1797 – Oct 18, storm, schooner Flying Fish knocked over, 7 drown inside, 4 later, off GA– 11

–11 Fraser. Lowcountry Hurricanes: Three Centuries of Storms at Sea and Ashore. 2006, pp. 33-34.
–11 The Gazette, Philadelphia. “Gazette Marine List. Port of Philadelphia.” 12-7-1797, p. 3.

Narrative Information

Fraser: “A month later [after the General Nichols went down on September 8] another storm came out of the West Indies, turned northwest, and tracked along the Florida and Georgia coasts. The storm enveloped Captain Christopher Lee and the schooner Flying Fish off Florida. Lee ordered close-reefed sails. Several days later in shipping lanes off Georgia, latitude 31⁰ north, longitude 69⁰ west, the schooner encountered a more severe storm. It upset the Flying Fist so quickly that seven of the seventeen crewmen and passengers drowned before they were able to get out of the schooner’s cabin. The survivors somehow climbed onto the upturned hull. At daylight some swam beneath the vessel to the submerged masthead, cut away the rigging and mainmast, and the schooner righted. But the sailing craft had shipped so much water that it was nearly awash in the sea. Spars were lashed across the forecastle in an attempt to steer the wreck. Within a week one of the passengers aboard, and shortly afterward a heavy sea washed off two oth4r passengers and a crewmember. Now only Captain Lee, the mate, three sailors and the cook remained aboard the slowly sinking hulk. After nearly two weeks adrift, Captain Carsten Meyers of the Deraurhafft, out of Hamburg, Germany, sighted the wreckage of the Flying Fish. As mariners are obliged to do, Captain Meyers came about to see if anyone was alive. He found six men clinging to life and what was left of the Flying Fish. Meyers rescued them and Savannahians soon knew of this disaster. Again Savannah was lucky. The hurricane remained just off the Georgia coast.

Sandrik and Landsea:
“Year: 1797
“Date (s): 15-16 October
“Principle Affected Area(s): Northeast Florida – hurricane
Northeast Florida coastal waters – hurricane
Upper Georgia coastal waters – hurricane
Lower Georgia coastal waters – hurricane
“Landfall Point(s): Unknown, likely an offshore event.
“Remarks: Marx (1944) states, ‘A number of American vessels were cast
away on the east coast of Florida during a hurricane on October 15
or 16. Some were also lost in the Bahamas.’ According to a letter
from the East Florida Papers, Bundle 165, dated 17 October 1797,
a frigate bound for Hamburg was grounded north of the St.
Augustine Bar.

Summary: This storm will be counted as a hurricane for northeast Florida, Upper Georgia and Lower Georgia waters.”

Newspaper

Dec 8, Philadelphia Gazette: “The sch. Flying Fish, Lee, from hence to Germany, left the Capes Oct. 20th, under convoy of the Hind of 20 guns. Three days after, in a gale of wind, lost the convoy – 18th at 2 A.M. Lat. 31, long. 69, was upset in a squall: out of 17 persons onboard, 7 were drowned in the Cabin, the remainder got on the bottom. Next morning the vessel righted, but the hatches under water – 31st one of the passengers died on the wreck – 7th Nov. one sailor and two passengers were washed off – 9th Nov. The brig Derdaurhaufft, Meyers, from Hamburgh [sic] for Charleston, fell in with the wreck, and took off the captain, mate, and 3 hands and the cook the only persons saved.” (Gazette of the United States and Philadelphia Daily Advertiser. “Gazette Marine List. Port of Philadelphia.” 12-7-1797, p. 3.)

Source

Fraser, Walter J. Jr. Lowcountry Hurricanes: Three Centuries of Storms at Sea and Ashore. Athens and London: University of Georgia Press, 2006. Google preview accessed 8-16-2017: https://books.google.com/books?id=4iDbukwvWL0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Lowcountry+Hurricanes&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj60M2Tgd3VAhXH54MKHfaeC_QQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Lowcountry%20Hurricanes&f=false

Gazette of the United States and Philadelphia Daily Advertiser (The Gazette) “Gazette Marine List. Port of Philadelphia.” 12-7-1797, p. 3. Accessed 12-9-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-gazette-of-united-states-and-philadelphia-daily-advertiser-dec-08-1797-p-3/

Sandrik, Al (National Weather Service) and Christopher W. Landsea (NOAA Hurricane Research Division). Chronological Listing of Tropical Cyclones affecting North Florida and Coastal Georgia 1565-1899. Jacksonville and Miami, FL: NOAA, May 2003 update. Accessed 12-9-2022 at: https://www.weather.gov/media/jax/pdf/Tropical_Cyclones_affecting_North_Florida_and_Coastal_Georgia_1565-1899.pdf