1898 — Aug 2, hurricane, tugboat Nimrod capsizes, all crew lost, off Cape San Blass, FL–12

–12 Dunn, Gordon E. and Banner I. Miller. Atlantic Hurricanes (Revised Edition)/ 1964, p 316.
–12 Landsea and Partagas. “Year 1898,” Atlantic Oceanographic and Met. Laboratory (Report).
–12 Macon Telegraph, GA. “Went Down in The Wreck.” 8-6-1898, p. 5.

Narrative Information

Landsea and Fernandez Partagas: “Year 1898

“Storm 1, 1898 (Aug. 2.3), H.

“The following information was found in relation to this storm: 1) The Florida storm first appeared as a feeble disturbance near Jupiter in the night of Aug. 1, and passed thence N.W. to the vicinity of Tampa by the morning of Aug. 2. ….

“A dispatch from Apalachicola, FL. Says that the Nimrod, towing the dredge Thomas H. Herndon and two scows were totally wrecked off Cape San Blas on Tuesday night (Aug. 2) storm. The Nimrod, with a crew of 12 men went down 40 miles at sea. The dredge, with her 2 scows, is ashore at Cape San Blas, the dredge being a total loss. The Purser and 2 shipmates of the Nimrod arrived at Apalachicola, Friday afternoon (Aug 5) reporting the loss (The Miami Metropolis, Aug. 12, 1898, p. 7, col. 3)….”

Newspaper

“Macon Telegraph, GA. “Went Down in The Wreck.” 8-6-1898, p. 5: “The Tug Nimrod With a Tow Goes Down With Twelve Men.

“Apalachicola, Fla., Aug. 5. – George C. Randolph, purser of the steam tug Nimrod of Mobile, arrived here this afternoon accompanied by two shipmates and reports a terrible disaster. The Nimrod, towing the dredge Thomas H. Herndon, and two scows, were all totally wrecked off Cape St. Blas in Tuesday night’s storm. The Nimrod, with her entire crew, consisting of twelve men, went down forty miles at sea, and nothing since has been heard of them. The dredge, with her two scows, is ashore on Cape St. Blas, the dredge being a total loss.

“The Nimrod, dredge and scows belong to Rittenhouse Moore of Mobile. They are valued as follows: Nimrod, $40,000; dredge, $75,000; scows, $32,000. All telegraphic communications are still cut off, there being no way to communicate with the outside world except by mail.”

Sources

Dunn, Gordon E. and Banner I. Miller. Atlantic Hurricanes (Revised Edition). Baton Rouge LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1964, 377 pages.

Landsea, Christopher and Jose Fernandez Partagas. “Year 1898,” Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (Report). Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, NOOA. Accessed 9-5-2022 at: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/Partagas/1898-1900/1898_1.pdf
Also at: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/Partagas/1898-1900/1898_1.pdf

Macon Telegraph, GA. “Went Down in The Wreck.” 8-6-1898, p. 5. Accessed 9-5-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/macon-telegraph-aug-06-1898-p-5/