Delray Wreck-Delray Beach,FL
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BONSAIRAD
N 26° 27.267 W 080° 03.549
17R E 593795 N 2926355
This marker notes a shipwreck from a hurricane.The ship was the S.S. Inchulva.It went down 9/11/1903.
Waymark Code: WM635N
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/24/2009
Views: 25
The Delray Wreck
The old shipwreck known as the "Delray Wreck" rests at the bottom of
the ocean in 25 feet of water about 150 yards offshore the south end of Delray's municipal beach. The wreck is broken and scattered into five sections and has long been one of the most popular diving spots in south Florida. The S.S. INCHULVA was grounded and wrecked by a fierce hurricane on September 11, 1903. Under the command of Captain G.W. Davis, the 386 foot steel-hulled British steam ship was bound for Newport News, Virginia from Galveston, Texas carrying wheat, cotton, lumber, and a crew of 28 men. The storm struck about 5 p.m., tossing the ship and causing the cargo to shift. Steering became impossible, so Captain Davis put out both anchors, but to no avail. The anchors parted and the INCHULVA grounded and was ripped apart. Nine crew members were lost. Dawn revealed to the battered crew that land and town were just a short distance away. By noon, all the men except Captain Davis and two mates had landed on shore in a small hastily built raft. They found hot food and coffee at the Chapman House, a local hotel, where many of Delray's residents had taken shelter during the storm. The nine seamen who lost their lives were buried on the ridge overlooking the ocean where the ship had gone down. The surviving crew members were treated, paid, and sent to New York. Before leaving for their homes, each crew member signed the guest register of the Chapman House. Under their names they wrote" Shipwreck in the S.S. Inchulva September 11, 1903 landed on a raft September 12th and received every kindness and attention at the hands of Mrs. Chapman." Captain Davis, his chief officer, a second officer, and a seaman from the ship were brought before the naval court held at the British Vice Consulate at Jacksonville on September 19. The court exonerated the captain and the crew from all blame.
Marker Number: F-327
Date: 1990
County: Palm Beach
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: Historic Palm Beach Preservation Board and Fl. Dept. of State
Website: Not listed
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