AH-WR-0532

USS Hibiscus

Steamer · United States · Lost 1873 · The New Jersey Coast

A Civil War Navy gunboat turned merchant steamer that foundered off New Jersey in 1873 after breaking a propeller shaft.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

USS Hibiscus was a wood-hulled, twin-screw light-draft gunboat purchased by the Union Navy in 1864 and used to patrol Confederate waterways off Florida during the Civil War. Decommissioned and sold in 1866, she was renamed Frances Wright and later reverted to Hibiscus in merchant service. While cruising off the New Jersey coast on May 1, 1873, she broke a propeller shaft, took on water, and sank with no reported casualties. Divers know the wreck today as the "Emerald."

Vessel

Built: 1864
Builder: S. M. Pook
Yard: Fair Haven, Connecticut
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 490
Propulsion: Steam, twin screw
Owners: United States Navy (1864-1866); private merchant owners thereafter

Loss

Date: May 1, 1873
Cause: Mechanical failure
Location: Off the New Jersey coast
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 75 ft
Condition: Twin engines with part of one propeller shaft missing; boilers heavily broken down
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position withheld to protect the site
Nearest: Off Manasquan/Barnegat, New Jersey
Region: The New Jersey Coast

Checked njscuba.net's account of the 'Emerald' wreck (probable USS Hibiscus); it describes the site as lying off the New Jersey coast in 75 ft of water but gives no numeric coordinate, and njscuba states its site numbers are not for navigation.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)

The identification of the dive site known as "Emerald" with USS Hibiscus is a strong probability based on artifact and engine-configuration evidence, but has not been formally confirmed by archaeological survey.

Naval History and Heritage Command / NavSource Online
Naval service history, specifications, and final loss date/location.
New Jersey Scuba Diving, Identifying the Emerald
Wreck-site identification research and diver observations.