Portal:1854 South Carolina Hurricane
The 1854 South Carolina Hurricane killed 13 passengers aboard the bark Harvest when they crossed the top deck from the front of the ship to the back, when a wave washed them overboard. William Patterson (1842-1854) was one of the lives lost.
News articles
[edit]- Disaster To The Barque Harvest And Loss Of Thirteen Passengers (1854 December 14)
- "We continue to receive further accounts of the disastrous effects of the late gale on the shipping. The barque Harvest, Captain Crawford, arrived on Friday, from Liverpool, left port 28th July, with 23 passengers, and on the 11th instant when in latitude 40° 20, longitude 68° 30, experienced a hurricane from ENE, with thunder, lightning and heavy rain, blowing away foresail, spanker, spencer, and foretopgallant sail out of the gaskets, also a close-reefed fore and main topsail and topmast stavesail, and broached the vessel to, shipping a tremendous sea, which swept the decks of water casks and everything moveable and also shifting the cargo. …"
- James Patterson (1794-1877) letter (1854 December 13)
- "Were this intelligence to end here, mournful as it is we should have been resigned but I have to announce the death of poor William Patterson his eldest Son under very painful circumstances which are as follows — Being aware of the 19th Regiment being designed for Gallipoli in February last John and I agreed that Wm. would come to be made useful in learning business or trade, being smart & having arrived at the Age of 12 Years, he left Liverpool on the 29 July in the Bark Harvest in care of a young man coming out, and matters went on fairly but when within 4 Days of New York an equatorial gale arose about 1AM Monday 11 Sept. and swept away the Forecastle and Second Cabin which was placed on Deck and being the work of a moment hurried 13 of the Passengers into eternity among whom was my poor child …"