The Boilers was the Acadia. After the fire the ship's steam boilers were visible above the water line for some time; thus the name. One must remember that that stretch of beach was impassable via mechanical means until the 50's.

My mentor on the Acadia was Dr. Wendell Pierce, dentist. He started diving on the site to recover fire bricks for a backyard BBQ pit and went on from there to recover many items which he surrendered to the Houston Museum of Natural History under a grant from the Texas Antiquities Commission.

The intimate nature of the items recovered had a great impact on me as to the difference between the perceived current necessity for the items and their dear cost as being smuggled into the confederacy. My most prized possession from this period are two marble door knobs. How desperate must one be for doorknobs?

Thanks

JRC