A Storm at Sea: The Powhattan Disaster
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- The week of Easter, 1854, a powerful nor'easter, that peculiar type of storm that occurs in the North Atlantic caused when a cold air mass from Canada runs into warm gulf stream current, struck the US and Canadian eastern seaboard. The mighty storm would result in the loss of a ship called the Powhattan, in a story of woe that rivals the most dramatic tragedies of literature.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #shipwrecks
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There was more genuinely poignant emotion and pathos in this 12 minute video than there are in most feature-length Hollywood "dramas" of recent years. Well done, sir.
Hollywood couldn't tell this story.
Exactly the word I was thinking of.
Sad in so many ways, yet true.
God rest their souls. This is so sad! They were so close to safety, and so many of them, and not one survived. So troubling!
@@geobloxmodels1186 , "Well said. Hollywood just wants to maximize profits - not tell a story. Between THG and Dr. Mark Felton, there are so many great stories that could be made into great films, but they will not happen. What a sad loss for us all."
I'm no actor and my voice currently sounds like Kermit after Miss Piggy was done forcing him to sing soprano, so I'm not a good canidate for what I'm going to suggest.
We have groups that do home made skits from Star Wars, Star Trek, used the animations from HALO, Red versus Blue, perform at Renaissanse fairs and many other creative techniques. Pick a few short stories from THG and Dr. Felton (with their input). Do a small fund raiser and see what a decent amatuer group can do.
If there's an Emmy equivalent for TH-cam , this episode certainly deserves it!
I’ll surely say THG deserves a TH-cam “ Academy Award” for many, - or ...ANY of his OUTSTANDING PRESENTATIONS !
I’m proud to say, my first stop every day !
BRAVO THG 🍸🍸
The Tubey Award? 😃
Dude, if YT _does_ set up, or _get_ set up, one of _those_ awards, let's be honest...
We
Are
D
O
N
E
_FUCKED!!!!!!!!!_
Sean D.G
I hear ya, and frankly I’d be disappointed with YT and even angry if they stuck their fingers in that
pie too.
But having said that I’m encouraged by YT Movies just recently offering many nice flicks which I just happily
( and very astonishingly discovered) and I truly hope they stay with and keep their viewers happy. 😆
So very true
"Sometimes History is a man, standing alone on a beach, watching a disaster unfold, and not being able to do anything about it".
That's how I feel about my Country today.
You're not alone...
You are not alone.
We’re on the same beach.
“... Right as things seems at their worst, rescue arrived.”.
That’s how I feel about my Country today. In this I know I am not alone, and I also know that is how history will judge these times.
@@SteveF1967 What "rescue" do you refer to?
You brought me to tears. You carried out the honorable duty of a historian with grace and respect. Thank you so much, History Guy. That may have been your finest narration.
Well said.
One of your best! Not because it’s the greatest story or because it is such a monumental point in history but because of the passionate and compassionate way that you keep the memories of the victims “to be remembered”. They DO DESERVE to be remembered. Well done and well done.
Well said Randy
Kudos; Agree 100%.
Totally agree mate!
I live not more than 3 miles from one of the cemeteries where the victims are buried, I’ve always thought that this event would only be remembered locally, very well done and thank you
THG is the Paul Harvey of TH-cam! Such masterful storytelling, Well done Sir!
Like Mr Ballin, but, with Pirates and a bow tie.
STS0NE Good DAY!
I was telling my best friend the other day how I found this TH-camr who reminds me of Paul harvey he was like this guys and sends me a THG video. Im like yeah that guy he is awesome.
Agreed.
Yep.
“ And now, you know,
the REST of the story “.
📻😁❗️
So ineffably sad, especially the dead father with his infant son wrapped in his arms. The tragic loss of this ship freighted with all the hopes and dreams of its passengers does indeed deserve to be remembered and thank you for causing it to be so.
I’ve often stood on that New Jersey shore line, and fished in that same vicinity, and had no knowledge of this history. I’ll now remember it, thank you THG!
There is a lot of history on the New Jersey coast of ships lost at sea. These shoals still cause navigation issues to this day.
The wreck was a few miles south of Harvey Cedars….which would probably place it right around Surf City.
This brought me to tears.
The souls of the Powhatan truly deserve to be remembered.
To die within sight of land is heart-wrenching. It is an agony that I would not wish on anyone.
Even worse...to watch those dying within sight and having no way to change their fate.
So close , so close , and yet so far..
But a disappearance from unknown causes, such as the City of Glasgow, has to be the worst. To have a ship and it's occupants just vanish without any one to tell of it is just so sad.
Wow. As a lifelong lover of the sea and a man who has lived his whole life on the Great Lakes, I know the power that large bodies of water can have. I've watched boats break apart on Lake Michigan. I've seen the news reports when people get swept off of piers. And I've witnessed the bravery of those men and women both in the US Coast Guard and civilians that have rushed to help. As you said it is all too easy to forget that those lost have others who loved and mourned them. Thank you for reminding us all of the human cost of these tragedies.
You too huh? I live in Chicago along Lake Michigan and I've witnessed large waves overrun the shore and wash over Lake Shore Drive demolishing anyone or anything in its path. When I was a kid on the South Side's Hyde Park I took a dive off the Promontory Point and was knocked to the bottom by a large wave that appeared out of nowhere. Lastly I seen people drowned by large Lake waves and or its vicious undertow. Lake Michigan has claimed so many lives including mine-almost. I'm an expert swimmer with Scuba experience but no way on earth will I ever set foot in any of the Great Lakes again-too dangerous so I hear you Mike. GOD bless and stay safe.
Love your guys stories
The Witch of November isn't the only Witch on the Lakes
Very thoughtful observation.
Thank you for this comment. Beautifully put.
Well, there's one thing that can definitely be said about historians... few of them can tell the tale of historic remembrance the way our THG can. And, happily, that recorded fact is a piece of history that is going to be remembered in living color long into the future!
There are no markers on the sailor's grave,
No lilies cast upon the wave -
The only tributes are the seagull's sweeps
And the mournful tears the sweetheart weeps.
-Anon
By far the most powerful story I've heard in a long time! A masterpiece my friend.
Watching this during a Noreaster. Thank you for giving the victims an appropriate remembrance.
Great story. As a member of Team Coast Guard it is always heartening to hear about our legacy organizations that were combined to become the USCG. Even when the storm was stronger than they could deal with. Times like that still happen today. Thanks for helping us to remember.
You brought me to tears with this one. 167 Years, and tears are still being shed for these poor souls. Thank You for remembering them and sharing their story with us.
"They deserve to be remembered" Truer words have never been spoken!
Thank you for this beautifully crafted story that honors the victims and those who captured the event. Deeply moving.
I will suggest that "Pacques" is a variant of "Pasques" which is French for Easter deriving from Hebrew Pesach (Passover).
Thanks - saved me some typing!
I'm pretty sure Pasques has become Pâques (with a circumflex over the 'a' showing an elided s) in modern French.
And yes, it's certainly from Pesach. The root of Pesach is P-S-Ch (פּ-ס-ח) which has the meaning of skipping (as in skipping lambs or skipping over) hence "Pass-over" in English, because Gd "passed over" our homes when he killed the Egyptians' firstborns. The Romance languages seem to have kept the Hebrew original, while the etymology of "Easter" is Germanic: "Old English ; of Germanic origin and related to German and east; perhaps from , the name of a goddess associated with spring."
Sounds likely. 👍
Correction: OLD French.
I agree. I thought it very strange that there was any question where the name came from. “The Pâques Storm”, occurring on Easter Sunday, is instantly understandable to anyone fluent in French.
And Easter that year was April 16th, btw
We walked to an old church in Nassau, Bahamas, and saw rows of plaques on the walls, memorializing loved ones who were "lost at sea, and presumed dead". Thanks for telling the tale.
"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking."
~ John Masefield
It's surprising that THG isn't teaching at Harvey Mudd or MIT or CalTech. Their loss, our gain.
Thank you for this. Tragically, rescue isn't always possible, storms are a fact and sailors at sea face their mortality as a fact of their valuable trade. Yet, you retell this tragedy on this anniversary in a way that honors their memory, and remind us that the lives lost are worthy of remembrance. Thank you.
Very touching! I had tears in my eyes. As a physician who sees the end of life often, especially with this pandemic, I think of myself as that man on the beach. Every life tells a story, be dark or light. It is by remembering that we see the light. You sir are that beacon to all of us! Thank you so much!!!!
I’m sure the eye witness saw this scene in his mind’s eye many times the rest of his life. A heavy burden, for sure.
Wow. Jaw dropped. Goosebumps. So compellingly told was their tale. Thank you, Sir, for helping us to remember with you.
It rips a chunk of your soul out to watch a person die, powerless to help or even comfort them at all.
And it still happens today. Much less frequently with the advent of radio and better weather forecasting, but there are still ships that go out but never return. Being a sailor will never be a safe job and, just like being an airline passenger, your life is in the hands of others who should know how to do their jobs, but there's still an element of luck, both good and bad.
Sometimes you make me cry. As a sailor, and historian, your stories move me all the more because of the eloquence with which you tell them.
My grandfather ran a shipping boat on the Great Lakes in the early 19 teens. He spoke about the storms and how severe they could be.
HG is a historian and also a true gentleman, with the most humane and touching approach to such an almost forgotten event. My full respect for him and his work.
Good Friday morning Mr History Guy and everyone watching from Dallas FBI Field Office. I had experienced rough seas during my time in the Navy. 25 foot seas off the coast of Georgia on a 450 foot Guided-Missile Destroyer. Road out a hurricane in 1995 off the east coast, high seas in the North Atlantic off the coast of Norway, and through storms in the Caribbean.
Freaky. I was just watching the FBI files. Keep up the good work and enjoy the show.
Our tax dollars hard at work? Do your job fed...
@@mountainmamma1643 I will ma'am. My shift hadn't started yet. Your tax dollars are at work now
@@mountainmamma1643 you got more than your money’s worth, when Mr Sanders was serving at sea.
@@robertbeirne9813 ok b oomer you're probably sucking up social security too.
Standing in front of an emergency and not being able to help is one of my biggest fears. Im lucky it never happened to me, yet.
You’ve achieved a new level of respect. I’ve never teared up over one of your episodes, this one did it. Imagining what that father went through, trying to save his child.
Growing up and still living in New Jersey I can't imagine the surf of the NJ shores being half that violent. I know the locations well. Thanks for the remembrance HG. Very well done.
Again I find myself lamenting that there is only a thumb up or thumb down. This deserves so much more!
Valid point
Yes, so much more.
I am 100% landlubber but tales of the sea do fascinate me.
Thank you.
This was your most moving story. You beautifully gave it the care and respect it deserved.
A terrible, heartbreaking tragedy. Mother Nature can be cruel and unforgiving and this is a great and unfortunate example of that.
I have known the ocean far from land. One goes with out an eye to tell the tale. A well done remembrance of those lost and the wretched eye of those who are hopeless to help.
Well put!
This was a terrible disaster, it highlights the dangers of maritime travel but also highlights the volunteer human involvement of people that save lives risking their own prior to the Coast Guard. Can you even think that today your neighbors would even try to venture into the waters to save strangers with a shipwreck hundreds of yards from shore… I think that those were brave people back then. Today we struggle to even man volunteer fire departments people do not volunteer for anything that they don’t have a direct involvement. We need to remember and learn from the generosity of strangers in the past… And we need to remember people who are tragically taken Before their time. Thank you again for a wonderful video!
As an historian i felt this episode was really heartfelt. Thanks for reminding me of the importance of the human aspect of history.
Would love to see a History Guy episode on the loss of the Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur. Keep up all the great work - bringing history to life
Mentioned in this episode: th-cam.com/video/2DK_uqh0QCE/w-d-xo.html
As a local who knows the Jersey shore well I am moved. Thanks for the excellent telling. I'd like to point out that on a good day, not even in such a horrible storm, Barnegat Inlet is statistically the second deadliest place on the east coast of the U.S., being a pinch point between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. When the tide squeezes through that narrow, boaters beware.
I’m old enough to remember the March 1962 storm. In Cape May county that storm, not Sandy is regarded as the worst ever. In ‘62 the storm moved very slowly lasting several high tide cycles. Sandy was bad but was over in one day.
@@bcask61 i was not alive for that storm but have books on it and am a lifelong jersey shore patron .could u imagine in todays crazy growth how bad it would have been . what do u think population is 10 x or more from then ?
this was one of your best. is there an example of the metal life boats being used successfully?
Yes, at least 1400 people in New Jersey alone: americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/collection/TR_160322.html
thank you. its a good read@@TheHistoryGuyChannel
The lifesaving museum on the boardwalk at Ocean city Maryland has one on display, along with other related artifacts.
thank you history guy, very moving content.
There are also life saving service museums in Virginia Beach, the NC Outer Banks (Chicamacomico), and Michigan - among others.
@@orno8906 The is also a similar one at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, North Carolina. It is carefully preserved and presented beautifully with illustrations (contemporary) and story telling boards giving the history of its use on the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Beaufort lifesaving car is much smaller than the original Francis car; it is listed as being suitable of one man but was frequently used to save a mother and child at the same time. The records show that many were saved in North Carolina, similar to the ones in Jew Jersey that THG refers to above.
After all, the main reasons that a ship would be lost in those days would be if weather tore one apart out at sea, or if one was driven onto shoals too far from land, or being driven upto shallow water. Since the ones lost in shallow water were likely to be within cannon shot of land - and would have consisted of a considerable percentage of the total, it's not surprising that the car could be used to rescue people frequently.
I agree that the story of the Powhattan provides a story that illuminates many aspects of maritime life (and death) in the mid-1800s. Thank you THG, another good one!
Very Heartfelt. May they truly be remembered when HE calls their names. At least some of them were granted the dignity of burial
Having researched and written about the Powhattan for over 30 years, outstanding job of staying to the facts and not folklore also getting the locations correct.
I do not have eloquent power of words to to express the sadness of this event. Yet there is joy to know that you helped us to remember those who died on this date in history.
I'm feeling the same melancholic way I felt the first time I heard Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" when I was about eight years old, knowing they never made it back. Great episode.
Your solemnly eloquent retelling of this story mimics the more formal language of the day and echoes the words of witnesses perfectly. It does justice to the memories of the lost. Such a tragic story, grippingly told. Very well done as always Lance.
This one put a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. I'm sure any of us fathers with children would do the same thing that that other gentleman did..... It's definitely not very often I have a hard time leaving a TH-cam comment.
Thank you for giving us real history, and not watered down and revised. History isn't always pleasant , but should always be told and remembered as it happened.
Truly one of your best, THG. Imagine viewing a 100 foot wave barreling down on a ship that was already disabled. The stuff of nightmares.
There are times when I can almost imagine the History Guy sitting at a campfire somewhere, telling the tale. I can see him in some dark wood near the coast of New England, just within the range of the sounds of the sea, speaking of this in the orange glow. Thank you for the work you do.
I appreciate your recitation of that history. I was a fisherman here in NJ and had a friend go down with his vessel. He deserves to be remembered. I did. Thank you.
Ken Burns(PBS documentary guy) would do well to employ your skills in narration of his projects...You are a hidden treasure of TH-cam,and bring history to life as no one else can. Your voice, emotions and conveyance of the subject matter show you love your work, as I’m sure all your watchers do. Please continue to bless us with more videos.THANK YOU...!!!
This truly is history worth remembering. You are masterful storyteller, bring us back to that tragic day 167 yrs ago for us to give respect to all who struggled against the odds that day.
Thank you.
I find it interesting that the story or death so many years ago can still have such a powerful affect
I've spent a good deal of time on Long Beach Island and somehow never heard of this. Thank you for the story.
your closing statements are always a great addition to the historic events you cover.
The way you told of this awful disaster actually brought a tear to my eye.
Shades of the Birkenhead drill... (another outstanding THG presentation I highly recommend!)
"But to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew, An' they done it, the Jollies-'Er Majesty's Jollies-soldier an' sailor too!"
Sir, history and your recountings...I'm in tears...you Sir are the benchmark!!!👍😷
To hear the screams of those drowning and not being able to do anything about it is heartbreaking to say the least. A very good story HG. I won't complain about anything for a while.
Thanks for an interesting story. May I suggest that you tell the story of the British tanker “Mirlo”. It was sunk by a torpedo from U-117 in August of 1918 near the manned life saving station called Chicamacomico on the North Carolina outer banks. The men from this life saving station were able to save 42 of the 51 man crew. Quite a heroic story in stormy weather. This life saving station has been preserved and can be visited.
I blinked when I saw the picture of the lifesaving station. It is almost identical to the one preserved in Delaware as the “Indian River Life Saving Station”. This is a museum on the coastal highway between Bethany Beach and Dewey Beach in Delaware.
Thanks, I’ll have to check that out.
I give you a standing ovation sir!! Not since Paul Harvey have I been so captivated by someone telling a story. I have been a subscriber for sometime now and I think you have truly perfected your skill. As someone who enjoys history I hope to continue to hear many more stories from you in the future.
I had a neighbor die in a house fire. We tried to get in to get him out but the fire had gotten too bad. That's a horrible experience, to stand there helpless as someone perishes. I can imagine those on shore hearing those cries for help and able to do nothing. It must have haunted them for years.
thats such a sad haunting image i also imagine many felt that way during 9/11
I’m the President of the Barnegat Historical Society.
Thank You for such an informative and enjoyable video. I have been watching you for about a year now and I always enjoy your take on history and pirates it ships and war pretty much everything.
You are so right in wishing for a more joyous ending to this story rather than the truth. Was there ever a more successful rescue program established on the coast prior to the Coast Guard? That was a great story, thank you for presenting it.
I've watched every video of this channel for years, and it's nice to be continually reminded that journalism is not dead.
As a historian in Baltimore - THAT was a great story!! Much love!
As a worker, I was in a cemetery that was the old Powhattan Mill. They people in the community loved to provide the history.
As a reader, I provided Baltimore Fats with a Flood of Baltimore that happened during this same time period, which he did a couple of videos on.
People need to know the past of the recurring events, so that they can be prepared for such events of the future.
I haven't shed a tear like that in a long time.
Wow! As others have already commented, one of your best yet! Thank you THG! We need to remember what life was like without our Coast Guard, SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) regulations etc, less we return to eras of catastrophic disasters like this.
Thank you for that sensitive recounting of this tale of disaster. Such are among the reasons I joined the Coast Guard many years ago. An "unofficial" U. S. Lifesaving Service (and later U. S. Coast Guard) motto goes" The regulations say we have to go out - they say nothing about safely coming back!" Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friend. Good vid. Keep at it!
Tragic indeed - I feel for the poor man who could only stand and watch. The 'life saving car' is a new one to me; as far as I know they weren't used in Great Britain, where we had the 'breeches buoy' system, in which a cannon fired a line to a stricken vessel, on which a kind of suspended chair could be pulled backwards and forwards. Beautifully told - well done, sir.
Hearing the telling of the first hand eye witness account, you could, with the eyes and ears of your mind see and hear this tragedy as it happened. There are many moments of time I wish I could get back. This short time spent isn't one of them.
What an episode. You have a particular gift for illuminating such historic events. Thank you.
A tale which brought memories of my father who made his living at the mercy of the sea. We so often forget that the ocean is so deep and mysterious, benign one minute then a frightening monster in the next, it must be respected and homage to the masses of victims. May they rest in peace and ascend to their hallowed beyond, vaya con Dios.
"The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound when the waves broke over the railin, and every man knew as the Captain did too twas the witch of November come stealin."
Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Your ending summation of this disaster brought me to tears.
Your telling of this story is such that I weep for men, women and children of which I did not know. May their history be forever preserved, and remembered.
Great work mate, Thank you!
Well done. You keep these people and events alive
Well done HG. This is by far the most moving episode that I have seen to date, and I have seen them all. Thank you for letting me hear their voices
You are such a great story teller!
Thank you for this.
It does matter- thank you!
Coming from someone who lived in New Jersey and who's been on Long Beach island many times, I can tell you I've been on the island in the early 1970's and watched the water from the Atlantic cover the island to the back of the island. The water in some areas was over two feet deep. Thank you for reporting all history Mr.HG.
A few can tell the story of so many in the past but only if you tell there story. Great dedication to the victims of the sea.👍👍Well done!
Criminy! How sad.
An excellent reading. This history reading deserves to be awarded. Good job Lance and Gal.
Brings to mind the storm of 1963 that ravaged the NJ coast. So strong were the winds and waves that even modern ships, including a US Navy destroyer were left laying like toys on the sand, seemingly left as a distracted child leaves a pail and bucket in favor of an ice cream cone. Well done HG, it has been a while since a story brought tears to my eyes, but remembering has its cost and for me it was tears for those souls I'd never met but nonetheless wish had met a far better end.
Storms at sea, can be unforgiving. Compassion for the victims. THG always appreciated.
I have to hand it to you HG. I never could have presented that without breaking down. Even more tragic being that close to land and safety.
😢😭x250.
You continue to give us a very wide variety of historical snippets... one of my favorite channels 👍
You are such a good storyteller. I’m in tears.
I was moved by your words at the end. Your love of History is beautiful to behold. Well done, sir!
For the first time in a long time I was moved to tears .... thank you.
Godspeed .
Another great work by THG
Where the conditions in Europe so dreadful that a person would risk their life to escape, or so promising in America that it was worth the risk?