CBS News
Mysterious shipwreck washes up on snowy Canada shores, prompting race to salvage vessel being “pummeled by the ocean”
A shipwreck believed to date from the 19th century has washed up on the snow-covered shores of Canada’s Atlantic island province of Newfoundland, attracting a bevy of onlookers and archaeologists probing its mysterious past. Now local residents and scientists are racing to study and preserve the wreck before it disappears back into the sea.
Over the past weekend, a team of archaeologists and volunteers rushed to recover parts of the 100-foot-long ship in Cape Ray before tides take it back to the ocean depths. They managed to extract wooden planks, metal sheathing from the keel and other bits which have been sent to a laboratory for analysis.
COREY PURCHASE/AFP via Getty Images
“We’re hoping to identify the wood species and age of the wood and to identify the make-up of the metal. Those things will give us clues as to its age and origin,” archaeologist Jamie Brake told a news conference on Tuesday.
“It’s in a dangerous spot. It’s being pummeled by the ocean and so on. It’s not ideal conditions to try to learn more from it” at the site itself, he said, adding that it will probably take months for any results from the laboratory tests.
Located on the shores of J. T. Cheeseman Provincial Park on the southwest tip of Newfoundland, the wreck was discovered in late January in an area known for its numerous shallow rocks on which many ships have run aground over the centuries. At the time, photographer Corey Purchase posted stunning drone video of the shipwreck which lay upside down in shallow water.
Neil Burgess, president of the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined the team conducting the survey of the wreck. Burgess said on social media that archaeologists collected wood samples and copper fasteners from the wreck.
He said that the keel and hull of the ship were upside-down on the beach, as well as many large timbers from the vessel.
“Once the artifacts and wood samples are analyzed, we’re hoping to learn more about the age of this ship and where it came from,” Burgess wrote.
According to Newfoundland’s Archaeology Office, old shipwrecks are commonplace in this region, numbering in the thousands.
Brake noted European ships navigated these waters for hundreds of years.
Some believe that Hurricane Fiona, which in September 2022 hit Canada’s Atlantic coast hard, may have dislodged the ship from the ocean floor.
A number of curious Newfoundlanders have journeyed to the site for a close up look at the wreck.
“It’s a sizeable vessel,” said Brake. “It is a pretty amazing thing to see. I can understand why this captures people’s imagination, why people are so interested in it.”
The community has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to help recover, transport and preserve the wreck.
“This wreck has captured the imagination of people all over the world and has bought international attention to this humble community of approximately 300 people,” the GoFundMe says. “We believe this shipwreck drifted into Cape Ray for a reason and we want to help tell its story.”
COREY PURCHASE/AFP via Getty Images
The survey of the wreck comes just days after police said that human remains recently discovered on a beach in Canada’s Prince Edward Island may be connected to a shipwreck from the 19th century. The bones were located in West Cape in an area where human remains have been discovered before, authorities said.
CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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