By | Associated Press â€"Â
Article from YAHOO NEWS
|
|
|
200-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Gulf of Mexico
-
In this photo provided by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, a well preserved shipwreck is seen about 200 miles off the coast of La., at a depth around 4,000 feet, in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, April 26, 2012. While most of the ship's wood has long since disintegrated, copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline as a protection against marine-boring organisms remains, leaving a copper shell retaining the form of the ship. (AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program)
-
In this Friday, April 26, 2012 photo provided by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, artifacts, including ceramic plates, platters, and bowls; and glass liquor, wine, medicine, and food storage bottles of many shapes and colors, some with the contents still sealed inside, at the site of a a well preserved shipwreck, roughly 200 years old, discovered about 200 miles off the coast of La., at a depth around 4,000 feet, in the Gulf of Mexico. A variety of artifacts inside the ship's hull relates either to daily life on board or to the ships cargo. (AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program)
-
In this photo provided by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, a well preserved shipwreck is seen about 200 miles off the coast of La., at a depth around 4,000 feet, in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, April 26, 2012. A large cast-iron cannon lies next to an anchor.The wheel to the right of the anchor may be part of the gun carriage. (AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program)
-
In this photo provided by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, a well preserved shipwreck is seen about 200 miles off the coast of La., at a depth around 4,000 feet, in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, April 26, 2012. The interior of the wreck is seen showing the ships stove, imaged from Serios, the companion vehicle from which the ROV Little Hercules is deployed. (AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program)
NEW ORLEANS â€"  An oil company exploration crew's chance discovery of a 200-year-old shipwreck in a little-charted stretch of the Gulf of Mexico is yielding a trove of new information to scientists who say it's one of the most well-preserved old wrecks ever found in the Gulf.
"When we saw it we were all just astonished because it was beautifully preserved, and by that I mean for a 200-year-old shipwreck," said Jack Irion, maritime archaeologist with the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in New Orleans.
Video shows muskets and gin bottles littering the Gulf bottom, along with sea life mingling in the wreck.
Scientists say the ship is about 200 miles off the northern Gulf coast and about 4,000 feet deep. The depth has kept it largely undisturbed during two centuries of storms and hurricanes. And although most of the ship's wood dissolved long ago, the copper hull and its contents remain in place.
"The wood is deteriorated. It's largely been eaten away by marine organisms, but what is left is a copper shell which would have been the lower part of the hull which was sheathed in copper to protect it," Irion said.
'Very few shipwrecks have been found that still have the stove intact.'
- Jack Irion, maritime archaeologist
Among the wreckage were "a rather astonishing number of bottles," particularly square gin bottles known as case bottles, as well as wine bottles, Irion said.
There were many ceramic cups, plates and bowls that didn't appear to be cargo. Some were green shell-edged pearl ware, a British import popular in the United States between 1800 and 1830.
The ship's kitchen stove was found intact.
"Very few shipwrecks have been found that still have the stove intact," Irion said. "You can very clearly see the features of the stove. It's in rather good shape."
Also discovered were an anchor, cannons and muskets. Irion said researchers have not yet determined whether it was a merchant, military or pirate ship.
There was plenty of pirate and military activity in the Gulf at the time, surrounding the War of 1812, the Texas revolution and the Mexican-American War. The buccaneer Jean Lafitte and other pirates sailed the Gulf to smuggle goods into New Orleans, Galveston, Texas, and elsewhere.
"It was actually a fairly hazardous place to be if you were a merchant ship, so it was not unlikely that you would be carrying a cannon on board to protect yourself," Irion said.
Researchers believe the ship likely sank during a storm.
"We haven't seen any evidence of burning, or explosions or cannon shot. That's obvious, so we strongly suspect that it was likely a hurricane or another strong storm and it simply foundered at sea and vanished without a trace and was never reported missing," Irion said.
The shipwreck site was noticed as an "unknown sonar contact" during an oil and gas survey last year by Shell Oil Co. Shell reported it to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which teamed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to survey the site.
The federal agencies used robots and high-definition cameras during a 56-day expedition by the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer that ended April 29.
The underwater video was transmitted live via satellite to maritime archaeologists, scientists and resource managers from Texas to Rhode Island.
BOEM is protecting and preserving the site until it's determined what country the vessel is from.
So far, none of the wreckage or cargo has been brought up -- and it might never be. The authorities want to explore as much as they can before making that decision.
Frank Cantelas, a maritime archaeologist for NOAA, said the site was one of four explored in the Gulf last month. He said the agency also intends to study the sea life at the site, because deep sea shipwrecks often serve as habitats for marine life.
Researchers wouldn't disclose the precise location of the wreck, citing concerns over possible plundering or disturbing the site.
"One thing that we want to stress is ships have a monetary value, but they also have to us a historical value that goes way beyond that," Irion said. "What this can tell us is a very interesting story about our past, about the history of the Gulf of Mexico, about how important the Gulf of Mexico was to the beginnings of the United States."
The wreckage can also give insight to the lives of the crew, where they had been, where they were going and their role in the economy and world history.
"It's as if we get a glimpse into what their lives were like, like a time capsule," Irion said.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.
Article from FOXNEWS
Stabbed Ohio woman hits child with car, both dead
A woman allegedly stabbed by her best friend during an argument while sitting behind the wheel of a car tried to drive away and struck her attacker's 2-year-old daughter, authorities said Friday. The woman and the toddler both died.
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Soldier faces murder charges in Iraq base deaths
Murder charges have been filed against a sergeant accused of killing four other soldiers and a Navy officer in May 2009 at a mental health clinic in Iraq, the Army said Friday.
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Protesters Causing Most Mayhem at NATO Summit
-
Friday, May, 18, 2012: The National Nurses United protest on Daley Plaza in Chicago.Fox News
CHICAGO â€"  Thousands of protesters have arrived in Chicago knowing they are there in part to make a little noise during the weekend NATO summit, but myriad groups, special interests and causes have also resulted in internal turmoil.
“Where's our leader? Who's supposed to be speaking?" a woman said into a microphone Friday during the National Nurses United protest on Daley Plaza.
Those are the same questions that have been asked several times at protest marches over the last week, as about a dozen different groups converge on the city for the summit.
In addition to “Occupy Chicago,†and the nurses' group, such groups as “Iraq Veterans Against The War,†“LGBTQ,†“ClownBloq†are also holding meetings and press conferences.
It's a mixed group of people who might not normally stand together in the same protest lot, if not for the NATO Summit and the hundreds of international journalists covering the international event.
Some causes don't even pertain to NATO but were intended for the G8 Summit that was moved to Camp David, about 90 minutes away from the White House in western Maryland.
“It's a little hard to figure out who's got what message around here,†added one demonstrator.Â
The nurse's protest brought together an exuberant crowd of about 2,500 people, the largest gathering of any protest so far this week.
Group members were calling for a “Robin hood tax on Wall Street,†which would provide money to social programs. The message has nothing to do with NATO, but group leaders acknowledged they “wanted to take advantage of this event for the chance for us to be heard.â€
Amid the sea of nurses, protesters clad in red shirts and green Robin Hood caps marked with feathers. There were also small groups of people dressed in khaki and carrying signs that read “Say No to War.â€
Some people dressed in all black with bandanas hiding their faces paced the perimeter of the crowd, then began yelling and swearing at police, trying to provoke a battle. One person got arrested.
“We just want theses world leaders to know we're here. We want them to get to our message†said David Brown, an “Occupy Nation†member who said he drove from Atlanta.
But others questioned just how much of their message is getting out, amid all the chaotic noise and other messages vying for attention.
“It's too much†said Vietnam veteran Dave Hancock. “There's no one message in this group.â€
Hancock said he came from New Jersey to see his son and daughter in-law, but decided to attend the protest while he was here.
He hopes that at the very least the main point, in his view, gets out.Â
“The message overall is that we're dissatisfied,†he said. “I hope that's getting back to the people in Canada, in France, in Germany. It doesn't matter that things are screwed up if that message is getting out.â€
Several websites have been set up to direct supporters and the media to the various activities. And regular e-mails are being sent out with updates. But there appears to be a lack of coordination on some fronts.
Fox News went to see a planned “training event†Thursday night for one group of protestors, yet very few people showed up.Â
In another location, a scheduled meeting intended to inform people about a plan for protestors to shutdown Boeing's Chicago headquarters never happened.
Several more protests are planned for the weekend, some being held at the same time but in different locations, which means media will have to choose which one to cover.Â
One supporter admitted he's worried that the disorganization and lack of focus might drive away supporters.Â
“If the intention is to sway the public's attitude and have them join the movement, then I think the very splintered nature … can be a turn off to participants,†he said.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.
Article from FOXNEWS
Grandma, 74, held after grandson shot to death
WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. â€"  A 74-year-old suburban Detroit woman is in police custody following the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson.
West Bloomfield Township police Lt. Tim Diamond says officers found the teenager after responding late Friday afternoon to reports of shots fired in the home.
The teen was pronounced dead about 6 p.m. at an area hospital. His grandmother was taken to a hospital for observation. She was to be questioned later by police.
A handgun was recovered at the home, northwest of Detroit.
Diamond says the woman's husband was not at home at the time of the shooting. He adds that officers responded in March to a disturbance at the home and were told the teen's parents live in Arizona.
Diamond was not sure if the teen lived with his grandparents.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.
Article from FOXNEWS
Civilian pilot killed after military jet crashes in California
-
May 18, 2012: Ventura County firefighters and other emergency response personnel work amidst the wreckage of a Hawker Hunter, a single-seat fighter/ground attack monoplane, that crashed about 12:15 p.m. in a field off Broome Ranch Road between CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo and Point Mugu, Calif.AP/Ventura County Star
CAMARILLO, Calif. â€"  A privately owned jet contracted by the military to play the enemy in training exercises crashed Friday in a Southern California farm field, killing the civilian pilot, authorities said.
The Hawker Hunter jet trainer went down near Naval Base Ventura County, fire department spokesman Steve Swindle said. The pilot was the only person aboard.
The high-performance military-style aircraft took off from the base on a training sortie with another jet trainer and went down as it was returning, about two miles from the runway.
"He was on final approach. He went down," Swindle said. He said the sky in the area was "bright and crystal clear."
The farm field where the plane crashed is between Point Mugu State Park, Camarillo Airport, and the Naval base, some 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Debris from the crash covered an area about the size of a football field, Swindle said. There were no injuries on the ground and there was no fire, he said.
Sergio Mendoza, 23, was working in a nearby celery field when he saw the two planes flying together.
He told the Ventura County Star he saw one jet on fire and it began breaking apart in the sky as he lost sight of it.
Naval and fire personnel were at the crash site and investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board would take over the investigation, Swindle said.
The British-built, single-seat Hawker Hunter was owned by Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. of Newport News, Va., known as ATAC. It provides aerial training to the military, including the Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School.
Matt "Race" Bannon, director of business development for ATAC, confirmed that the pilot was also from the company but would not identify him or give any details until relatives were notified.
"Our concern right now is with the family," Bannon said.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. "I won't even speculate as to anything," Bannon said.
Following company procedure after accidents, ATAC was immediately halting all its flights.
The Naval base uses ATAC planes and pilots to provide adversarial support for its fleet of ships out of San Diego, base spokesman Vance Vasquez said.
"They go out and play the bad guy, Vasquez said, "mimicking the enemy, jamming their radar, testing the fleet's defenses."
On March 6, one of the company's Israeli-built F-21 Kfir jets crashed into a building at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev., killing the pilot. ATAC said at the time that although the investigation was continuing, there was no question that erratic and severe weather that had not been forecast contributed to the accident.
Friday's crash occurred on the anniversary of the crash of a commercial aerial refueling tanker during takeoff from the Ventura base's air station at Point Mugu. All three crewmembers escaped on May 18, 2011, before fire destroyed the Boeing 707 registered to Omega Air Inc. of San Antonio, Texas.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.
Article from FOXNEWS
Big worries after Facebook\'s IPO fizzles
All that hype for a 23-cent gain! Facebook's (FB) first day as a publicly traded company started with a bang and ended in a wimper. FB shares opened on the Nasdaq at 11:30am et, after a 30-minute delay, at $42 each; 11% higher from the IPO price of $38. Within 10 minutes, that gain was cut in half and stock hovered around $40 for most of its shortened trading day, before officially closing at $38.23.
Facebook's Opening Day
While difficult to cut through the hype surrounding this stock, some cautionary signs emerged in just the last two weeks leading up to the IPO. We've discussed them at length here on Breakout. Slowing revenue growth, General Motors (GM) pulling ad spending, and monetizing mobile usage are strong, but not alarming, reasons to question when to buy, how much to buy, and whether this is the right investment for you.
Earlier today Breakout covered the Facebook open live from our New York studio and the Nasdaq market site. In the attached video tech analyst David Garrity of GVA Research highlights some of the biggest issues to keep in mind if you're thinking about buying Facebook after the IPO honeymoon.
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Boehner: All options on table for \'Fast and Furious\' investigation
House Speaker John Boehner said "all options are on the table" when asked if the House would move to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt should he refuse to fully comply with the ongoing congressional investigation into the "Fast and Furious" operation.
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Hunter\'s Trophy Buck \'Lives\' to Beget Another
-
Mike Toney's prized buck is dead, but it will live on.
This buck begot a breakthrough.
For the first time, Louisiana researchers say they have impregnated six female deer with sperm harvested from an already-dead champion buck â€" this one shot some 600 miles away in Illinois. Louisiana State University AgCenter scientists say that the new process could be the key to preserving the eons-old genetic material of a variety of animals actively hunted in the wild â€" animals that would otherwise be lost.
“This is one of the most exciting things I have ever been involved in,†said Dearl Sanders, an AgCenter researcher. “We could do a lot of good.â€
“This is one of the most exciting things I have ever been involved in.â€
- Dearl Sanders, LSU researchers
The champion buck was bagged by Louisiana hunter Mike Toney, 48, of Baton Rouge, who referred to it as the “deer of a lifetime.â€
Toney said that he traveled from his home to a shooting preserve in Vienna, Ill., in early November. On the trip's first day, Toney's guide convinced him to forgo shooting a rather large buck â€" you're only permitted to shoot one per person â€" in hopes that he would later come upon a larger animal.
And then it happened.
On the second day, around 5 p.m., after a long day that began at dawn, he came upon what would eventually prove to be a 275-pound champion buck. “It was the buck of a lifetime,†said Toney, who estimated that the deer was likely four or five years old.
He shot. The deer ran. About 20 minutes later, Toney and his guide found the buck about 80 yards away.
“When I saw how big it was, I remembered that LSU had done a study on extracting semen from deceased bucks,†Toney said. “I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice if other hunters could see a deer like this in the wild. The rest is history.â€
Toney, under an LSU researcher's direction â€" he called the school as soon as he killed the deer - removed the buck's testicles, put them on ice, and drove them back home to Louisiana. There, a former LSU student named Jesse Saenz, who first researched the procedure, extracted the still-living sperm from the iced testicles, placed them in glass straws, and then inseminated 16 does. Six have become pregnant so far.
The does are due the first week in June.
“As soon as they drop, I'm going to go down there and name them myself,†Toney said. “It's going to be kind of exciting.â€
Toney, a 48-year-old construction worker, has been hunting most of his life. He has a 19-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter.
“It's still kind of a daydream, everything that has taken place,†he added. “Kind of unreal. When the babies hit the ground and I can put my hands on them, it'll change for me. Who would have thought 10 or 15 years ago this was possible?
â€In the past, you would hunt for the best buck, and then the genetics were gone. Or you would let it go so it would breed in hopes no one else would see it. Now, you can hunt the best buck, and still pass on the genetics. It's a win-win.â€
The process can also be used to restock deer populations that have declined â€" from development, auto accidents or hunting.
The “Key Deer†in the Florida Keys, for instance, are endangered, and Sanders said that the process could be used to repopulate the Keys with native species.
“The genetic material can be preserved in perpetuity, and unforeseen loses of wildlife, and especially deer, can be restocked with genetically similar deer,†Sanders said.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for free e-mail news alerts from FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.
Article from FOXNEWS
Analysis: JPMorgan to be haunted by change in risk model
(Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co's decision to radically change the way risk was measured in its Chief Investment Office is likely to dog the bank in the developing crisis over the big trading losses it has suffered. The move, which allowed the bank to disguise the level of risk that the CIO was taking in its trading, could become a major focal point of investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the FBI, former regulators said. It also will likely become part of investor cases in lawsuits against the bank and its executives. ...
Article from YAHOO NEWS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)