The Whaling Bark Stafford

Before the construction of Absecon Lighthouse, many ships and many lives were lost off the coast of Absecon Island. The light’s beam lessened these losses, though other disasters continued to plague seagoing vessels. An anchor weighing 1,805 pounds, possibly one of two recovered by fishing boat crews working near Cape May, may originally have been carried aboard the United States Navy destroyer Jacob Jones, which was struck by German torpedoes in February 1942 and sank in waters off Cape May.

Atlantic City, New Jersey · United States