SEPTEMBER 1889 GREAT
COASTAL STORM
AND
THE PILOT BOAT TUNNELL
Lewes, Delaware September
14, 1889
During the past few days
since the Great September East Coast Storm, excitement in Lewes has
it's citizens busy doing what needs to be done to assist those that
are in need of assistance and many gathering around the Virden House
in downtown listening to stories and the news going the rounds.
One of those stories is of
the Pilot Boat Tunnel, under the charge of Pilot John M. Barnes,
which has been listed as missing. All of the prayers and hopes of the
pilots dear ones involved were answered this morning as the sun,
which has been shut out so long by the storm clouds rose in all it's
glory over the sand dune which is occupied by the Cape Henlopen
Lighthouse, here comes the missing Tunnell, full speed under full
sail, into the harbor.
The account of the
perilous cruise was offered by Pilot Barnes. “ We took the gale
in it's full force at 8 in the morning, Tuesday, ten miles off the
Capes, and made doubled reefed sails all around. Then the gale
winds increased to a hurricane. The main sail was blown from it's
ropes as we headed out to sea some twenty miles before the winds.
Eventually they got the storm-try sail on her with great difficulty ,
and hove to, laying easy but working off shore. The gale winds
increased until Wednesday about ten in night.
During the height of the
gale, the oil bags were brought out on deck and gave some relief to
the cross wind and heavy seas. Wednesday night, after the wind
veered to north and lulled a little, the double reefed foresail was
lofted and we headed for shore. From two hundred and fifty miles off
land we made slow headway toward the capes until Thursday morning
when more sail was made and we made one hundred and two miles.
Thursday evening was when we sighted hog Island and the Tunnell
arrived at the Breakwater this morning at three o'clock.
Tuesday during the winds
she skipped a heavy sea, upsetting the cook stove and utensils , etc.
Pilot Barnes, one of the Tunnell owners, gave credit to the sea
going qualities of the boat, and said if it were not for these they
would have been lost. As he was also out during the 1888 March
blizzard he felt the late storm was more severe.
A young friend of Barnes,
Harry Hickman, who was on board, has abandoned his desire to make a
voyage across the Atlantic when his school days are over, feeling
sure that Lewes Creek will be as far as he cares to navigate.
Source: The Monday,
September 16th 1889 issue of Wilkes Barre Record newspaper
of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Newspapers.com
