Mysterious 18th-century shipwreck discovered, may have been laden with alcohol

close

Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for August 15

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

A mysterious 18th-century shipwreck discovered in the Gulf of Finland is revealing its secrets.

Experts from the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society have raised the first artifacts from the ship, which is believed to be a Dutch vessel.

The ship was likely en route to the former Russian capital of St. Petersburg when it sank, according to the researchers. Hundreds of glass bottles were discovered on the wreck.

SHIPWRECK REVEALS ITS BOOZY TREASURE: CZAR’S 100-YEAR-OLD LIQUOR SALVAGED FROM WW I WRECK

First spotted by the Russian Navy in 2018, divers from the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society made their first dive to the wreck last year. A detailed analysis of the ship was undertaken this month.

Glass bottles were discovered on the wreck. (Photo courtesy of the Central Information Center of the Russian Geographical Society)

Lying at a depth of more than 164 feet, the vessel was transporting hundreds of glass bottles, which are described by the Russian Geographical Society. Some of the bottles are narrow, while others are wide. The bottles are also a mixture of factory-made and handmade.

While most of the bottles have not survived, a stamp found on several bottles may offer a clue. “In the past, gin was stored in such vessels,” explained the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society, in the statement.

BOTTLES OF BEER FROM 1886 SHIPWRECK USED TO CREATE MODERN ALE

“Most likely, the ship was sailing to St. Petersburg and was carrying bottles of alcohol on board,” said Roman Prokhorov, an underwater archaeologist and restorer of the Underwater Research Center of the Russian Geographical Society, in the statement. “But what exactly was in the bottles is difficult to say, because now there is just rotten substance. Several bottles smell of pine needles, eucalyptus."

Last year, a ship that was sunk while transporting a cargo of liquor to the last Russian czar revealed its secrets.

The Swedish steamer S/S Kyros was sunk in the Baltic by a German U-boat in May 1917 on account of her “contraband” cargo. Some 50 cases of cognac and 15 cases of liquor were onboard the S/S Kyros at the time of her sinking.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The wreck, which has been damaged by fishing nets, was discovered in 1999. Exploration specialists Ocean X Team and iXplorer salvaged a haul of cognac and liquor from the ship.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers