On October 14th, 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."
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."
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