RACER'S STORM ~ October 1837

In late September, 1837, a particularly violent hurricane known as "Racer’s Storm" had blown up south of Jamaica, crossed Yucatan, struck the Gulf coast of Texas, curved to the east to move over Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, George and South Carolina, and arrived off the North Carolina Coast on October 9.

Cumberland

     Even before the eye of Racer’s Storm reached the Outer Banks, it had caused the loss of one ship, the schooner Cumberland, which had struck on Core Banks on October 8 with the loss of her entire cargo of coffee, hides and cigars being transported from Curacao to New York.

     Before the hurricane passed, it was credited with sinking two more ships, seriously endangering a third and taking some 90 lives in one of the worst maritime disasters in Outer Banks history.

     First of the three vessels to encounter the wrath of Racer’s Storm was the brig Enterprize, of Warren, RI, which was within 20 miles of the Virginia Capes on a passage from Wilmington to Georgetown, when she was beaten back by the storm of October 8. “I hauled offshore while the gale continued increasing,” said Captain William Brayton, “On the 9th hove to under close reefed main topsail and at 8 p.m. a heavy sea boarded her and started the deck load. Sounded the pumps and found 3 feet of water in the hold; set both pumps to work and commenced heaving over deck load.”

     The following morning, according to Capt. Brayton, the Enterprize “got into the breakers running masthead high and the wind blowing tremendously swept everything by the board, the vessel striking heavily in going through the breakers.” Soon after she hit, the waves were washing over her to such an extent that the crew members were obliged to jump overboard to try and gain the shore through the breakers. In this attempt one seaman was lost, but the others reached the beach on Bodie Island.

     At the same time the Enterprize was first encountering difficulty off the North Banks, two larger vessels, elegant steam-packets, were proceeding along the same coast in the face of the hurricane winds: The steam packet Charleston, with a full crew and passenger list, was enroute from Philadelphia to her home port in South Carolina; and the steam packet Home, bound from New York to Charleston, the same run on which she had just recently broke all speed records.

Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier depicting the loss of the SS Home
on the Outer Banks during Racer's Hurricane.

The following letter is from a passenger who was aboard the Charleston:

THRILLING NARRATIVE

Extract of a letter from a passenger on board the

Steam Packet Charleston, from Philadelphia

during the same storm in which the Home

was wrecked.

First day afternoon, 10 mo. 8.—The wind and swell of the sea have increased considerably, and the appearance of the ocean is awfully grand. The waves tower above the upper deck, while the gulf which yawns below seems as though it would swallow us up. Our course is in the trough of the sea, with the winds and waves on our side, which makes the boat roll excessively, and the force of the waves striking the boat makes her tremble from end to end. We have shipped some seas on our forward deck, which covered it several inches in water, and altogether, it may be considered quite a storm. The seamen are now reefing our square-sail to be ready for rounding Cape Hatteras, where we are to expect a rough time. The boat rolls so that I have to hold on with one hand, while I write with the other.

     10 mo. 11.—The gale, of which I spoke in what I wrote on first day, rapidly increased in fury towards night, and the terrific appearance of the billows, with the howling of the wind, convinced me that our situation had become the most serious and dangerous. We were off Cape Hatteras, between 20 and 30 miles from land, in one of the most dangerous parts of the coast of North America. I retired to my berth very late, and was so fully impressed with our danger that I could not sleep, and the tremendous lurching of the boat would hardly allow me to lay in my berth. A little before two o’clock in the morning, a sea broke over the stern of the boat like an avalanche; the concussion was so great as to break in the bulk heads, and shatter the glass in some of the windows, far from where it struck. It broke in the sky-lights in the after cabin, and pouring into it in torrents, made a clear sweep over the after deck, as deep as the bulwarks, nearly four feet. The violence of the sea, lifted the deck fore and aft of the wheel house, making an opening about one inch wide the whole length of the boat, through which the water poured into her sponsons every time she shipped a sea, and she rolled like a log in the water. The weather side, moreover, took so much more than the other, that it occasioned her to list over very much, and deranged the workings of the engines. Had these failed, all hope would have been at an end. The Captain behaved with remarkable coolness and decision. He had been on the upper deck, at the helm, all the day and night, exposed to the fury of the winds and waves without any shelter. When we shipped the sea, at 2 p.m., he ran down into our cabin, said he could not be absent from the helm, and that if we wished to save our lives, we must turn to bailing out water, or he greatly feared the boat would be swamped, she was so loaded with it.

     At this moment four sky-lights, each eight inches by thirty, were pouring down columns of water, the whole cabin afloat, and trunks, settees, bonnet boxes, etc., were dashing from side to side, as the vessel heaved in the trough of the sea. Buckets were procured, and we commenced as fast as we could, but every sea we shipped brought in vastly more than all of us could bail out, and the water soon became so deep as to run into the top of my boots. It was evident some other means must be resorted to. The passengers and crew behaved with great calmness and propriety—none, who were able, refusing to work. We took our matrasses and pillows and stuffed them into the lights, but the returning waves washed them out. We then barricaded them with settees, stationed men to hold them in; this succeeded in part, but no sooner was this accomplished, than a tremendous sea struck us on the other side, and opened a way for the water in there, and into the ladies’ cabin. It now become necessary to put some stopping on the outside, but the boat was shipping such tremendous seas, that it was a work of great hazard. A man, however, was procured to go, who was lashed to the stanchions by a strong rope, but such was the depth of the water on the deck, from the continual washing of the waves, that he could do but little. The boat rolled and pitched so dreadfully that we could scarcely stand even when holding on, and she had shipped so much water that she leaned on the side toward the sea, exposing her to its full action. I stood bailing and handing water from the time it first broke into the cabin, until eight o’clock in the morning, wet to the skin, and nearly ready to sink with fatigue. As the day dawned, the storm raged more furiously, the billows rose as high as our smoke-pipe, and as they curled and broke, fell on us with amazing power. About 10 o’clock the engineer told us he thought the engine could not hold out much longer, she was so disarranged and injured by the heavy shocks of the sea. We knew that, as far as regarded outward means, this was our only hope of safety, and this intelligence was appalling. Our Captain was collected and energetic, but the winds and waves laughed at the puny power of man, and defied all his efforts.

     At half past ten, a.m., a sea of immense volume and force, struck our forward hatch, towered over the upper deck, and swept off all that was on it. It broke the iron bolts that supported the smoke pike, stove in the bulwarks, tore up the iron sheathings of the engine, and made almost a wreck of the upper works. On the main deck it tore away the guards several inches square, demolished the windows of the main hatch in the men’s cabin, and poured down a torrent of water which filled it nearly two feet deep. It engulfed the fire under the boiler of the engine on that side, and lifted the machinery so as to permit the escape of a volume of steam and smoke, that nearly suffocated us, and so shifted the main shaft of the engine that it no longer worked true, but tore away the wood work, and almost destroyed its further usefulness. It swept all the rooms on both sides, and threw them open to every succeeding wave. The crash was awful, the boat trembled and quivered as thought she was wrecked, and the big bell tolled with the shock, as though sounding the funeral knell of all on board. I never had an adequate idea of a storm before the whole sea was white with foam, and the wind blew up the water in such quantities that the atmosphere was thick with it. Every sea stove in some new place; windows and doors gave way with awful crashes, and several times the fires were nearly extinguished. The captain, who had stood at his post near the helm, now came down from the upper deck and told us the fury of the storm was such that he feared he could not save the vessel, that her upper works were fast becoming a wreck, and as soon as they went she would fill and sink; therefore, if it met the approbation of the passengers, he would endeavor to run her ashore, in the hope of saving our lives. He said all would depend upon the character of the beach, and on our self-possession and calmness to act with judgment at the trying moment, and assured us he would lose his life to save ours. He told us to continue working at the pumps and buckets, and in handing wood for the engines, as long as we could possibly stand; and to avoid giving way to improper excitement; that when the vessel should strike, we must make for the bow after the first sea had swept her decks. He also directed us where to place those articles we should most want if we survived. He then went to the women’s cabin, and calling them all together, stated his apprehensions that the vessel could not be saved, giving them much the same charges he had done to us. All this was done with as much apparent calmness as though all was well. He then ordered the carpenter to be ready with the axe to cut away the mast the moment she should strike, and having made these arrangements, resumed his station at the helm. The boat now rolled more than ever, shipped nearly every sea that struck against her, and swung round from the shock, so as not to obey the helm. An almost constant stream of water swept the decks, and at every stroke of the sea the boat groaned, and the bell rung with a sound that seemed peculiarly awful.

     We all procured ropes and fastened them around our bodies, for the purpose of lashing ourselves to the wreck, and having embraced each other, prepared to take our part in the work, and to meet the awful impending catastrophe. T.G.D., B.W.W., and myself, stood together for a few moments looking on the terrific display around us, and both secretly and openly, I believe, putting up our prayers. After this deeply affecting scene, I went to work and continued at it until eight o’clock at night, pumping, bailing, or handing out water, and carrying wood for the fires. As we were then 25 or 30 miles from shore, the captain’s anxiety was, to put the boat in as soon as possible, before she became unmanageable or began to sink. He steered for Cape Lookout, in North Carolina, though he could not tell certainly where he was, but concluded it must be the nearest land, and that it would be as good a place to be wrecked on as any. But a merciful and kind Providence knew better than we, and at that awful moment was watching over us, and frustrating our designs for our good. The land lay N.N.W., and the gale blowing heavily N.E., so that he could not steer her in; finding this, he came down and desired the engineer to raise steam with wood. To enable him to steer in, or otherwise all hope was gone. Accordingly we all went to handing wood for the engine, but so much had been washed over that we had hardly enough for three hours; the sea had broken down the doors and windows, etc., on deck, and we carefully collected these and put them in to keep up the fire. But with all the steam we could raise, we could not steer for shore, the wind and current carrying us down along shore, but not in towards it; and this proved our safety, for with the tremendous sea, which we afterwards saw setting on the coast, near which we aimed to ground, we must all have perished had we succeeded in our attempt. As it was, the wind, current, and steam, just served to carry us, under the guidance of a gracious Providence, we knew not whither, but into stiller water. About 9 o’clock at night the sea began to be more calm, though the fury of the storm was not lessened, by which the captain was induced to believe that we had doubled the cape and were coming under its lee. By incessant exertions we now nearly cleared the hold and cabin of water, and as the boat shortly came into comparatively smooth water, the captain thought he would try to weather the night at anchor, thinking the storm might abate by morning. Some protested against this and insisted upon running on shore at once, but the captain would not, as he thought we should all perish in the dark. He therefore steered in towards it, and after running two hours dropped two anchors which held the boat. On weighing these in the morning, we found that the largest one had broken short off, and our safety during the night had depended on a small, and, as we should have thought, very insufficient one. Thus a succession of merciful providences attended us, which I shall rejoice to recount when we meet.

     Our captain called a consultation of the passengers on third day morning, in which nearly all agreed that we should run into Beaufort, to refit. As he did not know the channel, it was necessary to sound continually; but after a few hours a pilot came off to us and steered us in handsomely.

     After refitting at Beaufort they proceeded on their voyage and arrived in Charleston on fifth day—10th Month, 1837.

GALE OF OCTOBER 1836

Newbern Spectator, Newbern, NC, November 1, 1836

EARLY JUNE 3-4 HURRICANE OF 1825

During a hurricane on June 4, more than 25 unidentified ships were wrecked north of Ocracoke Inlet on the Outer Banks.

Forming ahead of what is now considered hurricane season, a severe tropical storm tormented the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to New York City. It was first sighted near Santo Domingo on May 28th and moved across Cuba on June 1st. Gales began at St. Augustine as the cyclone approached U.S. soil on the 2nd, and at Charleston on the 3rd. 

In North Carolina, the tide rose six feet at New Bern and 14 feet at Adams Creek. More than 25 vessels were driven ashore at Ocracoke, 27 near Washington and a number at New Bern. Coastal plantations were inundated near the South River and there was heavy loss of crops and livestock. There was considerable damage near the waterfront in New Bern.

It raked Norfolk with "undiminished violence" for 27 hours from the morning of the 3rd, as the storm passed by to the east. The wind came in "flaws". Trees were uprooted. At noon on the 4th, stores on the wharves were flooded up to five feet in depth. High winds howled through Washington D.C.. Along with a cold rain, winds leveled crops. The storm then moved northeast past Nantucket on the 5th. 

An account of the storm was given by Ann Waller Tazewell, wife of the then governor of Virginia in a letter to her son. She describes the storm as such 

"....The rain commenced on Friday morning (3rd), and continued pretty steadily all day, at night the wind blew so hard that this house rocked considerably. I was so much alarmed as to be unable to sleep but very little - I thought of my flowers, but could not expect anyone so much as to look after my cows or anything, as the rain fell in torrents, and the wind came in flaws, which made it like thunder yesterday (4th) the storm continued until five in the evening, there was a strong northwest wind all day, and the highest tide I ever saw in my life. The wind and tide together tore down all our enclosures at the other lot, upset our cow-house and then dashed it to pieces, tore up some of the wharf logs, upset the Temple there, and drifted it into the flower garden........We sat at the front windows witnessing the destruction all the time it was going on. Our front lot was two thirds covered by the tide. Some vessels that we saw pass rapidly by, were driven ashore at the Hospital Point (Portsmouth) ...."

She later compares the storm to the great gale of September 1821 in this following passage: " ... Such a storm was never experienced here before, by anyone that I have heard speak of it. It is thought to have been far worse than the September gale of 1821." Mrs. Tazewell's letter also mentions that they could not prepare dinner since the tide level was even with the kitchen floor.

An account of the storm as given by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald described the storm as such. It is interesting to note the contrasting opinions between the Norfolk and Portsmouth Ledger and the letter from Mrs. Tazewell regarding the comparisons between this storm and the September gale of 1821: 

" ... It is uncommon to hear of violent storms and hurricanes on any part of our extensive coast in the month of June; but we have to notice a visitation of stormy weather, which commenced about 9 o'clock on Friday night (3rd), rarely if ever equaled within the life span of the oldest inhabitant. The storm of the 3rd of September 1821 was perhaps more violent but it only lasted three or four hours, while this storm continued with undiminished violence, from the hour we have stated until 12 o'clock on Saturday night (4th), or about 27 hours. The wind at the commencement of the storm was northeast and so continued until about 12 o'clock on Saturday, when it began to haul gradually to the northwest and westward, and held up at southwest ..."

HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 1821

The first of three recorded tropical cyclones recorded in the 1821 Atlantic hurricane season, the storm that would eventually strike New York was first observed off the southeast United States coast on September 1, with winds estimated in excess of 135 mph (215 km/h). It moved ashore near Wilmington, North Carolina, and passed near Norfolk, Virginia before moving through the Delmarva Peninsula and New Jersey just inland. 

Late on September 2, the hurricane made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina and later turned to the northeast to cross the Pamlico Sound. In North Carolina, a powerful storm surge flooded large portions of Portsmouth Island; residents estimated the island would have been completely under water had the worst of the storm lasted for two more hours. Strong winds occurred across eastern North Carolina, resulting in at least 76 destroyed houses. Numerous people were killed in Currituck.

On September 3 at least 7 vessels were destroyed in the Ocracoke/Portsmouth area; The Susan, en route to Baltimore from Ocracoke under Captain Thomas, was driven ashore and lost; the schooner Milo, en route to New Bern under Captain Fisher. Cargo of claret wine and molasses was lost; the schooner John Burney bilged and was totally lost; the Federalist, under the command of Captain Luther (home port Washington) was a total loss. Crew was saved; the Emeline, under Captain Caruther, ran ashore in the breakers while trying to put to sea and was totally lost; the Olive Branch and John Wallace also sank at Ocracoke.

HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 1815

The 1815 North Carolina hurricane was first detected east of the Lesser Antilles on 26 August, the disturbance drifted toward the northwestern Leeward Islands, arriving by 29 August. The hurricane soon approached Charleston, South Carolina, on 1 September, and subsequently made landfall near Cape Lookout on 3 September. The hurricane caused significant impact even before coming ashore: many vessels were damaged, grounded, capsized or destroyed offshore throughout the course of the storm. Overall, the hurricane inflicted at least 15 deaths throughout its existence,

The hurricane destroyed ships from Cape Fear to Currituck. At Wilmington, the storm inflicted damage to numerous buildings, among them the Cape Fear Bank, which suffered the loss of its chimneys. The city's wharves also experienced moderate damage, with a sloop from Bermuda capsizing and a brig separating from port, drifting toward a nearby plantation. At Swansboro, two schooners struck a sand bar and another two were grounded nearby, and three other vessels later washed into a nearby forest.

The remnants of a small unidentified vessel were discovered, abandoned, near the origin of the New River, likely delivering cheese from New England. At Beaufort, several structures along the shoreline experienced damage, and several under construction ships were wrecked. Nearby at the Shackleford and Bogue Banks, several watercraft were destroyed. To the north, another 30 boats were found destroyed near Ocracoke. Six men were killed after being knocked overboard upon the Julia, which was washed aground between Hatteras and Ocracoke. Additionally, a number of vessels were grounded near Cape Hatteras. Inland. At Washington, the storm caused the neighboring Pamlico River to rise at a speed of 15 in (38 cm) per hour before peaking at a height 8 ft (2.4 m) above normal. Massive amounts of lumber and naval goods were swept away by the high waters, and numerous ships broke free of their moorings, of which two were beached.

GALE OF OCTOBER 1806

On October 14^th, the Wilmington Gazette reported the following accounts of the last storm.

“Shell-Castle, Sept 29 – About 12 o’clock last evening a gale at ENE commenced and increased in its violence until about 4 a.m. when it shifted to ESE and blue the most tremendous storm, ever I believe, witnessed by a human being, until six o’clock, when it got further to the southward, and finally to WSW where it still continues to blow with excessive force. The cutter belonging to this station under the command of Captain Henderson, upset and sunk at her anchors. He, thank God, with five of the crew are saved, three poor fellows, belonging to her are lost, their names are Frederick Cherry, Jacob (a Russian), and J.S. Romnin.

   Nearly all the lighters of the navigation sank, ashore, or dismasted. In Wallace’s channel, the ship CAPT McKEEL of Washington, main and mizzen mast gone, ashore. The ship CONNELIA, Captain Common of Washington ashore; the schooner (name unknown), Captain Bracket, master, belonging to Messrs. Marshes of Washington, ashore & sunk, a schooner (name unknown), belonging to Mr. Eborn of Washington, dismasted, ashore and sunk; schooner MOUNT VERNON, Captain Fisher, of Newbern, lost entirely, but it is believed no lives lost. A small sloop which arrived last evening from Jamaica, with rum, name unknown yet, upset on the east point of Beacon Island, the people are now seen on her bottom, there is some prospect of them and the cargo being saved. Schooner HORIZON, Captain Jerkins, still at anchor above the swash, main mast cut away. Sloop UNION, Captain Keals, ashore dismasted. In short but one vessel in the whole navigation afloat and all standing, and that a singular instance of preservation; it is a lighter belonging to Mr. James Jones of Newbern, who struck adrift with two anchors a hear, at the Castle, and drifted two and a half miles to the Royal shoal, where she brought up, and rode out the storm – only a small black boy on board.

   I have now to add, to the tale of destruction, the total loss of the immensely valuable, philosophical and mathematical instruments of col. Tatham, he yesterday put them on board the GOVERNOR WILLIAMS, for the purpose of having them conveyed to Newbern, and they are now buried with her in two fathom water; Altho’ there is no doubt, but Capt. Henderson will be able to get her up, we fear all the apparatus will be totally ruined, a loss … to be sincerely deplored by the lovers of science.”

Another short paragraph, on the same subject, appeared in the same edition of the Gazette:

“We are happy to learn from Col. Tatham who arrived in town yesterday, that his loss stated in the above communication does not include his philosophical apparatus, which was chiefly left in Virginia and sent up to Newbern before the storms commenced. His work for public account, a valuable assortment of instrument, books, papers, and clothing are, however, sunk in the cutter, and cannot be replaced … such was the scene of distress when I arrived that we lay on our oars & counted thirty one wrecked in one single view around us.”

Also in the same issue of the Gazette the following article was published, concerning the storm and the cutter mentioned above:

"Ocracock, September 30 -- The cutter DILIGENCE arrived from sea on the 28th inst in the evening about sun down anchored close to Shell Castle, bearing NE. A gale came on at NE about 10 o'clock and at twelve blew a most violent gale: The cutter upon perceiving the violence of the gale and the sea flying over in such quantities as to endanger her foundering, threw her guns overboard and while in the act of cutting away her masts, she broke adrift and run foul of a small schooner on a shoal about a mile from the Castle bearing WSE and there sunk. The officers and crew retreated aboard the little schooner who survived the gale and were taken off as soon as the weather would permit by the humanity of governor Wallace and Mr. Tuck the only inhabitants of the Castle without being able to save the least article of clothing whatever. One of the commissioners for surveying the coast of North Carolina was on board, and Thomas Coles, Esq., we are sorry to add that all his papers and effects of every kind were buried in the ruins of the cutter. One of the crew, an active young man, only was left, and we are happy to announce that the officers, commissioner and crew are generally in good health."

"Charleston, October 6 -- On Friday last, about 20 miles south of Cape Hatteras in 15 fathoms water, Captain Dawson fell in with the wreck of the schooner VALENTINE, Captain Eaton, belonging to Portland. Captain Dawson took Captain Eaton, and one seaman, Mr. John Reed, of Freeport, from the wreck, where they had been for four days, without food or nourishment; the mate, Mr. Edward Grow, and two seamen, Edwin Figures, of Edenton, and Thomas Clark, of Cape Elizabeth, were washed off the wreck and drownd."

A final note concerning the storm appeared in the Gazette on October 14th:

"... There is scarcely a single vessel in the vicinity of the Castle that is not stranded, and many very valuable lives lost to the community, tho' considering the fury and sadness of the gale, the loss of lives have not been so great as might have been expected."

THE HALIFAX GALE ~ December 1796

NORTH CAROLINA JOURNAL

Halifax, North CarolinA

5 December 1796

   We have to lament the loss of some lives on this melancholy occasion: amongst them two valuable, useful, worthy men, Capt. Wm. Gillespie, of the brig Glory and Capt. James Burnside, of the sloop Anna, -- four of the French prisoners are missing, and are supposed to have been washed overboard when the prison ships went adrift. A Negro man belonging to Capt. Artfill, one belonging to the estate of Mr. Tarrnal, and a Negro boy belonging to Capt. Elliot were drowned.

   The following is the best information we can procure of the fate of the vessels that were in the harbor – His Majesty’s sloop Swallow, Capt. Fowke rode out the gale; sustained little or no injury. Ship Nancy, Davidion, grounded, but got off little damaged. Ship Union, Borrowdale, rode out the gale; lost her mizzen mast. Ship Lively, Moultrie, dismasted and grounded, but got off. Schooner Alice, Stowell, driven ashore, but got off without much injury, Brig George, Henderson, Ashore on Hog Island, not materially injured. Brig Glory, Gillespie, ashore and bilged. Brig Brothers, Wallace, Ashore, loft her bow sprit, and otherwise much injured. Brig Africa gone to pieces. Brig Sophia, Crothers, lost. American brig Mary Anne Johnston, ashore. Snow Charlotte, Tucker, ashore, dismasted. Schooner True Blue, ashore. Schooner Lovely Lass, lost. Schooner George and Ophelia, do. Schooner Sailor’s Delight, ashore. Schooner Polly, dismasted. Sloop Maxwell, ashore, Sloop Henrietta, drove against Forbes, Munto, and Roe’s Warf, injured in her upper works. Sloop William and Mary, ashore, lost her bowsprit and keel. American sloops Planter, Fancy, Catherine, and Harriet, lost. Sloops Anna, Burnside, Conrade, Newton, Rambler, Elliot, and St. Andrew, lost. Schooner Little Flying Fish, lost. Sloops Sally and Dolphin, upset. Schooner Little Negro lost, Sloop Betsy, ashore, dismasted. Schooner Packet, do. Thunder and Rattlesnake galleys, do. Two person vessels, do. One ditto ashore. Two pilot boats lost. A Spanish Schooner and Sloop, do. Two schooners and two sloops whose names we have not learnt, do. A great many boats were lost, and some driven ashore to the westward.

   The Narcissus and Porcupine frigates were lying moored under Sandy Kay, about 7 miles E. of this town, when the gale came on. The Narcissus, we are truly concerned to state, is stranded on Long Key; happily not a life was lost, and it is expected that great part of the stores will be saved. The Porcupine after the gale, was seen at anchor under Sandy Key dismasted. We have only learned that they drove over a reef, and that it is expected she will be got round later to this harbor.

   The injury sustained ashore on this island is trivial when compared to the devastation among the shipping. The belfry of Christ Church, trees, fences, Negro huts, and some old buildings were blown down; and two dwelling houses in the suburb of this town unroofed.

   By the reports given by masters of several vessels arrived from the Northward and westward since Tuesday, it would appear that they had not the gale nearly too violent as it was here.