THE PITILESS GOODWINS 301 



Later, it was known that eleven men had escaped 

 from the wreck in a small boat and had landed at 

 Boulogne ; so that, although the Providentia was a total 

 wreck, gripped by the Goodwins, every man on board 

 had escaped. 



There have been memorable disasters in recent years, 

 ever since steam became almost universal for marine 

 propulsion ; but the most noted calamities relate to the 

 days of sail; and of all that have been put on record 

 there is none more terrible than the annihilation of an 

 entire fleet of war-ships in the exceptional storm of 1703. 

 Thirteen ships were anchored in the Downs, under the 

 command of Rear-Admiral Basil Beaumont, who was 

 only thirty-four years old one of the youngest British 

 officers who ever flew his flag. There had been pro- 

 tracted and exceptionally severe weather; and it grew 

 worse until the night of 26th November 1703, when a 

 hurricane was raging. The fleet was seen at its moor- 

 ings in the evening; but when the day broke it had 

 completely vanished. Every vessel had been torn from 

 her anchors and totally lost either on the shore or on the 

 Sands. Of the thirteen ships nine were either sunk or 

 went ashore, 1200 officers and men perishing with them, 

 while the remaining four were driven by the wind and 

 sea towards the Goodwins more dreaded than the land, 

 for there at least was firm foundation if the shore was 

 once gained. 



There was no hope for the ships, which were either 

 smashed to pieces or engulfed. Four of them, the 

 Stirling Castle, of 70 guns, the Mary, also of 70 guns, 

 the Mortar , a bomb, and the Restoration, broke their cables 

 and were driven on to the Sands. Every soul in the 



