20 Account of a Hurricane 



The brig Wilmington packet, from New York, had been 

 ashore on the Frying-pan, but, after taking out the cargo, 

 was trot off. The "crops in the neighbourhood of Wil- 

 mington had not been injured. 



Capt. 'I'ilford, on a voyage from London to Baltimore, 

 felt the gale on the 3d of September in lat. 3()°, and long. 

 65'^; it iTlew from east-north-east, and continued in the 

 form of a strong and favourable wind until the 8th, when 

 he made the Capes of Chesapeake. As soon as the gale 

 reached land it grew more violent, and seems to have parted 

 into two streams. By the assistance of one he then ran up 

 the bay to the mouth of Pr.tapsco in twenty hours. The 

 other branch turned southward along the land toward Cape 

 Hatteras. 



Vessels from Europe, which had not got further south 

 than lat. 39°, seemed to have escaped the hurricane. 



0th, O/i the Continent of North America, and the adjacent 

 Islands. — (A) In Florida the gale was excessively hard ; at 

 St. Auo-ustine the tide rose to an unconunon height. Of 

 nine vessels in the harbour only one rode out the storm. 



(B) In Georoia. At Savannah the gale began on Satur- 

 day morning the 8th. The wind was from the east, yet 

 varvint!; between south-east and north-cast incessantly. It 

 was more dreadful than any that is recollected to have ever 

 happened there. It commenced by slight wind and rain 

 until about ten A. M., when it blew with unconniKui vior 

 lence. It was accompanied by heavy rain, and went oil 

 mcreasing until between six and seven in the evening. It 

 did not cease until three o'clock in the morning of the 9th. 

 The continuance was seventeen hours. The water rose to 

 between eight and ten feet above the level of common spring 

 tides. Houses and stores were bloun down by the wind, 

 and undermiued by the water. Fences and trees were pro- 

 strated. Ships and vessels were stranded, and left high and 

 dry upon the tops of the wharves, (jreat damage was done 

 on the island opposite the town, ancl on Wilmington and 

 Skidawa Islands. Fort Green, on Cockspur Island, was 

 completely levelled ; thirteen lives were lost, and all the 

 buildings destroyed. The water was supposed to have risen 

 from fifteen to twenty feet above the level of the fort. The 

 surface of the land was considerably lowered and washed 

 away. One of the national gun-boats was carried about 

 eight miles from her moorings, and landed in a corn-field 

 upon Whitemar?h Island. A cannon weighing 4,800lb. 

 was carried thirty or forty feel from its position. A bar of 

 lead of 300 lb. was carried one hundred feet. Cases of 

 7 caimister 



