The discovery brings to six the number of ships from what is believed to have been a private fleet of 13 transports, including Capt. James Cook's Endeavor, that were sunk there during the American Revolution.

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, May 15, 2006

BY ANDREA L. STAPE
Journal Staff Writer

Searching Newport Harbor for historic treasure, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project has located the remains of four more shipwrecks dating back to the Revolutionary War.

The discovery gives Rhode Island the right to boast that it has the "largest fleet of Revolutionary shipwrecks" in the world, according to D.K. Abbass, director of the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project. The ships are believed to be part of a private fleet of 13 British transport ships sunk during the war, said Abbass.

Previously, RIMAP had discovered two shipwrecks in the harbor. Now that six have been located, it is increasingly likely that what is down there is the 13-ship fleet that included the Endeavour, which Capt. James Cook sailed to Australia on his trip around the world between 1768 and 1771, said Abbass.

Abbass and RIMAP will brief Governor Carcieri on the discovery tomorrow at the Colony House in Newport at 1 p.m..

In 2000, the State of Rhode Island was awarded ownership of the shipwrecks on the bottom of Newport Harbor by U.S. District Judge Ernest C. Torres. With the most recent discovery expanding Rhode Island's historical holdings, Abbass hopes the state will begin discussing how the wrecks will be further explored and the long-term management of the historical structures.

"This meeting is to bring together a lot of the [state] agencies that need to talk to one another," said Abbass.

At tomorrow's briefing, which will be open to the public, RIMAP and its research partners -- the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Sea Grant and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission -- will discuss the history of the sites, why they are important, and how they were found with remote sensing equipment, said Abbass.

This latest wave of wreck discoveries was fueled by a $20,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which paid for remote-sensing searches last summer. The grant was only for exploration and discovery, not for study and excavation. Abbass said, and his nonprofit, volunteer organization will need additional grants to explore and identify the ships.

"Going out and finding something is not archeology" said Abbass. "What happens after you find it is the real archeology."

astape@projo.com/ (401) 277-7269