The Account of L. Vessey Regarding the Hurricane of 1867
1. Duplicate of letter and enclosures will be sent to the
Commander-in-Chief at Halifax.
Reporting a Hurricane having
occurred in the West Indies.
H. M. S. “DARWIN”
--at sea--
1 P.M. Tortola to St. Thomas
Sunday, 3rd November 1867
Sir,
I consider it my duty to report direct for their
Lordships’ information, that on the 29th October, the Virgin
islands and Island of St. Thomas were swept by a hurricane
which has caused fearful destruction of life and property.
2. On the 2nd instant I was at St. Johns, Antigua, where I had arrived on the morning of the 30th inst.
3. At 9 A.M. I received a dispatch from H. B. M. Acting Consul
at St. Thomas asking for assistance;
I immediately communicated with His Excellency Col.
C. B. Hill, Governor-in-Chief of the Leeward Islands at Antigua
-- who placed in my hands a letter from Sir Arthur Rumbold. Bart.
- President – administering the Government of the Virgin Islands,
in which he stated that the inhabitants were starving. Col. Hill
informed me that he would immediately freight a vessel with
provisions and I left St. Johns at 11:30 A.M. (2 Nov./67) under
steam and sail.
4. At 7 A.M. next morning (3 Nov.) in rounding Salt Island, I passed the wreck of the R. M. S. Packet “Rhone”. Her poop rail was close to a large boulder on the W. point, but the hull was standing under water – the foremast was standing, but the vessel herself was broken in two and her head slewed to the North – 50 yards either way – would have put her into a sandy Bay.
5. In Tortola Roads I observed the R. M. Steamer “Conway” dismasted and funnel gone.
6. Immediately on anchoring I communicated with the President,
who informed me that the total population of the Islands was about
7000, that at St. Johns, Tortola, only 18 houses were left - - the
gaol, pier, poorhouse, and hospital destroyed. At Kingstown only
4 or 5 houses are left. At West End 4 or 5 out of 80 houses. Every
church and chapel in the Islands has been unroofed and all the works
on the estates are gone; the canes also are destroyed and, in fact,
the Islands have been swept clean.
In the town 23 lives lost
At Kingstown 5 “ “
Peters Island 2 “ “
Spanish Town 6 “ “
Sombero has not been struck – Anegada has escaped – but I hear
there were two wrecks on it. I have no news from Anguilla or St.
Martins but islands to the south have escaped. Twenty barrels of
flour had been received from St. Thomas and supplied the Pres-
ident with £250 of the public money, some provisions, and a
complete set of studding sails to afford cover for women and
children. I consider they are now safe from starvation until
assistance arrives from Antigua and other places, but I requested
Sir Arthur Rumbold to send any boats he could get-with supplies,
to the outlying Islands, where they may have no means of
communicating their wants.
7. At 11:30 A.M. I was again under weigh -- and am now proceeding for St. Thomas where I shall offer every assistance to the Governor and endeavor to arrange the carriage of the mails; I believe the “Davis” will leave this evening, and I shall keep this open and send any further information I may have to give.
8. I had ordered “Niobe” to be at Antigua on the 12th inst.
and have now left orders for Comdr. Mackenzie to come at once to
St. Thomas, as I shall probably have to direct the “Niobe” to carry
the Intercolonial mails.
9. Before leaving Tortola, I boarded the R. M. S. packet “Conway”
and here Commander informed me that at 9 A. M. on the 29th, he was
lashed alongside the “Rhone” off Peters’ Island -- transferring
cargo -- that he saw the “Rhone’s” barometer standing at 30 inches,
that shortly after -- the Commander of the “Rhone” (Capt. Wooley)
said to him-- that he did not like the look of the weather, and
as the hurricane season was over, it must be a Norther brewing,
and that he should shift to an anchorage under the Northern
Islands. The “Conway” then cast off and whilst steaming across,
was struck by the blast, rose suddenly and burst in her ports – the
ship being in danger of foundering – and a lull coming – suddenly
he thought the wind was going to shift, and put her head to S.W.
He had hardly done so, when the blast struck her, blowing away
funnel and mainmast, and if they had not providentially drifted
into Tortola Roads and ashore – nothing could have saved them –
she has since been got off.
10. The “Rhone’s” steam was up just as the “Conway” left her – but Captain Wooley hailed that he could not steam against such a breeze, and endeavoured to get to sea, but when the drift and rain cleared off, she was next seen on Salt Island. I fear that in the “Rhone” great loss of life occurred – 23 only were saved as far as I can yet learn, namely 4 men who were found on the fore top sail yard – which is above water – a few got on shore, and ten others and the 4th Officer were found in the Sound, clinging to the lifeboat. (St. Thomas 5 Nov. 67, 4th officer drowned) These people have all been sent to St. Thomas – and doubtless more authentic information respecting her loss will be furnished from them.
12. I hear the R. M. Steamer “Wye” went down with all hands off Buck Island, and that the A.M. St. “Tyne” was dismasted, but is running with the “Solent” with the mails. The R.M. Steamer “Derwent” is on shore at St. Thomas but can be got off. The French Steamer “Caravel” is much damaged and a Spanish War Steamer is dismasted. Whilst another one is on shore. All the small vessels and ______ at Tortola, and the Islands, have foundered and I believe the loss also at St. Thomas is immense.
13. After having done all I can at St. Thomas, it is my intention to return to Tortola with plank and shingles – and when I have provided some shelter for the inhabitants I shall visit the outlying Islands and afterward tow the “Conway” to St. Thomas.
14. I have taken receipts for the money and stores supplied at Tortola, in order to clear accounts, but I think it would be useless trouble to look for any return as they are utterly ruined and the place destroyed.
15. I trust therefore that their Lordships will approve of my proceedings as it was absolutely necessary to do something to keep the whole population from starvation.
16. I shall expose this ship - _ _ _ _ _ _ as little as possible
as unfortunately we have come in for nearly all the troubles that
have happened out here during the last two years – and the men are
debilitated – I am rather shorthanded also at present due to
different causes.
17. I transmit herewith copies of the Consul’s dispatch to me from St. Thomas – also of the President of the Virgin Islands letter to His Excellency Governor C. B. Hill – Antigua – and of His Excellency’s dispatch to me. I append a register of the barometer on the 29th October as received from R. Mail Steamer “Conway” – St. Thomas Nov. 5, 1867.
18. I arrived at this place at 2 P.M. on the 3rd inst. and regret to have to confirm nearly all the statements already made in this report – repeating the damage done.
19. Seventy-five vessels have been wrecked or seriously damaged, property to the amount of about a million and a half or two millions has been lost, and about five hundred lives have been lost including those wrecked in the mail steamers.
20. All the Islands appear as if fire had passed over them –
the town of St. Thomas looks exactly as if an explosion had taken
place – roofs, doors and windows having been blown away, and the
streets are filled with tiles, trees and rubbish. The Harbour is full of wreck and the dock – which some time ago went down – has
suddenly had nine vessels against it, and several are sunk at one
end of it, at the present moment. The West India and Pacific
Mail Company’s Steamer “Columbian” is one of them with £400,000
cargo on board. The great ship “British Empire” (formerly the
Demerara Steamer) is one, and outside her are, I believe, several
other vessels. The R.M. St. “Derwent” is in 8 ft water with an
American ship alongside her. Inside them are the “Robert Todd”.
Str. La Guaira Packet and a Spanish steamer – the latter quite
destroyed, another Spanish Steamer is near, wrecked I think – and
a third – a man-of-war lost her masts and went to sea. The French
steamer “Caravel” has lost mast and funnel – all tug boats and the
dredging machine – are on shore and vessels masts are sticking out
of the water in every direction. The “Duoro” which brought the
mails out – is _ _ _ _ _ _ to take them home - - 1600 dollars were
offered for a gang of a hundred men for one days work – but not one
could be obtained as the Blacks have struck work.
21. The “Solent” takes mails west, she was off Flanagan Island
and had her foremast blown away. I transmit herewith a copy of
her log which I have obtained. The R. M. Steamer “Tyne” was there
also and cut away here foremast, she is running the Windward mails.
I have offered the services of the “Niobe” but if the Commodore at
Hamaica can send up the next homeward-bound mail – she will not
be required.
22. I called upon the Governor of St. Thomas on the 3rd inst. when
he expressed a wish for a diving apparatus, as all the dresses and hose
have been lost. I granted to Her Majesty’s Act. Consul the use of
the one at Antigua – for public service provided the W. I. and
Pacific Mail Company engaged to replace it in two months – which they
have promised – there is sufficient hose to work two dresses and it
is an object to get the bodies out of the wrecks.
23. The United States Steamer “Monomgahela” was at Santa Cruz and did not feel its effects; Commodore Bissell has rendered every assistance in his power to British interests and towed a dismasted English vessel in here.
24. I have seen one of the survivors from the “Rhone” – John Metcalfe able seaman – who was an invalid from a merchant vessel at Trinidad. From his, and other accounts, I learn that the “Rhone” tried to weigh, that the shackle of the cable caught in the hawse pipe and parted, that she then tried to steam to sea, that steaming full power, head to wind – she went astern on to the rocks at Salt Island, heeled over, and broke in two – the passengers (130) who were lashed on deck, being swallowed up in the chasm. Amongst them, I regret to say, were Dr. Henry Arnst, late surgeon of this ship. Isaac German, late AB and Leading Seaman: Charles Peek and Benjamin Hough, who were invalided from us, and left Barbados on the 26th October.
25. The survivor (Metcalfe) swam to the foremast and was taken off the fore topsail yard next day at about 8 A.M. The “Rhone” went on shore about 2 P.M. I think about 130 were lost in her (all passengers) There was one Italian saved and a Mr. Thomas Bibbon – and Mr. and Mrs. King of Barbados are included among the lost. The Body of the latter is supposed to have been picked up. All the officers of the “Rhone” were lost and only about 25 people (crew) saved, including the boatswain.
26. The “Wye” left the St. Thomas in charge of her Chief Officer – the Captain being on shore, she steamed about 15 miles to the Westward – when here compasses became useless, from the amount of electricity in the atmosphere. About 65 were drowned and about 11 saved, including the Chief Officer, who had his arm badly broken. I have since heard that nearly 50 bodies are in a small Bay on Buck Island – but cannot be approached for sanitary reasons.
27. I have written this letter in a very hurried and disjointed manner – as the Mail Str. “Douro” sails this evening – I have much to do, and am obliged to get information as I can.
28. I start tomorrow (6 Nov.) with a piece of temporary funnel for
the “Conway” at Tortola, and I shall carry a quantity of plank, etc.
which I have bought at the public expense for the purpose of housing
the inhabitants of Tortola, and the Virgin Islands, who are British
subjects.
29. I feel confident that I shall be born out, in incurring any fair expenses – but nothing can every be repaid by them. The Consul here has also sent up provisions and if proper care has been taken – to send assistance to the outlying Islands as I pointed out – and the boats picked up on the reefs – have been used, no cases of starvation need occur. I shall visit every place myself when I can and furnish wreckers and provisions without ceremony.
30. With reference to the storm – I can only say now, that it occurred after the season was supposed to be over – as the first full moon in October was on the 13th. It was the fourth hurricane or indication of one, which we have had during this peculiar season.
31. After the storm experienced by the “Doris” at St. Kitts on the 28th 29th July ’67, reported to their Lordships through the Hydro- grapher. I informed the Commander-in-Chief that I considered we could not be sufficiently careful, as the hurricanes appeared to be increasing in intensity. The season has been wet and very wickly. 7 inches of rain fell during the nights of the 7th Oct. At Barbados and on anther night 5 inches fell.
32. On the 29th ult. the “Duoro” outward bound experiences a heavy swell and a southerly set. We also, at sea off Guadalupe, had a heavy northerly swell, but nothing more.
33. When the hurricane passed, the barometer gave no warning though the weather did, and all thought it was to be a norther. The barometer fell and rose during the breeze, and the vortex passed directly over these places – it seemed to be travel ing slowly to the westward. The thunder was terrific – shocks of earthquakes were felt and the electricity was so intense that compasses were useless. Darkness set in and vegetation was destroyed. The sea water was caught up – the particles _______ called “hail” have injured people but this perhaps may be thought improbable. It will be observed that vessels masts were literally blown out of them – and that a 14 knot steamer was blown astern and wrecked when steaming full speed ahead.
34. I need not cite further instances of the power of the gale. All the vessels that tried to go to sea were lost with nearly all hands – and an American ship, blown out of this harbour, has foundered. The whole of this ruin and devastation occurred in the brief space of two hours.
35. I earnestly submit for their Lordships consideration, whether
the system lately adopted of keeping Her Majesty’s ships at sea
during the hurricane season, is a good one – and can only say
that my own opinion, after fourteen years experience in the West
Indies, is that no man-of-war could have weathered such a blow,
if caught at sea, and that these Islands for the next two years
will be liable to similar visitations.
As far as I can learn, this hurricane has caught Anguilla,
Virgin Islands, Tortola, St. Thomas, Culebra, and the northwest
end of Porto Rico. It was going for Turks Island and the Bahamas.
36. I transmit herewith a list of ships lost or damaged – as near as can be ascertained at present. The Lighthouse at the Battery has been blown down – as reported by the Consul (copy of letter enclosed). I have already sent a copy of his report to the Hydrographer and to the Commodore at Jamaica.
37. I have just heard that Bligne? or Crab Island has been struck and that part of the hurricane passed south of Porto Rico. I believe that yellow fever is still very bad here but I cannot obtain any accurate information at present. Those men left on board who had fever some time since – are suffering much from debility, but I cannot invalid any by this mail.
38. Commanders Parry and Smythe have gone to Jamaica by the “Solent” this morning. I wish to call attention to the enclosed list of vessels lost, etc. which is as correct as possible.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient servant
L. Vessey, Captain and Senior Officer
Divn. N.A.T.M.