In the summer of 2016, Joshua Marano was flying over the Gulf when he noticed a strange pattern in the waters below. Marano is a maritime archaeologist with the National Park Service, consulted some old nautical charts. He had expected to find the ruins of an old lighthouse or beacon, but what he discovered was even more haunted history from the Civil War.
The island is located approximately 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. But the submerged island once held a quarantine hospital and cemetery for those stationed at Fort Jefferson, which was used as a military prison during the Civil War.
It was determined that almost 200 years ago, 11 islands comprised the Dry Tortugas National Park; however, today, only six remain.
One of the graves discovered by Marano students from the University of Miami contained several graves, and they were able to decipher the inscription on one, which read “John Greer: November 5, 1861.”
It was later found that Greer had worked at the fort. It was also determined through historical documents that the quarantine hospital was also used to treat yellow fever patients between 1890 and 1900.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr
Image Credit: The New York Times