RG 36 - U.S. Customs Service - Wreck Reports - Key West, Florida

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Wreck Reports, 1873-1938

National Archives Identifier 2642524

This series consists of copies of reports regarding shipwrecks of American merchant ships and other non-military marine vessels in the vicinity of, or belonging to, the port of Key West, Florida. The original reports were made by the master or owner of the vessel, or their agent; the copies in this series were maintained locally as record copies by the Customs Collector or Deputy Collector responsible for these ports. The incidents described included founderings, collisions, and strandings. The reports provide details of the incidents, including the name of the vessel, vessel documentation details, name of the ship's master (captain), location of the incident, nature and cause of the wreck, number and names of fatalities, weather conditions, description of the cargo, and monetary values of both vessel and cargo.