Local divers, Messrs. Mallon and Stephens have made a find which is one of the biggest in recent years of Scilly’s maritime hertiage. They were diving around the HMS Colossus, a 200-year-old wreck which lies south-west of Samson. They found a part of a statue. Mike Hicks and others had been diving the wreck around 20 years ago. It was assumed that all the tresures had been removed from the ship. A fine carved sturnboard bearing a life sized figure of the Colossus’ was found by them both along with a large section of hull pinned down by five 32 lb guns still in there ports. These finds have arose interest locally, and nationally. BBC News Online have been looking for pictures and diagrams to cover the story. Very little is known about the discovery because as the wreckage is now under salvage laws, certain groups are keeping their cards close to their chest. Unconfirmed reports say that divers have discovered an enormous statue that could be up to twenty feet high which could well have been the figurehead on the ship. The fantastic find may have happened at this stage because the sand had shifted over the winter. If the wreckage was previously buried by sand it could have been preserved in a very good condition. Background The Colossus was wrecked in Scilly on the 10th of December 1798, the following information is taken from The Isles of Scilly Museum publication No.3. All rights remain with the Museum and its contributors. HMS Colossus, Capt George Murray, was a third rate Man O? War from the Mediteranean (Lisbon) to Partsmouth. She dragged her anchors in a gale whilst in St. Marys roads and went ashore on Southard Wells, just South of Sampson at Dusk. She fell over on her beam ends and became a total loss. Of her 600 odd crew only one life was lost. She carried part of William Hamiltons second collection of valuable Etruscan Pottery and vases, most of which were lost. In addition, on board was a lead coffin containing the body of Admiral Lord Shuldam which was saved. The wreck site was located in 1974 by divers (including Mark Horrobin) soon afterwards it was designated by the Secretary of State as a protected wreck. Many thousends of pottery shards were recovered and sent to the British Museum for catalogueing. The wreck has since lost its protection order.
