| Title: | Letter from Passenger on Board the Ship Faithful Steward, Philadelphia [U.S.] |
|---|---|
| ID | 3903 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1781-90/28 |
| Year | 1785 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | unknown |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | on board the Ship Faithful Steward to America |
| Destination | unknown |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | re passage |
| Source | The Belfast Mercury, no.33, vol.III, 22 November 1785, p.3, c.1-2 |
| Archive | The Linenhall Library, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9407222 |
| Date | 17/09/1785 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 06:06:1994. |
| Word Count | 383 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Extract of a letter from a passenger on board the Faithful Steward, of Londonderry, Conolly Causland, master, dated Philadelphia, September 17. "On the 9th day of July last we sailed from Londonderry, having on board 249 passengers of estability, who had with them property to a considerable amount. We had a favourable [------] during which nothing of moment occured. The greatest harmony having prevailed among [us?] until the night of Thursday the 1st instant [September?], when at the hour of ten o'clock it was thought adviseable to try for soundings, and to our suprise we found ourselves in four fathoms [of?] water, though at dark there was not the smallest appearance [of?] land. The consternation and astonishment that then prevailed, is easier conceived than [-----ed?]; every exertion was used to run the vessel to shore; but in a few moments she struck the [----d?] when it was found necessary to cut away [-----] etc. All of which went overboard. On the morning of the 2nd we found ourselves on [Mo---ank?], near [----ian?] river, about four leagues to the southward of Cape Henlopen. Every effort was made to save the unhappy sufferers, who remained in the wreck during the night, although distant from the shore only about 100 yards. The same evening she went to pieces. "The sea running extremely high, the boats were with difficulty disengaged from the wreck, but before they could be manned, they driffed ashore; therefore all relief was cut off, except by swimming or getting ashore on pieces of the wreck, and I am sorry to add, that of the above only sixty-eight persons were saved, among which were the master, his mates, and ten seamen. During the course of the day the inhabitants came down to the beach in numbers, and used every means in their power to relieve the unfortunate people on board, among whom were about a hundred women and children, of which only seven women were saved. Several persons who escaped from the wreck are since dead from the wounds they received, and others are miserably bruised. "Several humane and public-spirited gentlemen of this city are about raising a subscription, for the relief of the unhappy people who were saved from the wreck, and there can be no doubt of their meeting with great success from the benevolent inhabitants, who have never been backward in affording assistance to the distressed." |
