June 17, 2008—The prow of the 1780 British warship H.M.S. Ontario is shown 500 feet (150 meters) below Lake Ontario near Rochester, New York, upon the ship's discovery in early June.

Called a "holy grail" of Great Lakes wreck hunters, the 80-foot (24-meter) brig-sloop sank in a sudden gale during the U.S. Revolutionary War on October 31, 1780.

At times a sail would have been attached to the large forward pole, or bowsprit, at right. Just below, the ship's ornate, handcarved bow stem is a testament to the "personal pride" shipbuilders took in their vessels, said Dan Scoville, who found the Ontario along with fellow shipwreck enthusiast Jim Kennard.

"That's back when they cared about how a ship looked," Scoville said.

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