Powhattan (1854)
Encyclopedia
The Powhattan or Powhatan was a United States ship that is best remembered as one of the worst New Jersey shipwrecks in terms of loss of life. The number of victims varies according to sources between 200 and 365.
The Powhattan was an emigrant ship (sea transport) of 598 tons gross. It was registered as a new vessel on February 2, 1837 with W. Graham as owner and D. Griffith as master (captain). The ship was built in Baltimore
, Maryland in 1836–1837 and made several trips across the Atlantic from England, France and the Netherlands to the ports of Baltimore and New York .
About the first of March 1854, the Powhattan sailed from the port of Le Havre
, France destined for New York City. It was carrying more than 200 German emigrants. After encountering a storm off the New Jersey coast it went aground about 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 1854 on the shoals near Beach Haven
, New Jersey, (Latitude 39 33 00 North −74 13 00 West ), about six miles south of the Harvey Cedars Lifesaving Station http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1987/winter/us-life-saving-service-1.html. The ship remained afloat until the following day, April 16, 1854 whereupon it broke apart resulting in the deaths of the entire crew and passengers. At the time of the accident, the ship was commanded by Captain James Meyers (or Myers) of Baltimore. http://www.archive.org/stream/jonathanpitneymd00brow/jonathanpitneymd00brow_djvu.txt. The victims washed onto the beach as far south as Atlantic City, where they were buried in three cemeteries. Fifty-four were interred in a mass grave at Smithville Methodist Church and 45 were buried in Absecon. The majority of the bodies, about 140, washed ashore at Peahala on Long Beach Island. These victims were buried in pauper's graves in the Baptist cemetery in nearby Manahawkin.The cemetery now includes "The Unknown from the Sea" monument erected by the State of New Jersey in 1904 honoring all the victims of the Powhattan shipwreck http://files.usgwarchives.org/nj/ocean/cemetery/omanahaw01.txt http://www.rogerkreuz.com/gen/Powhatan.htm.) The Powhattan disaster served as an impetus for the purchase of the site for the Absecon Light
house later in 1854. http://www.njlhs.org/njlight/absecon.html http://www.cyberlights.com/lh/nj/absecon.htm
The Powhattan was an emigrant ship (sea transport) of 598 tons gross. It was registered as a new vessel on February 2, 1837 with W. Graham as owner and D. Griffith as master (captain). The ship was built in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland in 1836–1837 and made several trips across the Atlantic from England, France and the Netherlands to the ports of Baltimore and New York .
About the first of March 1854, the Powhattan sailed from the port of Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France destined for New York City. It was carrying more than 200 German emigrants. After encountering a storm off the New Jersey coast it went aground about 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 1854 on the shoals near Beach Haven
Beach Haven
Beach Haven may refer to:New Zealand*Beach Haven, New ZealandUnited States of America*Beach Haven, New Jersey*Beach Haven West, New Jersey*North Beach Haven, New Jersey...
, New Jersey, (Latitude 39 33 00 North −74 13 00 West ), about six miles south of the Harvey Cedars Lifesaving Station http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1987/winter/us-life-saving-service-1.html. The ship remained afloat until the following day, April 16, 1854 whereupon it broke apart resulting in the deaths of the entire crew and passengers. At the time of the accident, the ship was commanded by Captain James Meyers (or Myers) of Baltimore. http://www.archive.org/stream/jonathanpitneymd00brow/jonathanpitneymd00brow_djvu.txt. The victims washed onto the beach as far south as Atlantic City, where they were buried in three cemeteries. Fifty-four were interred in a mass grave at Smithville Methodist Church and 45 were buried in Absecon. The majority of the bodies, about 140, washed ashore at Peahala on Long Beach Island. These victims were buried in pauper's graves in the Baptist cemetery in nearby Manahawkin.The cemetery now includes "The Unknown from the Sea" monument erected by the State of New Jersey in 1904 honoring all the victims of the Powhattan shipwreck http://files.usgwarchives.org/nj/ocean/cemetery/omanahaw01.txt http://www.rogerkreuz.com/gen/Powhatan.htm.) The Powhattan disaster served as an impetus for the purchase of the site for the Absecon Light
Absecon Light
The Absecon Light is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey overlooking Absecon Inlet. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit...
house later in 1854. http://www.njlhs.org/njlight/absecon.html http://www.cyberlights.com/lh/nj/absecon.htm
Voyages from 1837–1854
| Departure Date | Port of Departure | Arrival Date | Port of Arrival | Master | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 25, 1837 | Le Harve, France | Sept 4th 1837 | Baltimore? | Griffith | Transport British/Irish Immigrants |
| Unknown | Mobile, Alabama | Oct 13, 1837 | Baltimore? | Griffith | Unknown |
| Unknown | Liverpool, England | May 2, 1838 | Baltimore | Griffith | Unknown |
| Unknown | Liverpool, England | June 21, 1846 | Baltimore | Haydon | Irish/British Immigrants |
| Unknown | Le Harve, France | January 1, 1847 | New Orleans | Stone | 207 Passengers |
| Unknown | Le Harve, France | July 31, 1847 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Unknown | Liverpool, England | Dec 2nd, 1847 | Baltimore | ??? | Irish Immigrants |
| Unknown | Le Harve, France | May, 5th, 1848 | New York | Unknown | German Immigrants |
| Unknown | Le Harve, France | April 2, 1852 | New York | Unknown | French, Swiss |
| Unknown | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Nov. 29th, 1853 | New York | Myers | Dutch/German Immigrants |
Sources
- Great Storms of the Jersey Shore, by Larry Savadove and Margaret Thomas Buchholz, published by Down the Shore, 1993
- The New York Times April 21, 1854
- The Baltimore Sun, April 21, 1854 , Friday morning edition
- The Daily Alta California May 19, 1854 http://cbsrfs.ucr.edu/batches/LSTA_20070531.00_beaver/sn84031933/00000000047/1854051901/0544.pdf
- A Heavy Sea Running: The Formation of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1846–1878 By Dennis R. Means, Winter 1987, Vol. 19, No. 4 http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1987/winter/us-life-saving-service-1.html
- Brigantine Beach, New Jersey website http://brigantinebeachnj.com/history_shipwrecks.html
- New Jersey Museum of Boating, Inc. Bay Head, New Jersey
- Maritime Heritage Project www.MaritimeHeritage.org ,Post Office Box 2878,Sausalito, California,94966 http://www.maritimeheritage.org/PassLists/js051854.html
- Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
- Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1884, published Jan 17th 1884, page 82–83 http://books.google.com/books?id=yyEUAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA83&lpg=RA1-PA83&dq=Proceedings+of+the+New+Jersey+Historical+Society+powhattan&source=bl&ots=V7PFMOxx7m&sig=ig2t4eEa4S9hv7o-8AUPnDRrHmM&hl=en&ei=hlyoSpLqCo7ANpen5LEP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=&f=false