Powhattan (ship, 1837)
The Powhattan was an emigrant ship that ran aground near the shore of Long Beach Island during a blizzard with meter-high waves on April 15, 1854 and broke apart on April 16, 1854.
Emigrant ship
The emigrant ship was a three-masted schooner almost 40 meters long. It started in Le Havre and was captained by James Meyers.
Rescue attempts and victims
The passengers came mainly from Baden , Württemberg , Palatinate , Hesse and France .
Rescue attempts were not possible. The people washed ashore were already dead. The bodies were washed ashore for more than 30 kilometers along the coast. The number of victims was estimated at 250 to 365. Mass graves are located in the Smithville Methodist Church cemetery and the Absecon and Manahawkin cemeteries . A compensation list for the bereaved is kept in the main state archive in Stuttgart . The names and locations of the Baden victims are in the General State Archives in Karlsruhe .
Web links
- The Powhatan Tragedy (en)