Ohio Dam Workers Discover Wreckage of the 'Black Diamond,' a Canal Boat That Sunk in 1850

The wreckage of a coal-hauling canal boat that sunk in an Ohio lake in 1850 was recently discovered by a crew of dam workers.

While working on the dam replacement project at Buckeye Lake in central Ohio, the workers pulled up planks and pieces of wood from the muck of the lake, causing an immediate stir among local historians, according to the Associated Press.

(MORE: 1800s Shipwreck Discovered in Boston's Seaport District)

Buckeye Lake Historical Society Director J-me Braig was sure they'd found the Black Diamond, a coal-hauling canal boat that succumbed to the waters in 1850.

"By golly, we found it," Braig told the Columbus Dispatch back in February, a few days after the discovery was made.

After reporting the find, experts under contract with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources concluded that the wreckage was, indeed, that of the Black Diamond.

"Given that the location of the wreckage and the artifacts discovered nearby closely correspond with historical records detailing the crash, experts working with ODNR are very confident that the wreckage is the Black Diamond," said Matt Eiselstein, an ODNR spokesman.

Square nails that were found among the debris date to the mid-19th century, and officials also recovered more than 400 pounds of coal, including some pieces larger than 10 square inches, Eiselstein said.

The 50-foot Black Diamond reportedly met its demise when it hit an obstruction along the north bank of the lake while hauling tons of coal to a mill. The crew of four managed to make it off the boat before it split in two and sank.

Braig said she had assumed wreckage remained to be found, so she asked crews to keep an eye out as they started work to replace the lake's deteriorated dam.

Among the debris pulled from the lake were several hundred pieces of wood, along with 20th-century bottles, ceramics, and more modern debris. Some of the larger wood pieces continue to be stored in containers submerged in the lake to keep the pieces preserved.

Braig said she hopes the historical society's museum will eventually be permitted to have the wreckage so they can create an exhibit.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Shipwrecks Visible Through Lake Michigan's Clear Waters