Pier A Harbor House

Bar · Battery Park City

10

@atlasobscura

The Unusual Sights of Manhattan's Financial District

"Hidden away in the water off Battery Park is one of the most moving memorials you are ever likely to see. The American Merchant Mariner’s memorial, sculpted by Marisol Escobar in 1991, takes the form of three merchant seamen stranded on a sinking ship, terrified, calling for help and trying to reach the desperate hand of one of their shipmates floundering in the water below. The United States Merchant Mariner suffered more casualties than any other American service during World War II, 1 of every 26 mariners would not return home. Facing submarines, mines, armed raiders, destroyers, aircraft, “kamikaze,” and the elements. About 8,300 mariners were killed at sea, 12,000 wounded of whom at least 1,100 died from their wounds, and 663 men and women were taken prisoner.  Some were blown to death, some incinerated, some drowned, some froze, and some starved. Sixty-six died in prison camps or aboard Japanese ships while being transported to other camps. Thirty-one American merchant ships vanished without a trace to a watery grave. The sculpture bears the following inscription: “This memorial serves as a marker for America’s merchant mariners resting in the unmarked ocean depths.” The monument is based on a true event, the sinking of SS Muskogee by German U-boat 123 on March 22nd, 1942. The Muskogee was sailing from Venezuela to Halifax carrying a cargo of petroleum. Without an escort and unarmed, the Muskogee was hit by a torpedo in her engine room and began to sink within a quarter of an hour, 335 miles north-northeast. Ten survivors clung to life rafts in the burning sea as the U-boat surfaced. The submarine captain Reinhard Hardegen took their photograph, and it’s from this, that Escobar based her sculpture.  What makes the memorial so moving is that the helpless sailor in the water is covered by the Upper New York Bay with each high tide. His fingertips permanently out of reach to his companions, he drowns twice a day. The plaque next to the memorial makes the striking statue all the more poignant, where we learn that for the crew of the SS Muskogee; “left to the perils of the sea, the survivors later perished.”" - ATLAS_OBSCURA

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/the-unusual-sights-of-manhattans-financial-district
Luke J Spencer (Atlas Obscura User)

22 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10004 Get directions

google.com
@partiesonthepiera

10 Postcards

See full details

More Places For You

Nathan's Famous

Hot dog restaurant · Coney Island

Nathan’s Famous at Coney Island serves up legendary all-beef hot dogs and crispy fries in a nostalgic, bustling boardwalk setting since 1916.

16 Postcards

Mountain House East Village 川山甲

Sichuan restaurant · East Village

Szechuan Mountain House serves artfully plated, fiery Szechuan classics in a cozy, zen-inspired space with koi ponds and elegant decor.

25 Postcards

La Lanterna di Vittorio

Italian restaurant · Greenwich Village

La Lanterna di Vittorio in Greenwich Village serves authentic Italian fare, spotlighting lasagna flights and cozy lantern-lit garden vibes with live jazz.

6 Postcards

Lao Ma Spicy

Sichuan restaurant · Greenwich Village

Discover a cozy haven for Sichuan cuisine where you can customize your own spicy dry pot with a vast selection of ingredients, all in a laid-back setting near NYU.

3 Postcards

Wildair

New American restaurant · Lower East Side

Wildair, the casual yet sophisticated LES spot from Contra’s chefs, serves inventive American small plates and natural wines in a lively, intimate setting.

55 Postcards

George Keeley

American restaurant · Upper West Side

George Keeley: A welcoming UWS bar offering a vast rotating craft beer selection, solid pub grub, free popcorn, and plenty of TVs for the game.

5 Postcards

Boca Santa

Mexican restaurant · Bedford-Stuyvesant

Boca Santa is a cozy, cash-only gem in Bed-Stuy, whipping up vibrant, vegetable-forward Mexican dishes with fresh, authentic flavors.

6 Postcards

BK Antiques & Home

Antique furniture store · Upper East Side

Discover BK Antiques, where chic European and Asian finds blend seamlessly with exceptional decor to elevate any space—Barbara and her team are experts in curating standout furnishings.

2 Postcards

Coney Island USA

Art museum · Brighton Beach

Coney Island USA serves up nostalgia with vintage rides, eccentric sideshows, and iconic American pop culture vibes all summer long.

2 Postcards

Le Gratin

French restaurant · Financial District

Le Gratin serves cozy Lyon-inspired French classics in a charming bistro setting with standout gratins and tempura escargots in FiDi.

17 Postcards