Surviving the Hurricane of August 1751
“[Boston]. Last Friday came to Town from New-London, Capt. Samuel Gallop, late Master of the Brigantine Polly of this Place, who sail’d from hence the 19th of August last bound for Antigua, and informs us, That in his Passage on the 6th of September last, in Lat. 29 and 31, he met with a violent Gale of Wind at E. S. E. which oblig’d him to scud before it; But the Wind shifting to the Southward in a Moment they shipped in a Sea which stove in the Dead-Lights, clear’d the Deck, and washed every Soul over-board, and thereupon she immediately fill’d and overset.
Capt. Gallop and two of the Men getting upon the Weather-side endeavour’d to save themselves, but were wash’d off again by the next Sea; and whilst striving in the Sea, he the said Gallop accidentally caught hold of a Rope, by which he hoisted himself up while she lay on her Side; but her Masts giving way she righted, when he took to the Bowsprit, where he continued twelve Days, subsisting only upon some Apples, a few salt Mackrel, and some Cabbage-Seed; and then was relieved by Capt. Parker, who had likewise received considerable Damage in said Hurricane, bound from Barbados to New-London, where he arrived the 29th of September last.
All the rest of the Men on Board the Brig perish’d, viz. John Gurley of Charlestown, Mate, Hart Balch of Boston, Cooper, Seth Higgins and Jonathan Mayo of Cape-Cod, James Estabrooks and John Nanby of London, and Jacob More, a Passenger.”
Boston Post-Boy, 7 October 1751.
Posted in Connecticut, hurricane, shipwreck |
