The Storm

The next Day several of them died, the Extremities they had suffer'd, having too much Master'd their Spirits, these he was forc'd to bury also at his own Charge, the Agent still refusing to Disburse one Penny.

After their Refreshment the poor Men assisted by the Mayor, made a fresh Application to the Agent for Conduct Money to help them up to London, but he answer'd he had no Order, and would Disburse nothing, whereupon the Mayor gave them all Money in their Pockets, and Passes to Graves-End.

I wish I could say with the same Freedom, that he receiv'd the Thanks of the Government, and Reimbursement of his Money as he deserv'd, but in this I have been inform'd, he met with great Obstructions and Delays, tho' at last, after long Attendance, upon a right Application I am inform'd he obtain'd the repayment of his Money, and some small Allowance for his Time spent in solliciting for it.

Nor can the Damage suffered in the River of Thames be forgot. It was a strange sight to see all the Ships in the River blown away, the Pool was so clear, that as I remember, not above 4 Ships were left between the Upper part of Wapping, and Ratcliff Cross, for the Tide being up at the Time when the Storm blew with the greatest violence. No Anchors or Landfast, no Cables or Moorings would hold them, the Chains which lay cross the River for the mooring of Ships, all gave way.

The Ships breaking loose thus, it must be a strange sight to see the Hurry and Confusion of it, and as some Ships had no Body at all on Board, and a great many had none but a Man or Boy left on Board just to look after the Vessel, there was nothing to be done, but to let every Vessel drive whither and how she would.

Those who know the Reaches of the River, and how they lye, know well enough, that the Wind being at South West Westerly, the Vessels would naturally drive into the Bite or Bay from Ratcliff Cross to Lime-house Hole, for that the River winding about again from thence towards the New Dock at Deptford, runs almost due South West, so that the Wind blew down one Reach, and up another, and the Ships must of necessity drive into the bottom of the Angle between both.

This was the Case, and as the Place is not large, and the Number of Ships very great, the force of the Wind had driven them so into one another, and laid them so upon one another as it were in heaps, that I think a Man may safely defy all the World to do the like.

The Author of this Collection had the curiosity the next day to view the place and to observe the posture they lay in, which nevertheless 'tis impossible to describe; there lay, by the best Account he could take, few less than 700 sail of Ships, some very great ones between Shadwel and Limehouse inclusive, the posture is not to be imagined, but by them that saw it, some Vessels lay heeling off with the Bow of another Ship over her Waste, and the Stem of another upon her Fore-Castle, the Boltsprits of some drove into the Cabbin Windows of others; some lay with their Sterns tossed up so high, that the Tide flowed into their Fore-Castles before they cou'd come to Rights; some lay so leaning upon others, that the undermost Vessels wou'd sink before the other could float; the numbers of Masts, Boltsprits and Yards split and broke, the staving the Heads, and Sterns and Carved Work, the tearing and destruction of Rigging, and the squeezing of Boats to pieces between the Ships, is not to be reckoned; but there was hardly a Vessel to be seen that had not suffer'd some damage or other in one or all of these Articles.

There was several Vessels sunk in this hurry, but as they were generally light Ships, the damage was chiefly to the Vessels; but there were two Ships sunk with great quantity of Goods on Board, the Russel Galley was sunk at Lime-house, being a great part laden with Bale Goods for the Streights, and the Sarah Gally lading for Leghorn, sunk at an Anchor at Blackwall; and though she was afterwards weighed and brought on shore, yet her back was broke, or so otherwise disabled, as she was never fit for the Sea; there were several Men drown'd in these last two Vessels, but we could never come to have the particular number.

Near Gravesend several Ships drove on shoar below Tilbury Fort, and among them five bound for the West Indies, but as the shoar is ouzy and soft, the Vessels sat upright and easy, and here the high Tides which follow'd, and which were the ruin of so many in other places, were the deliverance of all these Ships whose lading and value was very great, for the Tide rising to an unusual height, floated them all off, and the damage was not so great as was expected.

If it be expected I should give an account of the loss, and the particulars relating to small Craft, as the Sailors call it, in the River it is to look for what is impossible, other than by generals.

The Watermen tell us of above 500 Wheries lost, most of which were not sunk only but dasht to pieces one against another, or against the Shores and Ships, where they lay: Ship Boats without number were driven about in every corner, sunk and staved, and about 300 of them is supposed to be lost. Above 60 Barges and Lighters were found driven foul of the Bridge: some Printed accounts tell us of sixty more sunk or staved between the Bridge and Hammersmith.

Abundance of Lighters and Barges drove quite thro' the Bridge, and took their fate below, whereof many were lost, so that we Reckon by a modest account above 100 Lighters and Barges lost and spoil'd in the whole, not reckoning such as with small damage were recovered.

In all this confusion it could not be, but that many Lives were lost, but as the Thames often times Buries those it drowns, there has been no account taken. Two Watermen at Black Fryars were drowned, endeavouring to save their Boat; and a Boat was said to be Overset near Fulham, and five People drown'd: According to the best account I have seen, about 22 People were drown'd in the River upon this sad occasion, which considering all circumstances is not a great many, and the damage to Shipping computed with the vast number of Ships then in the River, the Violence of the Storm, and the heighth of the Tide, confirms me in the Truth of that Opinion, which I have heard many skilful Men own, viz. that the River of Thames is the best Harbour of Europe.

The heighth of the Tide, as I have already observ'd, did no great damage in the River of Thames, and I find none of the Levels or Marshes, which lye on both sides the River overflowed with it, it fill'd the Cellars indeed at Gravesend, and on both sides in London, and the Alehouse-keepers suffered some loss as to their Beer, but this damage is not worth mentioning with what our Accounts give us from the Severn; which, besides the particular Letters we have already quoted, the Reader may observe in the following, what our general intelligence furnishes us with.

The Damages in the City of Gloucester they compute at 12000 l. above 15000 Sheep drown'd in the Levels on the side of the Severne, and the Sea Walls will cost, as these Accounts tell us, 5000 l. to repair, all the Country lyes under Water for 20 or 30 Miles together on both sides, and the Tide rose three Foot higher than the tops of the Banks.

At Bristol they tell us, The Tide fill'd their Cellars, spoil'd 1000 Hogsheads of Sugar, 1500 Hogsheds of Tobacco, and the Damage they reckon at 100000 l. Above 80 People drown'd in the Marshes and River, Several whole Families perishing together.

The Harbour at Plimouth, the Castle at Pendennis, the Cathederal at Gloucester, the great Church at Berkely, the Church of St. Stephen's at Bristol; the Churches at Blandford, at Bridgewater, at Cambridge, and generally the Churches all over England have had a great share of the Damage.

In King Road at Bristol, the Damage by Sea is also very great; the Canterbury store Ship was driven on Shoar, and twenty-five of her Men drown'd, as by our account of the Navy will more particularly appear, the Richard and John, the George, and the Grace sunk, and the number of People lost is variously reported.

These Accounts in the four last Paragraphs being abstracted from the publick Prints, and what other Persons collect, I desire the Reader will observe, are not particularly vouch'd, but as they are all true in substance, they are so far to be depended upon, and if there is any mistake it relates to Numbers, and quantity only.

From Yarmouth we expected terrible News, and every one was impatient till they saw the Accounts from thence, for as there was a very great Fleet there, both of laden Colliers, Russia Men, and others, there was nothing to be expected but a dreadful Destruction among them.

But it pleas'd God to order Things there, that the loss was not in Proportion like what it was in other Places, not but that it was very great too.

The Reserve Man of War was come in but a day or two before, Convoy to the great Fleet from Russia, and the Captain, Surgeon and Clerk, who after so long a Voyage went on Shoar with two Boats to refresh themselves, and buy Provisions, had the Mortification to stand on Shoar, and see the Ship sink before their Faces; she foundred about 11-a-Clock, and as the Sea went too high for any help to go off from the Shoar to them, so their own Boats being both on Shoar, there was not one Man sav'd; one Russia Ship driving from her Anchors, and running foul of a laden Collier sunk by his side, but some of her Men were sav'd by getting on Board the Collier; three or four small Vessels were driven out to Sea, and never heard of more; as for the Colliers, tho' most of them were driven from their Anchors, yet going away to Sea, we have not an account of many lost.

This next to the Providence of God, I give this reason for, first by all Relations it appears that the Storm was not so violent farther Northward, as it was there; and as it was not so Violent, so neither did it continue so long: Now those Ships, who found they could not ride it out in Yarmouth Roads, but slipping their Cables went away to Sea, possibly as they went away to the Northward, found the Weather more moderate at least, not so violent, but it might be borne with, to this may be added, that 'tis well known to such as use the Coast after they had run the length of Flambro, they had the benefit of the Weather Shoar, and pretty high land, which if they took shelter under might help them very much; these, with other Circumstances, made the Damage much less than every Body expected, and yet as it was, it was bad enough as our Letter from Hull gives an Account. At Grimsby it was still worse as to the Ships, where almost all the Vessels were blown out of the Road, and a great many lost.

At Plymouth they felt a full Proportion of the Storm in its utmost fury, the Edystone has been mention'd already, but it was a double loss in that, the light House had not been long down, when the Winchelsea, a homeward bound Virginia Man was split upon the Rock, where that Building stood, and most of her Men drowned.

Three other Merchant Ships were cast away in Plimouth Road, and most of their Men lost: The Monk Man of War rode it out, but was oblig'd to cut all her Masts by the Board, as several Men of War did in other places.

At Portsmouth was a great Fleet, as has been noted already, several of the Ships were blown quite out to Sea, whereof some were never heard of more; the Newcastle was heard off upon the Coast of Sussex, where she was lost with all their Men but 23; the Resolution, the Eagle advice Boat, and the Litchfield Prize felt the same fate, only sav'd their Men: From Cows several Ships were driven out to Sea, whereof one run on Shoar in Stokes-bay, one full of Soldiers, and two Merchant Men have never been heard off, as I could ever learn, abundance of the Ships sav'd themselves by cutting down their Masts, and others Stranded, but by the help of the ensuing Tides got off again.

Portsmouth, Plymouth, Weymouth, and most of our Sea Port Towns look'd as if they had been Bombarded, and the Damage of them is not easily computed.

Several Ships from the Downs were driven over to the Coast of Holland, and some sav'd themselves there; but several others were lost there.

At Falmouth 11 Sail of Ships were stranded on the Shoar, but most of them got off again.

In Barstable Harbour, a Merchant Ship outward bound was over-set, and the express advice Boat very much shatter'd, and the Quay of the Town almost destroy'd.

'Tis endless to attempt any farther Description of Losses, no place was free either by Land or by Sea, every thing that was capable felt the fury of the Storm; and 'tis hard to say, whether was greater the loss by Sea, or by Land; the Multitude of brave stout Sailors is a melancholy subject, and if there be any difference gives the sad Ballance to the Account of the Damage by Sea.

We had an Account of about 11 or 12 Ships droven over for the Coast of Holland, most of which were lost, but the Men saved, so that by the best Calculation I can make, we have not lost less than 150 sail of Vessels of all sorts by the Storm; the number of Men and other damages, are Calculated elsewhere.

We have several Branches of this Story which at first were too easily credited, and put in Print, but upon more strict examination, and by the discoveries of Time, appear'd otherwise, and therefore are not set down.

It was in the design to have Collected the several Accounts of the fatal effects of the Tempest abroad in Foreign Parts; but as our Accounts came in from thence too imperfect to be depended upon; the Collector of these Papers could not be satisfied to offer them to the World, being willing to keep as much as possible to the Terms of his Preface.

We are told there is an Abstract to the same purpose with this in France, Printed at Paris, and which contains a strange variety of Accidents in that Country.

If a particular of this can be obtained, the Author Promises to put it into English, and adding to them the other Accounts, which the rest of the World can afford, together with some other Additions of the English Affairs, which could not be obtain'd in time here shall make up the second part of this Work.

In the mean time the Reader may observe, France felt the general shock, the Peers, and Ricebank at Dunkirk, the Harbour at Haver de Grace, the Towns of Calais and Bulloign give us strange Accounts.

All the Vessels in the Road before Dunkirk, being 23 or 27, I am not certain, were dasht in pieces against the Peer Heads, not one excepted, that side being a Lee shoar, the reason is plain, there was no going off to Sea; and had it been so with us in the Downs or Yarmouth Roads, it would have fared with us in the same manner, for had there been no going off to Sea, 300 sail in Yarmouth Roads had inevitably perisht.

At Diepe the like mischief happened, and in proportion Paris felt the effects of it, as bad as London, and as a Gentleman who came from thence since that time, affirmed it to me it was much worse.

All the N. East Countries felt it, in Holland our accounts in general are very dismal, but the Wind not being N.W. as at former Storms, the Tyde did not drown them, nor beat so directly upon their Sea Wall.

It is not very irrational to Judge, that had the Storm beat more to the North West, it must have driven the Sea upon them in such a manner, that all their Dikes and Dams could not have sustained it, and what the consequence of such an Inundation might ha' been they can best judge, who remember the last terrible Irruption of the Sea there, which drowned several thousand People, and Cattle without number.

But as our Foreign Accounts were not satisfactory enough to put into this Collection, where we have promised to limit our selves by just Vouchers, we purposely refer it all to a farther description as before.

Several of our Ships were driven over to those parts, and some lost there, and the story of our great Ships which rid it out, at or near the Gunfleet, should have come in here, if the Collector could have met with any Person that was in any of the said Vessels, but as the accounts he expected did not come in the time for the Impression, they were of necessity left out.

The Association, a Second Rate, on Board whereof was Sir Stafford Fairborn, was one of these, and was blown from the Mouth of the Thames to the Coast of Norway, a particular whereof as Printed in the Annals of the Reign of Queen Ann's is as follows.

An Account of Sir Stafford Fairborne's Distress in the late Storm

SIR,

Her Majesty's Ship Association, a second Rate of 96 Guns, commanded by Sir Stafford Fairborne, Vice-Admiral of the Red, and under him Captain Richard Canning, sailed from the Downs the 24th of November last, in Company with seven other Capital Ships, under the Command of the Honourable Sir Cloudesley Shovel, Admiral of the White, in their return from Leghorn up the River. They anchored that Night off of the Long-sand-head. The next Day struck Yards and Top-Masts. The 27th about three in the Morning, the Wind at West South West, encreased to a Hurricane, which drove the Association from her Anchors. The Night was exceeding dark, but what was more Dreadful, the Galloper, a very dangerous Sand, was under her Lee; so that she was in Danger of striking upon it, beyond the Power of Man to avoid it. Driving thus at the Mercy of the Waves, it pleased God, that about five a Clock she passed over the tail of the Galloper in seven Fathom of Water. The Sea boisterous and angry, all in a Foam, was ready to swallow her up; and the Ship received at that time a Sea on her Starboard-side, which beat over all, broke and washed several half Ports, and forced in the entering Port. She took in such a vast quantity of Water, that it kept her down upon her side, and every Body believ'd, that she could not have risen again, had not the Water been speedily let down into the hold by scuttling the Decks. During this Consternation two of the Lower-Gun-Deck-Ports were pressed open by this mighty weight of Water, the most hazardous Accident, next to touching the Ground, that could have happened to us. But the Port, that had been forced open, being readily secured by the Direction and Command of the Vice-Admiral, who, though much indisposed, was upon Deck all that time, prevented any farther Mischief. As the Ship still drove with the Wind, she was not long in this Shoal, (where it was impossible for any Ship to have lived at that time) but came into deeper Water, and then she had a smoother Sea. However the Hurricane did not abate, but rather seemed to gather Strength. For Words were no sooner uttered, but they were carried away by the Wind, so that although those upon Deck spoke loud and close to one another, yet they could not often distinguish what was said; and when they opened their Mouths, their Breath was almost taken away. Part of the Sprit Sail, tho' fast furled, was blown away from the Yard. A Ten-Oar-Boat, that was lashed on her Starboard-side, was often hove up by the Strength of the Wind, and over-set upon her Gun-Wale. We plainly saw the Wind skimming up the Water, as if it had been Sand, carrying it up into the Air, which was then so thick and gloomy, that Day light, which should have been comfortable to us, did, but make it appear more ghastly. The Sun by intervals peeped through the corner of a Cloud, but soon disappearing, gave us a more melancholick Prospect of the Weather. About 11 a Clock it dispersed the Clouds, and the Hurricane abated into a more moderate Storm, which drove us over to the Bank of Flanders, and thence along the Coast of Holland and Friesland to the entrance of the Elb, where the 4th of December we had almost as violent a Storm, as when we drove from our Anchors, the Wind at North West, driving us directly upon the Shoar. So that we must all have inevitably perished, had not God mercifully favoured us about 10 a Clock at night with a South West Wind, which gave us an opportunity to put to Sea. But being afterwards driven near the Coast of Norway, the Ship wanting Anchors and Cables, our Wood and Candles wholly expended; no Beer on Board, nor any thing else in lieu; every one reduced to one quart of Water per Day, the Men, who had been harrassed at Belle Isle; and in our Mediterranean Voyage, now jaded by the continual Fatigues of the Storms, falling sick every Day, the Vice-Admiral in this exigency thought it advisable to put into Gottenbourgh, the only Port where we could hope to be supplied. We arrived there the 11th of December, and having without lost of time got Anchors and Cables from Copenhagen, and Provisions from Gottenbourgh, we sailed thence the Third of January, with twelve Merchant Men under our Convoy, all loaden with Stores for her Majesty's Navy. The Eleventh following we prevented four French Privateers from taking four of our Store-Ships. At Night we anchored off the Long-Sand-Head. Weighed again the next Day, but soon came to an Anchor, because it was very hazy Weather. Here we rid against a violent Storm, which was like to have put us to Sea. But after three Days very bad Weather, we weighed and arrived to the Buoy of the Nore the 23d of January, having run very great Risks among the Sands. For we had not only contrary Winds, but also very tempestuous Winds. We lost 28 Men by Sickness, contracted by the Hardships which they endur'd in the bad Weather; and had not Sir Stafford Fairborne by his great care and diligence, got the Ship out of Gottenbourgh, and by that prevented her being frozen up, most part of the Sailers had perished afterwards by the severity of the Winter, which is intolerable Cold in those parts.

A LIST of such of Her Majesty's Ships, with their Commanders Names, as were cast away by the Violent Storm on Friday Night the 26th of November 1703. the Wind having been from the S.W. to W.S.W. and the Storm continuing from about Midnight to past Six in the Morning.

The Van Guard, a Second Rate, was over-set at Chatham, but no Men lost, the Ship not being fitted out.

Of the Damage to the Navy

This is a short but terrible Article, there was one Ship called the York, which was lost about 3 days before the great Storm off of Harwich, but most of the Men were saved.

The loss immediately sustain'd in the Royal Navy during the Storm, is included in the List hereunto annex'd, as appears from the Navy Books.

The damage done to the Ships that were sav'd, is past our Power to compute. The Admiral, Sir Cloudesley Shovel with the great Ships, had made sail but the day before out of the Downs, and were taken with the Storm as they lay at or near the Gunfleet, where they being well provided with Anchors and Cables, rid it out, tho' in great extremity, expecting death every minute.

The loss of small Vessels hir'd into the Service, and tending the Fleet, is not included in this, nor can well be, several such Vessels, and some with Soldiers on Board, being driven away to Sea, and never heard of more.

The loss of the Light-House, call'd the Eddystone at Plymouth, is another Article, of which we never heard any particulars other than this; that at Night it was standing, and in the Morning all the upper part from the Gallery was blown down, and all the People in it perished, and by a particular Misfortune, Mr. Winstanly, the Contriver of it, a Person whose loss is very much regreted by such as knew him, as a very useful Man to his Country: The loss of that Light-House is also a considerable Damage, as 'tis very doubtful whether it will be ever attempted again, and as it was a great Security to the Sailors, many a good Ship having been lost there in former Times.