About Revisions Western World "The Spring Lake Wreck" 600 feet off Jersey Ave beach, Spring Lake, NJ Max Depth: 21-25ft/6-8m Entry Type: Shore Bottom Composition: Sand Aquatic Life: Might See Something 6/22/2012 1:48 PM

The British sailing ship Western World ran aground in a heavy fog on October 22, 1853. At the time she was en route from Liverpool to New York with 300 passengers. All of her passengers and crew were rescued. The steam tug Achilles, was dispatched to the scene and reported that the ship was lying with its bow to the north, broadside across the beach. Attempts to save the vessel were in vain. On October 26th, the Western World broke apart and slipped beneath the waves. The wreck of the Western World is also known as the Spring Lake Wreck.

The first two divers to explore the Western World were Charlie Strattion and Howard Rowland back in the 1960’s. These early divers found the wreck covered with china and artifacts. The wreck’s identity was discovered when diver Ed Maliszewskire covered her bronze capstan cover back in 1962. On the cover the ship’s name Western World was embossed. Back in the 1960’s divers recovered everything from powder flasks, spurs, hinges, drawer handles, files, latches, china and silver trays from the site. Some china recovered from the wreck was manufactured by Felspar, in Burslem, England. Diver Dan Lieb reports that the wreck now consists of two congealed lumps. Her hull is intact to her boiler on a sand over clay bottom. The wreck sits 100 yards off the beach in 30 feet of water. The wreck is covered with pieces of china embedded into the rock hard conglomerate.

In order to dive the Western World you must obtain written permission from the Spring Lake Chief of Police.