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unless there is a miracle overnight. These are the last pictures we will see of the hull, of the old Niantic still in a single piece. Even today, workmen were cutting this relic of the gold rush into sections. Tomorrow morning, bulldozers will move in to rip out

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the center portion of the hull, the most that will be preserved intact is a short section of the stern and a piece toward the bowel. The rest will be reduced to kindling. The big problem with saving the old Niantic is this silt that is filled in

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around the old hull. The danger is that when the hull is lifted out Clay Street or Sansom Street, they actually collapsed down into the hole. To prevent that collapse, it would be necessary to build extensive retaining walls along three sides of the Niantic. That plus removal

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of just two thirds of the hull would cost over $600,000. Time is the enemy. So far, the san Francisco Maritime Museum has raised only enough money to save pieces of the Niantic, but not the whole section of the hull that has been uncovered. The Niantic was

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one of over 700 ships that reached san Francisco in 18 49. The first year of the Gold rush. Coartem wants all of the Niantic for the Maritime Museum, but unless some major contributor steps forward tonight, the Niantic will be chopped up tomorrow. Bill Hillman, Channel five,

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Eyewitness News, mm hmm