By Steffen Klenk
Ocean City has a rich and unique history. Take a walk downtown or down a residential street, and you may notice something remarkable. But there’s one piece of history that has been buried in the sands forever.
Lying underneath the 16th street beach are the remnants of a four-masted ship known as the Sindia. 329 feet in length, it was built in Belfast, Ireland in 1887, and purchased by an oil company owned by John D. Rockefeller. Prior to its grounding, the Sindia made its final voyage to Shanghai where it unloaded oil, wax, and kerosene.
On Dec. 15, 1901, a raging nor’easter brought blinding rain and wind off our coast, causing the Sindia to run aground 300 yards off of the 16th street beach. Members of the Lifesaving Service made the discovery around 2:30 a.m., and called in their men to tend the rescue operations. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, and all thirty three crew members were safely brought to shore.
She was finishing the final leg of a journey from Kobe, Japan to New York City, carrying exported silk, oil screens, and porcelain. Legend has it that the ship was also carrying items looted out of Buddhist temples during Shanghai’s Boxer Rebellion.
Various attempts were made to salvage the ship and return it to the ocean; tugboats led the effort to no avail. The Sindia sat off the coast untouched. Divers were left to recover the oil, and sell it to soap companies under the name “Sindia Oil.” For years, the site of the wreck was a tourist destination.
Beachgoers and visitors from across the eastern seaboard would travel to Ocean City to catch a glimpse of the vessel.
Up until 1960, most of the wreckage was visible. Beach replenishments and nor’easters would eventually bury the remainder of the ship and its contents. Only the masts would remain visible until the late 1980s when the Sindia disappeared. The site was dedicated as a historic landmark by the Department of the Interior.
The story of the Sindia can be read by all. A memorial plaque now stands a block away from where she ran aground.
Today, several remnants of the Sindia can be found at the Ocean City Historical Museum. There, guests can discover the history of its travels, photos, and long-told stories from witnesses and survivors. During your visit, be sure to check out all of the exhibits that showcase the life and history of our shore community. The museum is located in the Ocean City Community Center at 1735 Simpson Ave., and is open Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
To date, many tales have been told about shipwrecks that have taken place. Over 4,000 ships have run aground off of the New Jersey coast, but none has ever lived up to the tale about the Sindia.
