SIR,
I receiv'd your Letter, and have made Enquiry concerning what Disasters happen'd during the late Storm; what I can learn at present, and that may be credited, are these. That a Guernsey Privateer lost his Fore-top-mast, and cut his main Mast by the Board, had 12 Men wash'd over board, and by the toss of another immediate Sea three of them was put on board again, and did very well; this was coming within the Needles. That six Stacks of Chimnies were, by the violence of the Wind, blown from a great House call'd New Park in the Forrest, some that stood directly to Windward, were blown clear off the House without injuring the Roof, or damaging the House, or any mischief to the Inhabitants, and fell some Yards from the House. Almost 4000 Trees were torn up by the roots within her Majesty's Forrest call'd New Forrest, some of them of very great bulk, others small, &c. A Ship of about 200 Tun, from Maryland, laden with Tobacco, call'd the Assistance, was Cast away upon Hurst Beach, one of the Mates, and 4 Sailors, were lost. By the flowing of the Sea over Hurst Beach, two Salt-terns were almost ruin'd belonging to one Mr. Perkins. A new Barn, nigh this Town, was blown quite down. The Town receiv'd not much damage, only some Houses being stript of the Healing, Windows broke, and a Chimney or two blown down. Considerable damages amongst the Farmers in the adjacent Places, by over-turning Barns, Out-houses, Stacks of Corn and Hay, and also amongst poor Families, and small Houses, and likewise abundance of Trees of all sorts, especially Elms and Apple-Trees, has been destroy'd upon the several Gentlemen's, and others Estates hereabouts. These are the most remarkable Accidents that I can Collect at present; if any thing occur, it shall be sent you by
Your humble Servant,
James Baker.Lymington, Feb. 1704.
A True and exact Account of the Damages done by the late great Wind in the Town of Lyme Regis, and parts adjacent in the County of Dorset, as followeth,
SIR
Impri. Five Boats drove out of the Cob and one Vessel lost, broke loose all but one Cabel, and swung out of the Cob, but was got in again with little Damage; and had that Hurricane happened here at High Water, the Cob must without doubt have been destroyed, and all the Vessels in it been lost, most of the Houses had some Damage: But a great many Trees blown up by the Roots in our Neighbourhood, and four Miles to the Eastward of this Town: A Guernsey Privateer of eight Guns, and 43 Men drove Ashoar, and but three Men saved of the 43; the place where the said Privateer run Ashoar, is call'd Sea Town, half a Mile from Chidock, where most of there Houses were uncovered, and one Man killed as he lay in Bed: This is the true Account here, but all Villages suffered extreamly in Houses, Trees, both Elm and Apples without Number.
Sir, I am your humble Servant,
Stephen Bowdidge.
From Margate, and the Island of Thanet in Kent, the following is an honest Account.
SIR,
The following Account is what I can give you, of what Damage is done in this Island in the late great Storm; in this Town hardly a House escaped without Damage, and for the most part of them the Tiles blown totally off from the Roof, and several Chimneys blown down, that broke through part of the Houses to the Ground; and several Families very narrowly escaped being kill'd in their Beds, being by Providence just got up, so that they escaped, and none was kill'd; the like Damages being done in most little Towns and Villages upon this Island, as likewise Barns, Stables and Out-housing blown down to the Ground in a great many Farm-houses and Villages within the Island, part of the Leads of our Church blown clear off, and a great deal of Damage to the Church it self; likewise a great deal of Damage to the Churches of St. Lawrance Minster, Mounton and St. Nichola: In this Road was blown out one Latchford of Sandwich bound home from London, with divers Men and Women passengers all totally lost: And another little Pink that is not heard of blown away at the same time, but where it belonged is not known; here rid out the Storm the Princess Anne, Captain Charles Gye, and the Swan, both Hospital Ships, had no Damage, only Captain Gye was parted from one of his Anchors, and part of a Cable which was weigh'd and carry'd after him to the River, by one of our Hookers. All from
Yours to Command,
P.H.
From Malden in Essex, and from Southampton, the following Accounts.
By the late great Storm our Damages were considerable. A Spire of a Steeple blown down: Several Vessels in this Harbour were much shatter'd, particularly one Corn Vessel laden for London, stranded, and the Corn lost to the Value of about 500 l. and the Persons narrowly escaped by a small Boat that relieved them next Day: Many Houses ript up, and some blown down: The Churches shatter'd, and the principal Inn of this Town thirty or forty pound Damage in Tiling: At a Gentleman's House (one Mr. Moses Bourton) near us, a Stack of Chimneys blown down, fell through the Roof upon a Bed, where his Children was, who were drag'd out, and they narrowly escaped; many other Chimney's blown down here, and much Mischief done.
Southampton, February the 7th 1703/4.
SIR,
Yours I have receiv'd, in which you desire me to give you an Account of what remarkable Damage the late violent Storm hath done at this place; in answer, We had most of the Ships in our River, and those that laid off from our Keys blown Ashoar, some partly torn to Wrecks, and three or four blown so far on Shoar with the Violence of the Wind, that the Owners have been at the Charges of unlading them, and dig large Channels for the Spring Tides to float them off, and with much a do have got them off, it being on a soft Sand or Mud, had but little Damage; we had, God be prais'd no body drowned, tho' some narrowly Escape't: As to our Town it being most part old Building, we have suffer'd much, few or no Houses have escape't: Several Stacks of Chimneys blown down, other Houses most part untiled: Several People bruis'd, but none kill'd: Abundance of Trees round about us, especially in the New Forest blown down; others with their Limbs of a great bigness torn; it being what we had most Material. I rest.
Sir, your humble Servant,
Geo. Powell.
We have abundance of strange Accounts from other Parts, and particularly the following Letter from the Downs, and tho' every Circumstance in this Letter is not litterally True, as to the Number of Ships, or Lives lost, and the stile Coarse, and Sailor like; yet I have inserted this Letter, because it seems to describe the Horror and Consternation the poor Sailors were in at that time. And because this is Written from one, who was as near an Eye Witness as any could possible be, and be safe,
SIR,
These Lines I hope in God will find you in good Health, we are all left here in a dismal Condition, expecting every moment to be all drowned: For here is a great Storm, and is very likely to continue; we have here the Rear Admiral of the Blew in the Ship, call'd the Mary, a third Rate, the very next Ship to ours, sunk, with Admiral Beaumont, and above 500 Men drowned: The Ship call'd the Northumberland, a third Rate, about 500 Men all sunk and drowned: The Ship call'd the Sterling Castle, a third Rate, all sunk and drowned above 500 Souls: And the Ship call'd the Restoration, a third Rate, all sunk and drowned: These Ships were all close by us which I saw; these Ships fired their Guns all Night and Day long, poor Souls, for help, but the Storm being so fierce and raging, could have none to save them: The Ship call'd the Shrewsberry that we are in, broke two Anchors, and did run mighty fierce backwards, within 60 or 80 Yards of the Sands, and as God Almighty would have it, we flung our sheet Anchor down, which is the biggest, and so stopt: Here we all pray'd to God to forgive us our Sins, and to save us, or else to receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom. If our sheet Anchor had given way, we had been all drown'd: But I humbly thank God, it was his gracious Mercy that saved us. There's one Captain Fanel's Ship, three Hospital Ships, all split, some sunk, and most of the Men drown'd.
There are above 40 Merchant Ships cast away and sunk: To see Admiral Beaumont, that was next us, and all the rest of his Men, how they climed up the main Mast, hundreds at a time crying out for help, and thinking to save their Lives, and in the twinkling of an Eye were drown'd: I can give you no Account, but of these four Men of War aforesaid, which I saw with my own Eyes, and those Hospital Ships, at present, by reason the Storm hath drove us far distant from one another: Captain Crow, of our Ship, believes we have lost several more Ships of War, by reason we see so few; we lye here in great danger, and waiting for a North Easterly Wind to bring us to Portsmouth, and it is our Prayers to God for it; for we know not how soon this Storm may arise, and cut us all off, for it is a dismal Place to Anchor in. I have not had my Cloaths off, nor a wink of Sleep these four Nights, and have got my Death with cold almost.
Yours to Command,
Miles Norcliffe.I send this, having opportunity by our Botes, that went Ashoar to carry some poor Men off, that were almost dead, and were taken up Swimming.