Rouse Simmons, the Christmas Tree Ship – Kent Bellrichard B-Roll and Trac

Interview footage for documentary on the Christmas Tree Ship with scuba diver, Gordon Kent Bellrichard, on the discovery of the Rouse Simmons in Lake Michigan in October 1971. In this segment, Bellrichard recounts the 1921 wreck of the schooner and it being lost on the lake bed. He describes discovering it via sonar and the recovering it in scuba expeditions. He notes the ship’s remarkably preserved state (found standing upright on the lake bottom) and other material effects, like an intact and functional filament electric light bulb. He also discusses his intentions to display the wreckage publicly. Audio track follows the video with identical content.

This is the first of three reels on the Rouse Simmons and may be documentary material for “The Christmas Tree Ship” that first aired on Channel 4 in November 1975.