600-ton Mexican steamer "Nicaragua Sinks at Devils Elbow

[Gypsy Heart]

600-ton Mexican steamer "Nicaragua' Sinks at Devils Elbow

The 600-ton Mexican steamer "Nicaragua" was the first ship to enter the new port of Beaumont in 1908. Four years later, on Oct. 16, 1912, during a storm that sank vessels all over the Gulf, the "Nicaragua" went aground on Padre Island, at Devil's Elbow.

The captain and some of the crew made it to Port Aransas in a small boat. The captain said the ship lost its rudder during the storm, which left it at the mercy of the raging sea. It was thrown against the breakers. Another group of the ship's survivors walked 54 miles down the island to Port Isabel.

Efforts to salvage the ship were unsuccessful. For decades, the wreck could be seen in shallow waters off the island. A reporter in 1922 wrote that a rope ladder still dangled from the doomed ship's side, a galley door swung on rusty hinges, and strips of moulding had worked loose and hung at odd angles - "like long accusing fingers."

 

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[lamar]

Re: 600-ton Mexican steamer "Nicaragua' Sinks at Devils Elbow

Dear gypsyheart;
I think just about every THer and fisherman in South Texas knows where the Nicaraqua ran aground at. I was born and raised in South Texas and I know exactly where she ran aground at. It's no secret that she went aground on the 3rd sandbar 28 miles from the 4 WHEEL DRIVE sign at the end of Malequite Beach. The area where the Nicaragua sits is now known as Big Shell. Big Shell is easy to find. Keep driving south on Padre Island until the shells turn from small to large.turn big. When that happens you have travelled 23 miles and in 2 more miles you will see a huge wooden piling (if it's still there). This is the 25 mile marker. Go another 3 miles and there's the grave of the Nicaragua. It completely disappeared from sight sometime before 1941, according, who patrolled the beach during WWII as part of the US Coast Guard stationed in Port Aransas.

Unfortunately, where the Nicaragua rests is deep in the heart of the US National Seashore and as such, metal detectors of any kind are STRICTLY forbidden, as it the removal of any and all artifacts of an historical or valuable nature, even those found without a metal detector.

The entire national seashore is, or rather was the last time I was there, heavily patrolled by US park rangers in helicopters and small single engine airplanes looking for drug runners, illegal immigrants, people stuck in the sand and treasure hunters. I never found any treasure there (as if I would admit it if I did) but the fishing is simply AWESOME any time after late September until March and sometimes even as late as April.Your friend;
LAMAR

 

[allen_idaho]

Re: 600-ton Mexican steamer "Nicaragua' Sinks at Devils Elbow

Wait, is all of Padre island off limits to metal detecting? North and south? I'm not from texas so I'm not really in the know about it. There have been a few rich wrecks on Padre Island so that would be a shame.

Then there is also the legend of John Singer's treasure, if any of you are familiar with it.