The Two
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I
In January 1625, King Gustavus II Adolphus ordered the construction of the Wasa and two other ships to strengthen the Swedish fleet during the Thirty Years War in Europe (1618-1648). These ships were to be completed in the harbor of Stockholm under the direction of Henrik Hybertsson, a naval architect from Holland. The Wasa was launched in 1627 and moved to the arsenal near the Royal Palace by the spring of 1628. After receiving her guns and ballast, she was ready to sail on 10 August. On that Sunday afternoon, the townsfolk gathered along the water’s edge to witness the departure of Sweden’s mightiest warship.
The ship was kedged downstream against a light breeze from the south-southwest. Shortly thereafter, off the rocks of Sodermalm, her sails were loosed and her course set through the Archipelago of Stockholm to the Baltic Wars. Fate, however, had charted another course. A squall capsized the ship and sent her down 110 feet to the harbor bottom. Of the estimated 134 sailors on board, it is guessed that 50 drowned. Those more fortunate were rescued by shocked onlookers in many of the harbor’s small craft.
A Naval Court of Inquiry attempted to determine the cause of the tragedy, but, after interrogating survivors and determining that the catastrophe had not been caused by poor shiphandling, the court was at an impasse. Neither plans nor models had been used in the construction of the ship. Men like Henrik Hybertsson built ships from their only source of knowledge, experience. It was not possible to question Hybertsson about construction or design, for he had died in 1627. Moreover, the King, whose authority could not be questioned, had given personal approval to the main dimensions. The inquiry ended inconclusively; no one was punished.
Within three days of the tragedy, the first salvor, Ian Bulmer, an English engineer, was granted permission to try to raise the Wasa. Bulmer succeeded in getting the ship on an even keel, but failed to bring her up. The only successful salvage work, however, took place in the 1660s, when Lieutenant Colonel Hans Albrekt von Treileben, of the Swedish Army, together with Andreas Peckell, a German salvage expert, salvaged many valuable bronze cannons by the use of an ingenious
diving bell. Nevertheless, the Wasa remained on the bottom, where for 331 years, enshrouded in the chill mud of the harbor, she has lain waiting for an inquiring mind.
In modern times, a Swedish Admiralty engineer, Anders Franzen, had been interested in naval history since boyhood, but it was not until 1939, during a cruise off the west coast of Sweden, that he seriously conceived the idea of locating a wreck. Elsewhere he had seen timbers being eaten by teredo navalis, a worm that feeds on wood in salt water, but he had never seen evidence of the worms’ presence near the south or east coasts of Sweden. The absence of the highly destructive worm in waters of low salinity, he reasoned, would enhance the chances of finding ancient wrecks in these waters.
The account of the Wasa disaster had been rediscovered by Swedish historian Nils Ahnlund in 1920, while he was doing research in connection with identifying cannon found on the 1628 wreck of the Swedish warship Riksnyckeln. From this official account and other data, Franzen concluded that the possibility of finding the ship was good. In 1954, he began his systematic research.
Within two years, the area of search in the harbor of Stockholm had narrowed considerably. He proceeded to use his grapnel and a marine core sampler, consisting of a steel cylinder tipped with a sharp, hollow punch- In August 1956, his sampling brought from the depths a piece of the Wasa in the form of a black oak slug. Divers from the Royal Naval Dockyard confirmed the rediscovery-
The location of the Wasa, however, opened a Pandora’s Box of salvage problems. Thus, the provisional Wasa Committee was formed in February 1957. Soon, the committee pr°' duced a report recommending the salvage attempt.
The proposed plan was carried out by the Neptun Salvage Company with the assistance of the divers from the Royal Swedish Navy- With powerful water jets, they bored si* tunnels in the mud in order to pass some 4,500 feet of 6-inch steel wire under the hull. The wires were attached to two pontoons, the Oden and the Frigg, located side by side directly above the Wasa. The pontoons were continually lowered and raised to the surface
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in order to hoist the ship. On 20 August 1959, after 331 years, the Wasa’s second voyage began. It lasted 28 days. Under the careful supervision of Captain Axel Hedberg, she was moved approximately six hundred yards up the slope of the harbor bottom. This brought her up from a depth of 110 feet to 50 feet.
With the possibilities of salvage greatly improved, the Wasa Board was permanently established under the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Bertil of Sweden in October 1959. The plan for the final salvage incorporated the use of the Neptun Company’s pontoons again. To complete the raising, 9-inch cables replaced the double 6- inch cables that had been supporting the ship. The pontoons were used as platforms for hydraulic jacks to which the cables passing under the hull were attached. After divers had made the hull watertight, the Wasa was hoisted to the surface. Once there, water was continuously pumped overboard in order to make her buoyant. On 24 April 1961, the top portions of the ship were visible; By 4 May, after she had risen sufficiently out of the water,
The Two Voyages of the Wasa 65
she was floated into drydock at the island of Beckholmen. Earlier, four small rubber pontoons had been placed under the bottom of the ship to give her the necessary buoyancy. She was towed over a submerged concrete pontoon, 184X69X12 feet. After being supported by a complicated set of timbers, the water was pumped out of the dock, and the Wasa’s hull was seen again after so many years beneath the waters of the harbor.
At this point, the matter of preservation became of the utmost importance. As soon as she broke the surface, plastic covers were placed around her exposed timbers to prevent rapid and destructive dehydration. When the entire ship became exposed to the atmosphere, a sprinkler system was installed to prevent drying out.
In 1961, the Wasa Council organized the restoration work in three separate operations: (1) Removal of mud, debris, and salt; (2) Preservation of hull and separate artifacts; (3) Restoration and replacement of the artifacts in the proper position.
Every beam, plank, and crevice in the hull
Scale models portray the cat’s cradle of wires which, attached to the pontoons Oden and Frigg, resurrected the Wasa from her three-century-old resting place.
Unless otherwise indicated, all illustrations reproduced with the permission of ‘Wasavarvet”
66 U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, March 1969
of the Wasa had to be thoroughly cleaned of its three century’s accumulation of mud and mold before the preservative could be applied. The decks, and as much of the other structure as was possible to remove without endangering the frame of the ship, were brought ashore for individual treatment, and to allow cleaning crews to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Some 6,000 to 8,000 pieces of wood formed the enormous Wasa puzzle which had to be solved. New pieces were placed on board only when necessary to relocate an individual artifact. No attempt to repaint the ship was made.
Fortunately, the Wasa had been sound at the time of her sinking. Since she sank in the year following her launching, her hull never had to sustain years of pounding by the seas; her timbers did not have time to rot, nor her rigging to deteriorate from the forces of wind and weather. In those days, it was not uncommon for ships to have their bottoms fall out after hard years at sea, and the contemporary treatment of tar coating would never have protected her.
Equally important was the environment surrounding the Wasa at 110 feet below the surface on the bottom of the harbor. The temperature was 42° Fahrenheit; no damaging shortwave radiation existed, and the enveloping mud protected the wood. But by far the most important factor contributing to the underwater preservation of the Wasa for 300 years was the absence of the wood-eating teredo navalis.
There are two problems that must be continually dealt with before the Wasa can be completely preserved—decay and shrinkage. The prevention of decay is problematical only as long as the water content is within the tolerable limits of the mold fungi. Since the preserved relics of the Wasa retain about the same water content as household furniture (10 per cent), decay will not be a problem after preservation. Damage from wood-eating insects is small and easy to control.
The major effort of the preservation is directed towards the prevention of shrinking. In order to find out how much shrinking would occur, it was necessary to determine how much swelling the hull underwent during the 333 years on the harbor bottom. Previously it was known that longitudinal changes were small as compared to the cross grain changes for shrinking and swelling. Measurements were made along the deck beams and were compared with the measurements of the deck planks that run perpendicularly over the beams. Using this technique, swelling was estimated to be a relatively negligible one per cent.
Experiments with wood samples from the Wasa yielded more meaningful data. Samples were allowed to dry in a room with normal atmospheric conditions, but without control of any of the causes of accelerated drying, such as sunlight. Other samples were dried in an atmosphere with a controlled relative humidity of 95 per cent. Both types of samples demonstrated approximately the same degree of shrinking, up to 15 per cent. It was concluded that shrinkage could be minimized temporarily either by atmospheric control or by submergence in water.
On 1 July 1964, the Wasavarvet (Wasa dockyard) and the restoration effort were taken over by the National Maritime Museum, and accordingly, the Wasa Council was dissolved. The original Preservation Department then became part of the Museum, whose director is Per Lundstrom. As director, he bears the
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over-all responsibility to the government for the restoration of the Wasa.
The Preservation Department is the working organization. Its offices are located at Wasavarvet and the Preservation Laboratory. Almost all work is conducted at the laboratory. Civil Engineer[1] Lars Barkman is head of the Preservation Department. He is an expert on the hydrocarbons that are used as the preservative. He also designed the Preservation Laboratory. Mr. Barkman is assisted by five experts: Birgitta Hafors, research and chemical testing; Bo Lundvall, preservation of the separate artifacts; Arne Stolth, treatment of the hull; Sven Bengtsson, archaeological treatment of the artifacts; Britta Risfors, sails and iron treatment.
The Preservation Department has received many suggestions for the preservation of the Wasa, some helpful and others not. Nevertheless, the department realized, before the ship was out of the water, that a special method for the preservation would have to be developed. The first task was to minimize the possibility of damage in order to allow time for researchers to develop the proper method for permanent preservation. While the Wasa was under the open sky at Beckhol- men, during the summer and fall of 1961, the hull was constantly sprayed with water. Because archaeologists were working inside the hull to clean and remove the valuable loose artifacts, clean city water had to be used—300,000 gallons per hour. During January 1962, a housing was completed. I1 surrounded the hull on the pontoon and permitted control of the atmospheric environment.
While the Wasa was being cleaned and
On the lower gun deck’s starboard side, archaeologists discovered gun carriages and, on the port side, one of 15 skeletons. The mud that had filled the ship preserved not only the man’s shoes, hair, and parts of his dress, but also some stores, above, as well as chests and barrels, left, containing sailors’ personal belongings.
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The Wasa’j- present home at Wasavarvet shipyard took shape in 1961. The Preservation Laboratory, right, is primarily a long room wherein two huge vats are usd* for the immersion of Wasa artifacts. An automatic sprinkling system, seen in the cross section and profile on the opposite page, sprays inside and outside surfaces of the hull with liquid preservative 30 times a day.
temporarily protected, researchers worked feverishly. Never had a preservation project of such magnitude been attempted—25,000 cubic feet of wood with a surface area of 150,000 square feet. No existing preparation was available to solve the problems of rot prevention and dimensional stabilization. After many tests, including the use of microscopy, diffusion techniques were decided upon for the method of application. This involves the use of materials soluble in water. The solutions have the capability of penetration of both splinters and solid wood. An inherent advantage is that the most seriously decayed portions, which have the greatest need of treatment, also have the greatest absorption capacity.
Tests with methyl cellulose were conducted to find a stabilizing agent. Although methyl cellulose had the quality of making surface cracking easier to control, its poor absorption properties prevented complete shrinkage protection. A method using polyethylene glycol (PEG) had been patented by Mo & Domsjo Company, and one of their men was placed at the disposal of the Wasa Council. Tests using PEG revealed promising results. Many factors influenced the degree of absorption and stabilization, including the amount of polymerization (PEG 400 as a liquid at 70°
Fahrenheit to PEG 10,000 as a solid), concentration of PEG, temperature, method of application, and the solvent used.
Parallel tests were conducted in baths containing only PEG and in baths containing PEG and a mold preventative. Although the mixture presented many problems with solubility, the former produced a rich fungus growth. It was, therefore, concluded that a mold preventative must be added to the PEG solution. The low viscosity glycols have better solubility in water, but they give the wood a rough appearance. There is also the risk that they may not remain in the wood. The solid high viscosity glycols remain in the preserved pieces, but owing to their hygroscopicity, they cause a shiny surface to develop. The best results were obtained when the low viscosity glycols were used for development of a hard surface.
More specific information was obtained from tests conducted on four panels of wood taken from the Riksdpplet, a Swedish warship that sank in the 17th century. The panels were constructed like sections of the Wasa with similar ceiling, ribs, and planking. These ideal samples afforded valuable data.
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On 26 July 1961, the Wasa left the drydock at Beckholmen. She was floated on her pon-
toons to a nearby resting place where the construction of the housing and cleaning of the hull was continued. During the winter, she was moved to her present location at the dockyard, Wasavarvet. With the completion °f the housing for the hull and the other features of the dockyard, Wasavarvet was officially opened for visitors 16 February 1962. The housing was built of lightweight aluminum, with a single row of shaded windows, at eye level, around the housing. The windows are especially shaded to prevent the damaging %ht rays from reaching the ship. On the land Portion of the yard, there are two sections, °ue side for the public, which features an exhibition hall, lecture room, and cafe, and
the other side for the administrative offices.
The aluminum housing facilitates control of the atmosphere in which the Wasa is drying. The dehydration of the wood was retarded considerably by maintaining a relative humidity of 95 to 100 per cent. Thus, shrinking could be minimized both before and during preservation.
The first step in the restoration process was the cleaning. This included removing clay, rust, iron sulfides, and other compounds that had accumulated in the hull over the 333-year period. A rough washing of the ship was performed after the archaeologists had removed all the loose objects on board. The continuous spraying of the hull, to prevent the ship from
drying out before the housing was completed, greatly aided the cleaning of all exposed surfaces, including the removal of slime.
Although the spraying aided the cleaning, a greater effort was necessary. The hull was very strongly constructed, and the ribs were set so closely on centers that only a few inches were left between them. These spaces—enclosed by the ceiling on the inside and the planking on the outside—extended down the curve of the hull from the top deck to the keel, and were filled with clay and slime. At first, a strip of ceiling was removed from the upper gun deck to aid in removing the sludge. As the cleaning progressed, it was necessary to remove a piece of the bottom planking nearest and under the shoring, while at the same time under the bilge. Thus, it was possible to flush out these enclosed spaces from deck to keel. Specially constructed brushes with 12- foot handles were used. When the cleaning was completed in one section and the planks were replaced, that portion was sprayed with PEG preservative.
The treatment for final preservation began on 9 April 1962. A complex had been constru- ted, consisting of a 750-gallon tank with circulation pumps to mix the solutions, an air pressure pump, and approximately 2,200 feet of piping. After the preservative was mixed, it was pumped through the pipes to three different levels on board the Wasa. Hoses could be attached at regularly spaced intervals along the piping. The liquid was circulated constantly, and at the completion of treatment, it was removed from the pipes with compressed air. The entire process, of spraying the inside of the hull twice and the outside once, took five hours; it was done once a day.
A system for measuring the expansion or contraction of the wood with a precision greater than 0.1 per cent was established in the summer of 1961 while the hull was still being sprayed with water. Movements and tendencies toward movement were measured at vital points. With the numerous measurements that were made and recorded, it was possible to get an objective view of the progress. From this it has been determined that no measurable shrinking has taken place, while it is clear from graphs that, without preservation, cracking certainly would have occurred.
In March 1965, an automatic spray system
began operation. Sprinklers continually applied preservative to all parts of the hull, which no longer required a controlled humidity inside the housing. This improved working conditions. After one year of automatic spraying, the hull absorbed twice the amount of preservative assimilated during the previous three years. By the close of 1965, PEG had permeated up to 18 inches of the planking, ribs, and interior fittings.
The preservative contained low viscosity glycols (15 per cent solution of PEG 1500) with good absorption qualities and boric acid with rot prevention qualities. For the first few years, pentachlorophenate solution was sprayed on the outside of the hull to protect against fungi and algae. With the continuous drying of the hull, it was not necessary to use boric salts after 1966. The latter step of hull preservation is now in progress. A 15 per cent solution of PEG 4000 is used for preservation. By 1971, the concentration will have increased to 40 per cent, spraying will stop, and surface treatment will begin after two years of drying.
When all the loose artifacts were removed from the hull by archaeologists (approximately 16,000 cubic feet of wood), they were placed in vats of water to prevent drying and decay. This gave the researchers the necessary time to develop the method of preservation. Research for preservation of the hull and preservation of the separate artifacts was done simultaneously. The only difference between the two was method of application.
The treatment of the separate artifacts has advantages over the complicated treatment of the hull. The fact that an immersion process can be used is the most significant advantage. Construction is easier, and better control of preservation can be obtained. Temperature control is an important advantage, since too high or uneven temperatures could cause splitting of the wood.
PEG with the mold preventative was chosen for preservation of separate wooden artifacts, for the same reasons that it was used on the hull. The immersion process can use one of two methods. For the discontinuous method, one first treats the object in a large vat with a solution of specific concentration and temperature. Next, the object is placed in a vat with a solution of higher concentration and temperature. This is continued until the de-
The Wasa’s museum area is considered a satisfactory solution until a permanent site can be agreed upon. The wing at the left holds an exhibition hall, a theater, and a restaurant. The wing at the right houses administrative offices.
sired concentration and temperature is reached for final preservation. The disadvantages of this method are numerous. Transfer of the object is costly and time consuming. Raising and lowering the object each time the solution is changed increases the probability of mechanical damage. Immediately placing an artifact into a liquid at high temperature and concentration, however, could cause cracking and blocking of wood cells. This would hinder subsequent absorption of preservative. Large artifacts would require vats 50 feet long for each step.
For the continuous method, the object is placed in an empty vat, which is filled with solution later. The temperature and concentration are increased gradually until the Process is complete. Continuous circulation tends to prevent variations in the properties of the solution during the treatment. The continuous method was chosen because it is labor-saving, economical, and a better treatment for the wood.
The Preservation Laboratory consists of a tang high room (approximately 240 by 30 feet) and smaller rooms along one side. The latter are used for offices, storage, and small laboratories. The preservation installation, consisting of two long vats and functional efiuipment was constructed in the large room. The two 65-foot-long vats were placed alongside each other to enable use of a single overhead track. The track and hoist are used to maneuver the largest and heaviest artifacts
inside the laboratory. Outside, relics soak in wooden vats awaiting their turn to be brought inside. Moored nearby is the 1,100-ton Baltic Sea barge, Menja. She was acquired by the Preservation Department, in August 1962, to serve as a storage for preserved artifacts. Inside the laboratory, 75 to 80 per cent humidity is maintained.
The first test of PEG was conducted on 15 February 1962 on a limited scale. By June, the laboratory workers realized that a new approach to preservation was necessary. Their answer was the continuous application method. The preservation installation, the two vats and associated equipment, was designed and constructed for this purpose.
Circulation of preservative is maintained by pumps and piping. Fluid is injected at 22 locations and at two levels in each vat. The solution is filtered upon leaving the vat and prior to being pumped. Heating is accomplished in the heat exchanger, which is external to the vats and part of the circulation system. Vat temperature is controlled by use of the heat exchanger and variable injection nozzles.
Warm air ducts over the vats assist vaporizing. Solution concentration is increased by heating and vaporizing of water. When the vats are empty of liquid, the warm air circulation system converts the vats into drying chambers. Also the warm air assembly can be used for vapor injection.
One important use of the installation has been the determination of the proper solution
VASA
This plan, showing masts, sails, and rigging, was reconstructed from records of the period and is reproduced through the courtesy of Edita S. A. Lausanne, from the chapter,
“The Vasa,” by Anders Franzen, in the book, The Great Age of Sail. © 1967
Length: 217 ft. i in.
Breadth: 42 ft. § in.
Draft: about 17-18 ft.
Armament: 64 cannon: 48 24-pounders
8 3-pounders 2 1-pounders 6 mortars
Crew:
133 men and 300 soldiers
concentration and temperature variation. With the exception of the manual control of these two variables, the entire process is automatic.
Treatment of artifacts began 6 October 1962 in the first vat, followed shortly thereafter by operation of the second vat. Similarsized pieces are preserved together to minimize over-all preservation time.
The baths are filled with pure water and the temperature is raised to 149° Fahrenheit. PEG 4000 and boric salts are added. PEG concentration is increased slowly (1/12 per cent per 24 hours) to prevent rapid absorption. This would cause the water content of the wood to decrease too rapidly and shrinkage would result. After a year, the concentration is raised more rapidly, 4 per cent per 24 hours for five months and § per cent per 24 hours for the last month.
When the treated artifacts are removed from the vats, they are placed on board the Menja for a six-month drying period. The length of the period varies with the size of the artifact. While drying, they are periodically sprayed with a 40 per cent solution of PEG 4000.
Prior to being placed on display at Wasa- varvet, or being restored on board the Wasa, they receive a surface treatment. The white waxy surface is caused by saturation of glycol. This is removed by heat treatment. As the glycol melts, it is carefully removed by brushing. Finally the piece is lacquered to form a waterproof outer coating. The hygroscopic PEG in the wood is effectively isolated from the atmosphere.
Almost all wrought iron had rusted away completely. Cast iron on board the Wasa had rusted also, but it maintained its original volume. All of the recovered cannon balls maintained their original size. Half of them had 50 per cent or less iron residue in them.
In the fall of 1963, a method for restoring the iron to its original condition was developed by the Preservation Department. The iron artifact is gradually heated in a retort to 1060° Centigrade, in a pure hydrogen environment. The iron does not melt, but is reduced to its metallic form. The hydrogen is oxidized to form water. The water and chlorides evaporate. The artifact is preserved
A graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1964, Lieutenant Westberg spent five months on temporary duty assigned to the Argentine school frigate A.R.A. Libertad, a full-rigged ship. In her, and with an Argentine crew, he sailed to Europe and returned to Argentina. He served in the USS Forrest Royal (DD-872) from 1964 to 1966. After undergoing nuclear power training and attending the Submarine School, he was assigned, in November 1967, to the USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625). Since 1961, he has made five visits to Sweden to visit relatives and observe the restoration progress of the Wasa.
with an organic nitrate and paraffin. One cannon ball had its metallic iron content increase from 0 per cent to approximately 45 per cent.
Six of the Wasa’s ten sails, along with the mizzen bonnet and her small boat’s sail, were found in the sail locker on the orlop deck. They were extremely fragile. After careful removal and cleaning, they were treated with alcohol and xylene to prevent destructive drying. Permanent preservation consists of fixing the cloth to a fiber glass mat. This method was developed by the Preservation Department. The fiber glass backing is coated with the specially prepared emulsion of a copolymer of styrene and water. The cloth is placed on the mat when it is dry. The cloth is coated with the emulsion. After drying, the textile is heated to make the coating transparent.
Much work has been accomplished since Anders Franzen withdrew the oak sample from the harbor bottom. The recent opening of the display of salvaged and preserved carvings is just one of the remarkable events that have taken place in Stockholm.
The stern section has been reconstructed lying face up on the floor of a display hall at VVasavarvet. Approximately 600 carvings have been permanently preserved. Experts have placed the carvings on the stern section where they believe the carvings originally were. The carvings had fallen off the Wasa and into the mud after the fasteners had
rusted away. The display is but a small part of the Wasa puzzle. Once it is solved, and the pontoon and aluminum housing are extended 24 feet, the carvings will be placed on the restored stern section of the hull.
Restoration, including reconstruction of sections and replacing artifacts on board, began in 1963. New timber is not used unless necessary to relocate an original artifact. The 20,000 pieces to be replaced on board the Wasa will tax the energy of the archaeologists until the late 1970s. Meanwhile, work at Wasavarvet is open to public view. The Swedes are always happy to answer your questions, show you their displays, and explain the details of their preservation work.
Why preserve the Wasa? This question has been considered by many people, especially when they learn of the costs involved. From 1959 to 1967, approximately 1.8 million dollars was expended on the Wasa project. The Preservation Laboratory cost $100,000 and the new addition to the pontoon and aluminum housing will cost $300,000. At present, the income from the museums provides funds for 40 per cent of the annual cost. It is hoped that Wasavarvet and the National Maritime Museum will be self-supporting in the future.
One justification for spending so much money on the project is that of the improvement of science and increase of knowledge. The preservation efforts have produced methods never used before. Today they are available to museums throughout the world. In addition, the Preservation Laboratory has become a research center for other restoration efforts and new ideas.
The Wasa is an historical treasure chest that was hidden for years awaiting a future
The Two Voyages of the Wasa 77
generation to discover her. We have seen, for example, the beautiful wood carvings with which the Swedes adorned their ships. By close study of their images, we can observe their literary and philosophic trends, as well as the influence of other cultures. Scholars can obtain a clearer idea of Swedish art during the early 17th century.
The Wasa's greatest gift to us is the insight into the habits, possessions, and life of the ordinary people of her day. From the Wasa we can learn about the tools, clothes, eating utensils, and even the food of the common folk. When we go aboard the Wasa, we will be stepping, literally, backwards in time into 17th century life.
Wasa: Past, Present, and Future
1625 King orders construction of the Wasa.
1627 The Wasa launched.
1628 The Wasa capsizes in Stockholm harbor. 1664 Cannon recovered from the Wasa under
guidance of Peeked and von Treileben. 1920 The Riksnyckeln discovered in the Archipelago of Stockholm. New evidence brought to light during investigation of old manuscripts.
1956 Anders Franzen discovers the Wasa.
1959 The Wasa first moved by Neptun Company, enabling further salvage.
1961 The Wasa brought to the surface.
1962 Final preservation treatment begins.
1964The Wasa becomes part of the National Maritime Museum.
1965 Auto-spray of hull speeds preservation.
1967Last diving operation brings the Wasa's longboat to the surface.
1968Display showing 600 preserved carvings from the stern of the Wasa is open to public.
1971 Preservation of the hull is complete.
197? Restoration of the Wasa completed, and the first visitors walk into the 17th century.
★
It Pays to Speak Swedish
Two U. S. sailors, on shoreleave in Sweden, decided to go to church. Not understanding a word of Swedish, they thought they would play it safe by taking their cues from a dignified man sitting in front of them; whatever he did, they did.
During one portion of the service, this individual stood up and so did the two sailors. The rest of the congregation, however, remained seated and roared with laughter. After the service, the sailors shook hands with the pastor, who fortunately could speak English. Hesitantly, they asked him what they had done to cause all the merriment.
“Well, you see,” explained the pastor, with a twinkle in his eye, “I was announcing a baptism and asked the father of the child to stand.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by Harold Helfer