphere. 452 00:34:39,111 --> 00:34:42,079 Drawing the eyes of the world. 453 00:34:42,548 --> 00:34:46,099 Including those who would try and take her down. 454 00:34:48,337 --> 00:34:50,203 40 miles from new york, 455 00:34:50,906 --> 00:34:53,406 Off the shores of long island. 456 00:34:53,442 --> 00:34:55,976 What sank this giant? 457 00:34:56,411 --> 00:35:00,413 And how does her sinking reveal new york's vulnerability at the 458 00:35:00,449 --> 00:35:02,666 Dawn of the 20th century? 459 00:35:12,878 --> 00:35:15,779 America is at war. 460 00:35:16,181 --> 00:35:17,747 Trans-atlantic convoys, 461 00:35:17,783 --> 00:35:20,200 Carrying troops and supplies to europe, 462 00:35:20,235 --> 00:35:22,702 Are key to the allies hopes of success. 463 00:35:24,306 --> 00:35:25,972 Protected by warships... 464 00:35:26,008 --> 00:35:28,575 Like the uss san diego. 465 00:35:30,279 --> 00:35:33,847 500-feet-long, over 13,000 tons... 466 00:35:34,883 --> 00:35:38,535 Armor-plated, with 40 guns of up to eight inches. 467 00:35:39,872 --> 00:35:43,473 And multiple watertight bulkheads to make her unsinkable. 468 00:35:48,780 --> 00:35:54,668 On July 19th, 1918, she's approaching new york to pick up a convoy. 469 00:35:58,574 --> 00:36:01,775 At 11:05 am, just outside the harbor, 470 00:36:03,912 --> 00:36:06,680 She is rocked by a huge explosion. 471 00:36:07,716 --> 00:36:11,001 Catsambis: Within 20 minutes the ship had sunk. 472 00:36:13,939 --> 00:36:17,474 San diego was the only major us navy warship lost in the great war... 473 00:36:18,377 --> 00:36:21,144 It happens to lie just a few miles from the coast of new york. 474 00:36:23,148 --> 00:36:25,182 Narrator: So, what happened? 475 00:36:27,736 --> 00:36:30,637 A team from the us navy has reopened the case. 476 00:36:32,057 --> 00:36:34,941 Led by archaeologist alexis catsambis. 477 00:36:35,878 --> 00:36:38,678 Catsambis: The question has lingered for over a century... 478 00:36:38,714 --> 00:36:40,814 What sank san diego? 479 00:36:42,901 --> 00:36:44,201 Narrator: To find out, 480 00:36:44,236 --> 00:36:47,204 Navy divers explore the wreckage of this sunken warrior. 481 00:36:50,042 --> 00:36:54,277 But it's impossible to see the whole picture through the murky waters. 482 00:36:58,116 --> 00:37:01,234 Working with the university of delaware, 483 00:37:01,570 --> 00:37:04,037 Alexis deploys three-dimensional scanning 484 00:37:04,072 --> 00:37:07,307 Equipment to map san diego's structure on the seafloor. 485 00:37:09,444 --> 00:37:12,178 Catsambis: This project is the first time we're getting comprehensive 486 00:37:12,214 --> 00:37:14,447 Remote sensing data. 487 00:37:14,883 --> 00:37:18,501 Narrator: Combining this new data with the latest computer imaging technology 488 00:37:19,638 --> 00:37:22,739 We can do something impossible before now... 489 00:37:25,877 --> 00:37:28,612 Reveal, in perfect detail, 490 00:37:29,014 --> 00:37:32,899 The wreck of a us casualty of the great war. 491 00:37:38,740 --> 00:37:43,777 The san diego comes into the light for the first time in 100 years. 492 00:37:47,849 --> 00:37:52,035 It's the beautiful sleek shape of her 500-foot hull that appears first. 493 00:37:55,874 --> 00:37:59,309 The steel structure is in remarkable condition for her age. 494 00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:05,348 Apart from this... 495 00:38:05,584 --> 00:38:09,336 Towards her stern, a section of the hull that's damaged. 496 00:38:10,372 --> 00:38:14,424 This is the blast site.... Eroded by decades of decay. 497 00:38:16,478 --> 00:38:18,912 But it appears to be below the waterline. 498 00:38:22,284 --> 00:38:25,869 If something hit the ship, it was beneath the surface. 499 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,714 The team studies the historical records. 500 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:44,204 There's no suggestion that engine malfunction or onboard ordnance caused the blast. 501 00:38:45,073 --> 00:38:49,275 Reinforcing the view that it could been caused by something more sinister. 502 00:38:59,671 --> 00:39:03,907 Advances in technology mean german u-boats can now cross the atlantic. 503 00:39:06,044 --> 00:39:08,578 Catsambis: This is a, a new era where submarine warfare 504 00:39:08,613 --> 00:39:10,180 Is taking over. 505 00:39:10,215 --> 00:39:12,815 Jaffe: The war was brought to new york shores. 506 00:39:14,169 --> 00:39:18,238 Narrator: By the 1900s new york is the planet's busiest port. 507 00:39:20,475 --> 00:39:24,577 An irresistible target for the imperial german navy. 508 00:39:28,150 --> 00:39:30,200 Watson: If you're an enemy of the united states, 509 00:39:30,235 --> 00:39:33,436 What is a more symbolic target than new york city? 510 00:39:36,575 --> 00:39:39,342 Narrator: The team wonders if a torpedo from a u-boat 511 00:39:39,378 --> 00:39:42,078 Could have caused the explosion? 512 00:39:42,948 --> 00:39:44,447 To answer the question, 513 00:39:44,483 --> 00:39:46,800 They calculate the original size of the blast hole. 514 00:39:49,004 --> 00:39:51,037 Catsambis: What damage is related to that original point of impact 515 00:39:51,740 --> 00:39:54,207 And that original explosion? 516 00:39:54,443 --> 00:39:58,845 Narrator: They find a report from a navy diver who visited the wreck in 1918. 517 00:40:00,248 --> 00:40:03,800 Cheser: He says he was along the bottom on the port side around no 4 smoke stack. 518 00:40:05,303 --> 00:40:08,338 Narrator: He estimates the cavity to be just 5 feet wide. 519 00:40:09,741 --> 00:40:13,309 Nahshon: That corresponds to being right below the armor belt which make sense. 520 00:40:14,579 --> 00:40:15,912 Narrator: Using this data, 521 00:40:15,947 --> 00:40:18,915 We can reconstruct the original blast hole... 522 00:40:22,337 --> 00:40:25,338 Could it have been caused by a torpedo? 523 00:40:30,445 --> 00:40:33,346 The team models the damage that world war I 524 00:40:33,381 --> 00:40:36,566 Torpedo payloads cause and get a surprise. 525 00:40:38,036 --> 00:40:40,270 Catsambis: It became rather evident that the torpedoes were simply 526 00:40:40,305 --> 00:40:41,888 Too large of a weapon. 527 00:40:41,923 --> 00:40:45,008 They carried too large of a charge and would have resulted in a hole that was 528 00:40:45,043 --> 00:40:47,444 Far larger than 5 or 6 feet. 529 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,448 Narrator: They wonder if it was a min 530 00:40:51,716 --> 00:40:56,202 Incredibly, archives from the german government reveal u-boats were ordered 531 00:40:56,238 --> 00:40:58,738 To lay mines outside new york harbor. 532 00:41:00,408 --> 00:41:02,775 Cheser: They knew that it was an important area for shipping for the 533 00:41:02,811 --> 00:41:04,744 United states and allies. 534 00:41:06,281 --> 00:41:08,548 Narrator: But they discover standard german mines, 535 00:41:08,583 --> 00:41:10,733 Known as type 4, 536 00:41:10,769 --> 00:41:13,937 Also inflict a blast hole larger than five feet. 537 00:41:17,542 --> 00:41:19,843 Then, a key insight. 538 00:41:26,067 --> 00:41:29,769 By 1918, germany is running short of explosives. 539 00:41:32,841 --> 00:41:34,274 Catsambis: The germans, by the end of the war, 540 00:41:34,309 --> 00:41:36,409 Were using diminished charges. 541 00:41:37,846 --> 00:41:40,847 Narrator: And allowing for the reduced charge in a 'type four' mine... 542 00:41:41,750 --> 00:41:44,667 It produces a blast hole close to five feet wide. 543 00:41:47,305 --> 00:41:50,039 It appears to be a match. 544 00:41:50,509 --> 00:41:54,844 San diego was almost certainly hit by a small german mine. 545 00:41:57,115 --> 00:42:00,133 But there's another question... 546 00:42:01,203 --> 00:42:04,103 The hole is still tiny. 547 00:42:04,139 --> 00:42:07,373 How could it sink a 500-foot long ship 548 00:42:08,043 --> 00:42:12,679 In just 20 minutes and flip her upside down? 549 00:42:26,678 --> 00:42:29,646 The drained wreck of the san diego reveals another 550 00:42:29,681 --> 00:42:31,481 Piece of the puzzle. 551 00:42:33,568 --> 00:42:36,736 Catsambis: Understanding the weapon is only one part of a larger picture. 552 00:42:37,205 --> 00:42:41,007 We want to understand the whole sequence of events and how the ship sank. 553 00:42:43,878 --> 00:42:46,246 Narrator: Watertight bulkheads and doors are 554 00:42:46,281 --> 00:42:51,034 Specifically designed to stop the spread of water and keep this warship upright. 555 00:42:52,437 --> 00:42:56,039 But somehow san diego turned upside down. 556 00:42:58,143 --> 00:43:01,110 She sank through just 100 feet of water; 557 00:43:01,546 --> 00:43:04,097 Not enough for her to roll on the descent. 558 00:43:04,583 --> 00:43:07,300 She must have capsized at the surface. 559 00:43:09,971 --> 00:43:14,474 How did a small hole in a watertight section of this ship leave her lying 560 00:43:14,509 --> 00:43:16,392 Prone on the seafloor? 561 00:43:19,247 --> 00:43:22,832 Alexis and his colleagues are sure that water must have penetrated 562 00:43:22,867 --> 00:43:24,934 Further into her hull. 563 00:43:26,104 --> 00:43:28,705 Catsambis: We needed to understand how this happened... 564 00:43:28,740 --> 00:43:32,241 How did we get to the point where instead of simply sinking, 565 00:43:32,444 --> 00:43:34,944 The ship turned in on herself. 566 00:43:35,547 --> 00:43:40,933 Narrator: Analysis shows that even with substantial flooding san diego wouldn't capsize. 567 00:43:44,572 --> 00:43:48,141 Baffled, the team studies san diego's structure, 568 00:43:48,176 --> 00:43:50,276 Looking for signs of weakness. 569 00:43:50,578 --> 00:43:55,181 Nahshon: So here we can see a plan of the of the gun deck of the uss san diego. 570 00:43:57,102 --> 00:44:00,737 Narrator: But plans are no match for inspecting a real warship. 571 00:44:03,875 --> 00:44:07,076 A contemporary of the san diego, although a few years older, 572 00:44:08,013 --> 00:44:09,628 Is the cruiser: 573 00:44:09,631 --> 00:44:11,814 Uss olympia. 574 00:44:13,168 --> 00:44:16,035 The oldest steel warship still afloat. 575 00:44:21,409 --> 00:44:25,244 Examining her internal structure, the team makes a breakthrough. 576 00:44:26,681 --> 00:44:29,899 Catsambis: Then we realized that the fact that she was coal powered was critical and 577 00:44:29,934 --> 00:44:32,402 Crucial to our determination of how she capsized. 578 00:44:33,204 --> 00:44:37,173 Narrator: Coal, stored on deck, has to be delivered to the engine rooms below. 579 00:44:38,476 --> 00:44:40,743 Catsambis: So, this chute would have been somewhat like the one we would 580 00:44:40,779 --> 00:44:42,412 Find on san diego, 581 00:44:42,447 --> 00:44:45,348 It would have allowed coal to be deposited all the way through the coal bunkers 582 00:44:45,383 --> 00:44:48,201 And even though you can close it, it's still not watertight. 583 00:44:49,003 --> 00:44:52,372 Narrator: This weakness hadn't been clear on the san diego's plans. 584 00:44:53,174 --> 00:44:55,341 Catsambis: There were additional entry points we were not factoring in. 585 00:44:57,679 --> 00:45:01,514 Narrator: The watertight bulkheads prevent seawater from flooding the entire hull, 586 00:45:02,917 --> 00:45:06,953 But these chutes and a network of vents gave it another route. 587 00:45:09,541 --> 00:45:12,775 Catsambis: And so, water coming in through the gun deck would have permeated through 588 00:45:12,811 --> 00:45:16,546 These chutes into the coal bunkers and from there on to the engine rooms and 589 00:45:16,581 --> 00:45:18,981 The boiler rooms and throughout the vessel. 590 00:45:22,837 --> 00:45:25,304 Narrator: By examining san diego's wreckage, 591 00:45:25,340 --> 00:45:27,423 And piecing together the clues, 592 00:45:27,709 --> 00:45:31,677 We're able to tell her complete story for the very first time. 593 00:45:37,068 --> 00:45:40,069 The uss san diego is headed for new york. 594 00:45:41,306 --> 00:45:43,439 The horizon is clear. 595 00:45:43,742 --> 00:45:46,776 But there's danger lurking beneath the water. 596 00:45:50,615 --> 00:45:53,299 A german u-boat has laid a minefield. 597 00:45:55,303 --> 00:45:57,937 San diego brushes against one. 598 00:46:01,309 --> 00:46:05,111 Catsambis: Water spewed into the air and it started then flooding the 599 00:46:05,647 --> 00:46:07,547 Engineering and boiler room spaces. 600 00:46:10,135 --> 00:46:11,701 Narrator: As she lists, 601 00:46:11,736 --> 00:46:14,537 Water pours onto the gundeck from the port side. 602 00:46:19,677 --> 00:46:22,712 Rapidly penetrating the ship via the coal chutes and vents... 603 00:46:23,615 --> 00:46:26,199 Tipping her further. 604 00:46:27,769 --> 00:46:30,203 Catsambis: Within a few moments she had capsized and, and was on her 605 00:46:30,238 --> 00:46:32,238 Way to the bottom. 606 00:46:33,174 --> 00:46:37,643 Narrator: All but six of her 1,100 strong crew survived. 607 00:46:38,580 --> 00:46:41,814 But san diego sinks to her watery grave... 608 00:46:41,850 --> 00:46:44,267 Just miles from the heart of new york city. 609 00:46:46,938 --> 00:46:49,872 A heavyweight victim of a calculated attack. 610 00:46:57,348 --> 00:47:00,733 Draining new york city reveals stories of conflict, 611 00:47:03,037 --> 00:47:06,439 Immigration and ruthless ambition. 612 00:47:08,409 --> 00:47:12,512 Today the spirit and success of this remarkable city... 613 00:47:12,547 --> 00:47:14,981 Still invites enemy attack. 614 00:47:15,383 --> 00:47:19,335 To which new york gives a familiar reply. 615 00:47:19,871 --> 00:47:20,970 Captioned by cotter captioning services.