Groups wants to raise and display ship

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 24 (UPI) -- A group of shipwreck wants proposes to raise a schooner from the bottom of Lake Erie and display it in a tank in Buffalo, N.Y., a member of the group said.

"We have the birth of the city of Buffalo right there, sitting in the middle of Lake Erie in pristine condition," said Pat Clyne, a videographer.

Clyne specializes in filming shipwrecks and is a member of North East Research, the group that plans to lift the schooner out of the lake. At least two cities in Europe have made major tourist attractions out of raised shipwrecks, Clyne told The Buffalo News.

The ship may be the Caledonia, a British vessel captured by the United States in the War of 1812 and later used as a merchant ship. It is in very good shape, Clyne said, apart from an infestation of zebra mussels.

Cold temperatures in Lake Erie may have helped preserve it.

North East Research is negotiating with Buffalo city officials about the display.