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The iron-hulled barque Cashmere was built in Sunderland, England, by T.R. Oswald and launched on October 5, 1868. She was owned by the Liverpool Shipping Company and managed by H. Fernie & Sons. Constructed of riveted iron, the barque measured 222.8 feet in length, 36.7 feet in beam, and had a depth of hold of 22.7 feet. The ship was rated at 1,277 gross tons with two decks and one cemented bulkhead. Like other vessels of her kind, Cashmere was intended to travel the waters of the globe in order to make money for her owners; false gunports were painted along her sides to deter Sumatran and Javanese pirates. In 1897, Cashmere was sold to a Norwegian named Henschien, renamed Lofthus, and transferred to the American trade.
On February 4, 1898, while en route from Pensacola to Buenos Aires with a cargo of lumber, Lofthus was wrecked on the east coast of Florida. The local sea-going tug Three Friends (which usually was engaged in running guns to Cuba) attempted to assist the stranded barque, but she was high on the beach and quickly being pounded to pieces by waves. The crew of sixteen men was saved but the vessel was a total loss. While stranded on the beach, Lofthus' Captain Fromberg, traveling with his family, entertained local residents and gave the ship's dog and cat to one family.
After being stripped of all useable items, the wreck was sold along with 800,000 feet of lumber stowed in the hold for $1,000. In September 1898, the hull, which was not nearly as valuable as the cargo, was dynamited so that the lumber could be salvaged.
Today, the site is dominated by three main areas of wreckage. The ship's bow is apparent on the
north end of the site and includes deck beams and hull elements. In the midships area, deck beams
and deck plates together with fasteners, hanging knees, and a worm gear (possibly associated with
the vessel's steering mechanism or with a deck-mounted donkey engine) are visible. Toward the stern,
a section of iron mast as well as additional pieces of decking and beams protrude from the sand.
The wreck of Lofthus is located in 15-20 feet of water, approximately
3/4 of a mile north of Boynton Inlet and 175 yards off-shore Manalapan
at latitude 26° 33.776' N and longitude 80° 02.309' W. The site
is marked as wreck #133 on NOAA Chart 11466. Wreckage rises as much
as 6 feet off the sea floor depending on sand movement.
As with all other historical or archaeological sites on public uplands or submerged bottomlands, Lofthus is protected by Florida laws forbidding unauthorized disturbance, excavation, or removal of artifacts. Please help keep the site intact for others by not disturbing or harvesting marine life. To avoid anchor loss or damage to the shipwreck, please anchor in the sand, and remember to display a "diver down" flag.
