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Agreement Reached To ID Shipwreck

The state of Michigan, France and private divers have reached an extraordinary agreement to finally determine whether a Lake Michigan shipwreck is the Griffin, which sank in 1679.
  
There will be no immediate effort to remove anything from the ship. But Steve Libert, the diver who discovered it, says scientists with high-tech equipment will take images at the site.
  
One of the tasks will be to determine if King Louis XIV's insignia is on a cannon.
  
The precise site has not been publicly disclosed but is believed to be between Escanaba and the St. Martin Islands, near Wisconsin.
  
During years of litigation, Michigan sought to have any wreckage declared state property. But that position changed after France claimed ownership in 2009. A judge put the lawsuit on hold this week.
  
  

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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