Name Magnifique Laid down 1750 Length 54 m Weight 1,500 tons Draft 6.6 m | Builder Toulon Beam 14 m (46 ft) Construction started 1750 Displacement 1.5 million kg | |
Fate 1782, Grounded on sandbar off Lovells Island, Boston, MA, USA Class and type Magnifique class ship of the line | ||
The Magnifique was the lead ship of the 3-ship Magnifique class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.
On 15 August 1782, the Magnifique crashed along the rocky shore of Lovells Island, in Boston Harbor, MA, USA. She was rumoured to have been carrying "long-lost treasure." According to a US National Park Service Guide, the submerged vessel is still visible from N 42° 19.902’ W 070° 55.818’ during periods of calm.
On 3 September 1782 the Continental Congress decided to present the ship of the line America to King Louis XVI of France to replace Magnifique. The gift was to symbolize the new nation's appreciation for France's service to and sacrifices in behalf of the cause of the American patriots.
References
French ship Magnifique (1750) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA