See it: 100 bottles of champagne found in 19th-century shipwreck

See it: 100 bottles of champagne found in 19th-century shipwreck

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Underwater video shows the SS Arlington at the bottom of Lake Superior where it sank during stormy weather in 1940. The ship’s captain was the only one who didn’t make it to safety, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. 

WARSAW, Poland – Divers discovered a sunken sailing ship containing bottles of champagne, wine and mineral water from over 150 years ago.

Located at the bottom of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Poland, the shipwreck was “loaded” with beverages, according to the Baltic Tech Association, whose divers discovered the shipping vessel.

“There was so much of it that it was difficult for us to judge the quantities,” the BTA said in a statement.

Bottles of champagne.

Some of the bottles of champagne.

(Baltic Tech Association / FOX Weather)

The team determined that the ship had more than 100 bottles of champagne and baskets containing 100 sealed bottles of mineral water.

SHIPWRECK FOUND IN LAKE SUPERIOR SANK IN 1940

According to BTA, the discovery of mineral water was significant. First, they noted that mineral water was considered medicinal at the time and was only used by the nobility. Given its high value and elite clientele, police were used to escort its delivery.

Second, the clay bottles wore a stamp of the company that produced them, Selter’s, a high-end German water bottler that still exists today, the BTA said. With this information, the team was able to work with historians to determine the shipment’s date between 1850 and 1867.

Selter's seal on a clay bottle.

Selter’s seal on a clay bottle.

(Baltic Tech Association / FOX Weather)

They have also begun to investigate matters regarding the clay bottles containing the water, noting that the pottery factory that produced the bottles still exists.

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The team behind the discovery included Tomasz Stachura, Marek Cacaj, Pawel Truszynski, Michal Iwicki, Maciej Honc and Pawel Wilk. 

Diver investigating the shipwreck.

Diver investigating the shipwreck.

(Baltic Tech Association / FOX Weather)

According to the BTA, the team detected the shipwreck on their sonar and initially believed it to be a fishing boat.

An interactive 3D image of the shipwreck can be found here.