1752 — Sep 15, Hurricane, SC/NC Maritime; land, esp. Charleston, SC & Johnston, NC-103

Lorna September 1, 1752

–103 Rappaport/Partagas (NWS). The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1994. 1995.

Narrative Information

Barnes: “…in 1752, another fateful storm tracked from Charleston, South Carolina, up the coastline and also destroyed many ships. But this hurricane’s most infamous result was the flood and destruction of the Onslow County seat.[1] The town of Johnston, named after Governor Gabriel Johnston, was built on a bluff in an area now known as Old Town Point, part of present-day Camp Lejeune. During this late September storm, the Onslow County Courthouse was completely destroyed, and all of the county’s records and deeds were lost. Portions of the courthouse were said to have washed ‘across the New River, there two miles wide.’ Virtually every building in town was reportedly wrecked, and eight residents were killed. So great was the loss at Johnston that the town was abandoned and a new county seat was established at Wantland’s Ferry (known today as Jacksonville). The only structure that remained at Johnston was the jail, as reported in count documents in 1753: ‘Whereas the prison is not sufficient since the storm and as no one lives near it, it is the opinion of the court that the sheriff may make a prison of his own house or plantation till further provision is made.’” [p. 35]

London Evening Post: “By Letters from Charles-Town, dated September 19, we have the following Account of a most violent and terrible Hurricane that happened at Charles-Town in South-Carolina on the 15^th of September last; which has reduced that Town to a very melancholy state.

On the 14^th in the Evening it began to blow very hard, the Wind being at N.E. and the Sky looked wild and threatening: It continued blowing from the same Point, with little Variation, till about Four o’Clock in the Morning of the 15^th; at which time it became more violent, and rained, increasing very fast till about Nine; when the Flood came in like a Bore, filling the Harbour in a few Minutes. Before Eleven o’Clock, all the Vessels in the harbour were on Shore, except the Hornet Man of War, which rode it out by cutting away her Main-mast. All the Wharfs and Bridges were ruined, and every House, Store, &c. upon them, beaten down, and carried away (with all the Goods, &c. therein), as were also many Houses in the Town; and Abundance of Roofs, Chimneys, &c. Almost all the tiled or slated Houses were uncovered; and great Quantities of Merchandize &c. in the Stores on Bay-street damaged by their Doors being burst open: The Town was likewise overflowed, the Tide or Sea having rose upwards of ten Feet above High-water Mark at Spring-tides, and nothing was now to be seen but Ruins of Houses, Canoes, Wrecks of Pettiaguas, and Boats, Masts, Yards, incredible Quantities of all Sorts of Timber, Barrels, Staves, Shingles, Household and other Goods, floating and driving with great Violence through the Streets, and round about the Town. The Inhabitants, finding themselves in the midst of a tempestuous Sea, the Wind still continuing, the Tide (according to its common Course) being expected to flow ‘till after One o’Clock, and many of the People being already up to their Necks in Water in their Houses, began now to think of nothing but certain Death: But, [here we must record as signal an Instance of the immediate Interposition of the Divine Providence, as ever appeared,] they were soon delivered from their Apprehensions, for, about ten Minutes after Eleven o’Clock, the Wind veered to the E.S.E. S, and S.W. very quick, and then (though it continued its Violence, and the Sea beat and dashed every where with amazing Impetuosity) the Waters fell above five Feet in the Space of ten Minutes, without which unexpected and sudden Fall, every House and Inhabitant in this Town, must, in all Probability, have perished: And before Three o’Clock the Hurricane was entirely over. Many People were drowned, and others much hurt by the Fall of Houses.

At Sullivan’s Island [entrance to Charleston harbor], the Pest-house[2] was carried away, and of fifteen People that were there, nine were lost, the rest saved themselves by adhering to some of the Rafters of the House when it fell, upon which they were driven ashore some Miles beyond the Island, at Hobcaw. At Fort Johnson the Barracks were beat down, most of the Guns dismounted, and their Carriages carried away. At Craven’s and Granville’s Bastions, and the Batteries about this Town, the Cannon were likewise dismounted. The Mermaid Man of War, which had just gone up to Hobcaw, to heave down, was drove ashore not far from the Careening-place: The Ship Lucy, of and for London, John Balman Master, which lay Wind-bound in Rebellion-Road, dragg’d her Anchors, drove by the Fort and this Town, and ran ashore upon a Marsh about seven Miles up Cooper-River: A new Vessel was drove off the Stocks, and wreck’d at Mr. Wright’s: The Schooner Nancy, John Baddely, three other Schooners, and the Sloop Nancy, John Babb Master, all of this Pore ashore in Colonel Horon’s Pasture: Another new Vessel was wreck’d near Mr. Scott’s: And one but lately begun, with the Snow Industry, belonging to Mr. David Brown, ashore on the Green near his House: Captain Walker’s Pilot-Boat, against the Governor’s House; and his Sloop, the Endeavour, bound for Jamaica, after beating down his Excellency’s Coach-House, Stables, &c. was dash’d to pieces against Mr. Raper’s House, whose Balcony-door her Mast entered : Two or three Pettiaguas were wreck’d against Dr. Caw’s House : A small Schooner drove up close against the old Custom-house Door; and one of Mr. Edward’s Pilot-boats, to Mr. Thomas Smith’s : Several Boats, &c. against Mr. Price’s : The Sloop Katharine, of New-York, Richard Manly Master, bound for Halifax, and the Sloop Industry, of and for Rhode-Island, ashore upon the Head of Mr. Beresford’s Wharf : The Snow Charming Nancy, of and for Hull, on the Head of Captain Simmons’s near the Council-chamber : The Brigantine Peggy and Sally, of and for Bristol, William James Master, against the Curtain-line, between Mr. Thomas Elliot’s and Mr. Motte’s : The Sloop Henry, Henry Cregier Master, of and for New-York, against the Exchange or New-Market; where Mr. Edwards’s other Pilot-boat is wreck’d : The Snow Dove, John Tuppen, bound for Cape-Fear, on the Head of Mr. Eveleigh’s Wharf : A small Schooner against the Curtain-line, near the Dove : The Brigantine Two Friends, of and for Falmouth, Robert Johns Master, beat down some Houses, and lies on the West Side of Church-street, also Side of Mr. John Mathewes’s : The Ship Upton of Liverpool, lately arrived from Rotterdam, which lay up Ashley-river, was drove a great way into the Marsh wear Wappoo : The Sloop Polly, George Gore, bound for Barbadoes; the Schooner Elizabeth, Alexander McGillivray, of this Port, for Jamaica; the Sloop Susanna, Amos Minot, also of the Port; the Schooner Baulk, with eight or ten other small Schooners, own’d here, and three or four Pilot-boats, are drove, some into the Woods, some into Corn-fields, and others far into the Marshes, on and about James-Island, Wappoo, &c. —– For about thirty Miles round Charles-Town, there is hardly a Plantation that has not lost every Out-house upon it. — All our Roads are so filled with Trees blown and broke down, that Travelling is rendered extremely difficult; and hardly a Fence was left standing in the Town or Country. — Our Loss in fine Timber-trees is almost incredible; and we have suffered greatly also, in the Loss of Cattle, Sheep, Hogs and all kinds of Provision.

From Winyaw and Port-Royal, our Accounts are much more favourable than were expected, no Damage having been done to the Shipping in those Harbours, and very little to the Houses, as the Hurricane was hardly felt at either place….

“Capt. Dorrington met with a violent Storm, about seven Leagues to the Eastward of this Place, on Wednesday last, that continued till the next Afternoon, in which his Ship lost all her Masts, Sails and Rigging, had one of her Sides beat in, and five Seamen, one Negroe, with all her Boats, &c. washed over-board….” (London Evening Post, England. 12-12-1752, p. 4.)

Rappaport/Partagas: “[No.] 132. South Carolina, NC. 15Sep1752 103 [deaths][3] 28 [dead][4]

Rubillo: “…the next major storm to strike [SC] occurred on September 15, 1752. It was the nightmare storm for the Holy City, for it hit Charleston harbor squarely and on the incoming time. The South Carolina Gazette of September 18 described events this way:

The most violent and terrible hurricane that ever was felt in this province, happened on Friday the 15^th instant in the morning; and has reduced this Town to a very melancholy situation….”

Scots Magazine, Scotland: “The following letter from the British colony of South-Carolina, gives an account of a dreadful hurricane there.

Charlestown, Sept. 19, 1752. On the 14^th in the evening it began to blow very hard, the wind at N.E. and the sky looked wild and threatening. It continued blowing from the same point, with little variation, till about four o’clock in the morning of the 15^th; at which time it became more violent, and rained, increasing very fast till about nine; when the flood came in like a bore, filling the harbour in a few minutes. Before eleven o’clock, all the vessels in the harbour were on shore, except the Hornet man of war, which rode it out by cutting away her main-mast. All the wharfs and bridges were ruined, and every house, store, &c. upon them, beaten down, and carried away, with also many houses in the town, and abundance of roofs, chimneys, &c. Almost all the tiled or slated houses were uncovered; and great quantities of merchandize &c. in the stores on Bay Street damaged by their doors being burst open….” (Scots Magazine. “Affairs in Holland and the plantations, &c.” Dec 1752, pp. 599-600.)

Sources

Barnes, Jay. North Carolina’s Hurricane History (Third Edition). Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, 2001.

London Evening Post, England. 12-12-1752, p. 4. Accessed 8-15-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/london-evening-post-dec-12-1752-p-4/?tag

Rappaport, Edward N. and Jose Fernandez-Partagas. The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1994 (NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS NHC-47). Coral Gables, FL: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, January 1995, 42 pages. Accessed 8-15-2017 at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NWS-NHC-1995-47.pdf

Rubillo, Tom. Hurricane Destruction in South Carolina: Hell and High Water. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2006.

Scots Magazine, Dundee Scotland “Affairs in Holland and the plantations, &c.” Dec 1752, pp. 599-600. Accessed 8-15-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/scots-magazine-dec-01-1752-p-21/?tag

[1] NC. Today the county seat is Jacksonville. Onslow County is on the coast to the northeast of Wilmington, NC.

[2] Hospital (of sorts) for people suffering from infectious diseases.

[3] Cites: Ludlum, D. M. Early American Hurricanes, 1492-1870. Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society, 1963, 198 pp. Also: Barnes, Jay. North Carolina’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1995, 202 pages.

[4] Cites: Monthly Weather Review, U.S. Signal Office, 1-18, 1872-1890; U.S. Weather Bureau, 19-98, 1891-1970; National Weather Service, 99-101, 1971-1973; American Meteorological Society, 101-122, 1974-1994. Also: Barnes, J. North Carolina’s Hurricane History. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1995, 202 pp.