1865 – Jan 8, storm, SC steamer Melville, NY to Port Royal, SC sinks off Hatteras, NC–~76

— 77 NYT. “Awful Marine Disaster. Foundering…Port Royal, S.C. …Melville..” 1-13-1865, 8.
— 76 Supervising Inspector of Steamboats. Report of the Supervising Inspector… 1865, p. 212.
–>70 NYT. “Events in 1865. Chronicle of Noteworthy Occurrences for…Year.” 12-30-1865, p2.

Narrative Information

Supervising Inspector of Steamboats: “On the night of January 8, 1865, the Jno. V. Melville, on her passage from New York to Port Royal, it being her second day out from port, encountered a heavy gale, was struck by a heavy sea, which stove in the starboard bow, flooded the forward cabin, and broke away the water-tight bulkhead, forward of the engine, and putting out the fires. The engineer reporting the same, a general rush was made by the passengers for the boats, filling them to such an extend as to break away the davits and light rail on the upper deck, by which a large number of persons were precipitated into the water and drowned. The steamer remained afloat about two hours, and then sunk, going down head-foremost, carrying with her all except the mate, third assistant engineer, and two passengers, who were saved. Fifty-three passengers and twenty-three of the crew were lost.” (Supervising Inspector of Steamboats. Report of the Supervising Inspector… 1865, p. 212.)

Newspapers

Jan 13: “Bark Rechabite, of New-Glasgow, Capt. LEEMAN, from Ragged Island, Dec. 27, with salt to BRETT, SON & CO., arrived yesterday morning. On the 4th Inst., in lat. 32° long. 73°, she picked up one bale of cotton. No date, lat. 30° 42′, long, 72° 55′, she spoke schooner J. Smith, ORLANDO, from Fortress Monroe for Wilmington, with sails split and loss of foreboom; supplied her with twine. On the 8th inst., lat 38° long. 74°, about 3 A.M., the Captain reports that his attention was attracted by calls from the water. He lay to and lowered a boat, and after some searching discovered a piece of hurricane deck, part of a wreck, floating upon which was a man named ALBERT L. BAYDON. BAYDON stated that he had taken passage on board of one of WHITNEY & HATHAWAY’s steamers, the Melville, which sailed from New-York on the 5th inst., bound to Hilton Head, and had encountered heavy southwest winds, with a heavy sea, until the 7th, when at about 9 P.M. the steamer’s bows were stove in by the sea. The captain ordered a boat lowered, when he, the chief engineer, the first cook and one seaman, with several others, were swamped in it. The passengers, by bailing with buckets, were enabled to keep the vessel afloat until about 11 o’clock the next day. (Sunday morning,) when the remaining boat was lowered — a metallic life-boat — but before we could get the lady passengers into it, the Melville went down, port bow first, upsetting the life-boat. There was a vessel in sight from about 12 o’clock at night, which was seen often until we foundered, when she was seen no more. I saw a great many perish, and many clinging to pieces of the wreck. I was in company with the life-boat, and within hailing distance of her until about sunset. She was then free of water, and had only three persons in her — I think two men and one lady; they answered my call, but kept clear of me. We were in sight of portions of the wreck until sunset. The boats’ crew made no efforts to save any who were still clinging to the wreck. We even burned our mail, consisting of three newspaper bags and one letter bag, with all the matrasses and every combustible thing on board, to signalize the vessel in sight. We had about sixty-five passengers, five of them ladies, and about sixteen officers and crew.

Further Particulars.

“The Melville was an iron vessel of about 500 tons, built at Hartlepool, England, in 1857. Just before her last fatal trip, her owners expended $15,000 in improving her machinery. She was originally a blockade-runner, and had made several successful voyages to Mobile, before she was purchased by Messrs. MELVILLE & HATHAWAY, who ran her for two years to Matamoras. Capt. WATTLET, her Commander, resided in Brooklyn, where he leaves a family. The Chief Engineer was MATHEW T. LEVY. The value of the vessel is estimated at $60,000, and of the cargo at $50,000, all of which is insured. The passengers, of whom a list is given below, were nearly all residents of Port Royal.

List of Passengers
[We put into alphabetical order and number.]

1. Barr, Jas. G.
2. Battell, R. H.
3. Bellows,, E.P. [Edward P. Bellows, Brooklyn, 32. New York Times. “Died.” 1-18-1865, 5.]
4. Bellows, M.A.
5. Benham, W.D.
6. Beyden, L.
7. Bishop, Miss A. J.
8. Bishop, Miss M. J.
9. Bishop, W.W. [Wm. W. Bishop of Providence, RI, along with his two daughters. ]
10. Brown, C.H. [Calvin H., Boston lawyer.]
11. Brown, Dan V.
12. Brownlee, Sam.
13. Buggy, J.W.
14. Campbell, John
15. Claffin, H.B.
16. Cobb, Thos. A.
17. Cowdry, John
18. Croker, J.W. (Lathrop, Luddington & Co.)
19. Donald, M.
20. Edwardly, E. M.
21. Eppstein, Hy.
22. Eppstein, Isaac
23. Fairfield, J.M. [Employed at Port Royal as agent of the Boston Educational Commission.]
24. Fitsch, R.
25. Gray, W.C. [Warren C. Gray, of Brooklyn, NY, 54. Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1-16-1865, 5.]
26. Green, R.L.
27. Hainsborn, I. H.
28. Hamlin, R.H.
29. Hawkes, Horatio
30. Holmes, Jos. [of Manchester, NH ]
31. Hoyt, W. H.
32. Johnson, Mrs.
33. Judd, Wm. H.
34. Land, Geo B. [or George B. Lang, former Port Royal Post Office clerk.]
35. Lee, Bern. K. [Port Royal Postmaster; Savannah Daily Herald, GA. “Melville.” 1-20-1865, p2.]
36. Lee, Mrs. Bern
37. Lee, R.L.
38. [Levy, Matthew T., Chief engineer of the Melville] (Named elsewhere in article.)
39. McMath, Jas.
40. Mann, W.
41. Merrell, Josiah
42. Millor, Wm. M.
43. Moore, S.H.
44. O’Rourke, John
45. Osborn, T. [or Phineas Osborne who was bringing home the body of his son from NYC]
46. Peacock, A. P.
47. Riatean, Geo. A. [or George Readio of Manchester, NH]
48. Riggs, Edw.
49. Shurtleff, M. [member of firm of Hilton & Shurtleff]
50. Simpson, H.K.
51. Stevens, F.H. (Lehmann Bros.)
52. Strong, J.D.
53. Strong, J.L.
54. Taylor, Fred J.
55. [Wattlet, Captain of the Melville] (Named elsewhere in article as lost.)
56. Watson, J.J.
57. Welton, F. Allied
58. [Unnamed cook who got into the first lifeboat with the Captain, which foundered.]
59. [Unnamed seaman who got into the first lifeboat with the Captain, which foundered.]

(NY Times. “Awful Marine Disaster. Foundering of the Port Royal, S.C., Steam Packet Melville. Only Four Survivors Known to be Saved Out of Eighty-one Souls on Board.” 1-13-1865, p. 8.)

Jan 13: “Following close upon the loss of the transport North America and its two hundred passengers, we have to chronicle to-day another disaster scarcely less heart-sickening, in the foundering of the steamship Melville, bound hence for Hilton Head. In both cases the record is the old stereotyped story of the boats being either launched too late, launched too hurriedly, or monopolized by the crew, to the utter and total disregard of the lives of the men, women and children registered as passengers.

“To emphasize these horrible reports seems almost a waste alike of words and of newspaper space. But we will venture to give the story of the Melville wreck in a digested form, so that those who care to think at all on the subject of maritime casualties may count the risks they undergo in a sound coasting steamer, supposed to be well commanded, well manned, well provisioned, thoroughly provided with long boats, small boats, and life boats, and to be in every respect a safe conveyance.

“The transport Melville cleared from New-York on the 5th inst., for Hilton Head, and made her way with moderate ease against strong head winds until the 7th. About 9 on the evening of that day (Saturday last) the Melville was struck by a heavy sea, which stove in her bows. The Captain immediately ordered a boat to be lowered. Into that boat he himself was the first to get, along with the Chief Engineer, the cook of the vessel, a seaman, and such of the more hardy of the passengers as could venture after them. This boat was swamped. Probably, the brave Captain and his Chief Engineer — the two officers who should have been the last to leave the disabled steamer, were lost with it. At all events, the passengers were left to shift for themselves on the wreck, as best they could, with such of the subordinate officers and seamen as either volunteered to remain on board, or were unable to follow their master. By strenuous and apparently undirected exertions, the passengers seem to have succeeded in keeping the ill-fated vessel afloat during the whole of that terrible night, which even here on land our citizens will remember as one of the stormiest for many months. Bailing with buckets, and using every expedient which their desperate situation suggested, they kept the hulk afloat till eleven o’clock on Sunday morning. At that hour a metallic life-boat, which still remained to them, was lowered, and a few of the male passengers, with one or two females, seem to have got into it; but the most of the ladies and children, unable to help themselves, were left to their fate, which was suddenly determined. The life-boat had not parted from the steamer before the latter tumbled over and went down like a lump of lead, carrying all on board with it, and at the same time upsetting the life-boat.

“The survivor who tells the tale is one of those who were in the life-boat, but escaped by clinging to a piece of the wreck. He professes to believe that he saw three passengers, two gentlemen and one lady, in the boat after it righted. But this part of his story is not peculiarly clear. We would fain believe, indeed, that there may be mitigating features in the case which the relator was either unwilling or unable to depict. But we can see no reason to doubt the main statement, that the Captain of the Melville and the Chief Engineer treacherously deserted the vessel; and left those intrusted to their care to the chances that might befall them.

“Such cases are becoming of far too common occurrence. Sufficient small boat provision is seldom, if ever, made in these coasting steamers, looking to the number of passengers they carry. And week after week we are reminded that even where the means of rescue from a wreck are sufficient, the absence of discipline, the heartlessness of a commander, and a variety of inexcusable acts of different degrees of criminality, interfere with everything like an honest provision for the public safety. The evil is one which calls loudly for thorough and efficient action. It is needless to point to the number of commanders of high standing in the transport and merchant steamship service. The very fact that good men can be had is the most damning evidence against those who employ an irresponsible and reckless set of skippers. Surely there ought to be some cognizance taken of these recurring horrors. Is there no one to be brought to account?” (New York Times. “The Loss of the Steamer Melville. Disasters at Sea.” 1-13-1865, p. 4.)

Sources

Ancestors of Kathleen Lowe George Austin Readyhough and Mary Elizabeth Allen.” Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~villandra/momf/f416.htm

Brooklyn Daily Eagle. “Died.” 1-16-1865, p. 5, col. 2. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-jan-16-1865-p-5/

Harvard College. Report of the Class of 1860. NY: S. Angell, Printer and Stationer, 1880. Accessed 12-27-2020: https://archive.org/details/1880report1860harvuoft/page/32/mode/2up?q=melville

New York Herald. “The Loss of the Melville.” 1-16-1865, p. 8, col. 4. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23669166/new-york-herald-16-january-1865-page/

New York Times. “Awful Marine Disaster. Foundering of the Port Royal, S.C., Steam Packet Melville. Only Four Survivors Known to be Saved Out of Eighty-one Souls on Board.” 1-13-1865, p. 8. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/01/13/archives/awful-marine-disaster-foundering-of-the-port-royal-sc-steam-packet.html

New York Times. “Died.” 1-18-1865, p. 5. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-jan-18-1865-p-5/

New York Times. “Events in 1865. Chronicle of Noteworthy Occurrences for the Year.” 12-30-1865, p. 2. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/12/30/archives/events-in-1865-chronicle-of-noteworthy-occurrences-for-the-year.html

New York Times. “The Loss of the Steamer Melville. Disasters at Sea.” 1-13-1865, p. 4. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1865/01/13/archives/the-loss-of-the-steamer-melville-disasters-at-sea.html

Portland Daily Press, ME. “Original and Selected. 1-20-1865, p. 2. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://digitalmaine.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=pdp_1865

Savannah Daily Herald, GA. “The Loss of the Melville.” 1-20-1865, p. 2. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014389/1865-01-20/ed-1/seq-2/

Supervising Inspector of Steamboats (U.S.). “Report of the Supervising Inspector of Steamboats,” in United States Secretary of the Treasury. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the State of the Finances for The Year 1865. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1865. Accessed 12-27-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1865-5509/report-supervising-inspector-steamboats-302219