Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-06-05
THE SPARROWHAWK.
Strange Story OF a Good Ship
Wrecked A. D. 1927.
How tho Craft Was Preserved in . Sand
Dune-Its Removal in S65 by a Patriotic
Son of New England One of the
Rarest Relics in Plymouth Hall.

sun "a NOW O-Ono Oh tn0
Rarest Relics in Plymouth Hall.
One of the wonderful stories of both land
and sea is the tale of the vessel Sparrow
hawk. The ship was wrecked on Cape Cod
N the winter of 1921, on a voyage from En-
gland to Virginia, and for time its passeu-
gers were sheltered by the pilgrim fathers
at Plymouth. The vessel was preserved in
sand dune about two miles from Orleans
harbor, which opens on the Atlantic, and
until 1883 was lost to recollection. IL
was lifted into creek by a great storm,
and then by the incidents of sand drift was
covered up. The vessel was well built of
oak, and there was no trace of decay, while
al iron about her had disappeared. Her
upper works had been burned, probably
after she was stranded When whole
she was probably vessel of seventy tons,
and her nidship section was semi-circular,
showing good carrying capacity and stabil-
itv, while her deadwood was very long,
which indicated long run, and, conse-
quently, fast sailer. The ribs were
pieced up in a manner which had always
been thought to be modern innovation in
ship carpentry. 1t is also mentioned that
the keel showed but one mast-step, and in
dicates the probability that the vessel had
small mast away aft, after the at that
time common rig of the ketch.
The Sparrowhawk was big enough to
cross the Atlantic, says the Providence
Journal but had keel only twenty-eight
feet and ten inches long. She had a great
rake at both stem and stern, and measured
forty feeU long on deck, with a depth of nine
and half feet. She is said to have had
many passengers in her and sundrie
goods" and from what Governor Brad
ford's "History of Plymouth plantations
fall NJ fhDv 10.
parable with that of any vessel in the
trans Atlantic service of those days. The
history of Gov. Bradford on this point reads:
They had lost themselves at sea, either
by the insuficiency of ye maister or his
lines; for he was sick and lame of We
scurvie, SO that he could but lie in We cabin
doare and give direction; and it would
seem was badly assisted, either with mate
or mariners; or else ye fear and unruliness
OF We passengers were such as they made
him steara course betweene We southwest
and We northwest that they might fan with
some land, whatsoever it was they cared
not. For they had been six weeks at sea.
and had no water, nor beere nor any woode
left, but had burntup all their emptie caske;
only one of ye company had hogshead of
wine or two, which was also almost spente,
so as they feared they should be starved at
sea or consumed with diseases, which made
them rune this desperate course. But it
plased God that though they came so neare
ye shoalds of Cape Codd peaked hill and
Nauset bars) or else ran stumbling over
them IN ye night, they knew not how.
they came right before a small blind
marlboro that lies about We middle of
Manmoyake bay to ye southwark of
Cape Codd, with small gale of wind, and
about high water toucht upon q barr of
sand that Ives before it. bat had no hurt
ye sea being smooth; so they laid out an
anchore. But towards the evening the wind
sprunge up at sea and was so rough as
broake their cable and beat them over the !
bar into ye harbore, where they saved their
lives ana goods, though much were hurte
with salt water; for with beating they had |
sprung ye butt end of plank or too, and |
beat out their occome (oakum); but they |
were soone over and ran on a drie fiat within |
the harbor, close by a beach, SO at low water
they got out their goods on drie shore and
dried those shat We're wette, and saved most |
OF their things without any great loss;
neither was the ship much hurt but she |
might be mended and made seryisable |
againe''
when every thing and every body was |
ashore in the wilderness, Governor Brad |
lord says that they were much cast down, but |
Indians az length offered to guide them to |
Plymouth, and two men were sent with |
guides to bring assistance. 1t was sup |
posed that the vessel could be saved and |
some repairs were made upon her. but a !
storm arose and she was thrown upon the |
shore. The shipwrecked company went to /
Plymouth and remained there until the end /
or the next summer, when they were taken |
to Virginia
The creek in which the vessel went ashore
became IN time swamp, and at last was
lost sight of. A sand dune rose above II.
and this was for century called sgrhe
Old Ship" The wreck remained covered
for over two hundred and forty wears.
with the exception OF a single day in
l1o2, when the sands slid away and
showed its timbers. But nobody cared
about II then. 1t was not uncovered again
until 1863, upon May 6 of which wear
it was seen by Messrs. Solomon Linnell, 2d.
and Alfred Rogers. Mr. Linnell had passed
the very same spot without seeing the relic
two days before that time. The hulk re-
Inafned where it had been found for several
was visited by many antiuuaries.
In August, 1865, it was again covered with
sand for a short time. Mr.. Amos Otis. of
Barnstable, about that time mad statement
of the finding and history of the wreck, and
little later Mr. Charles w. Livermore.
now OF this city, but then a resident of Bos-
SNAi, SO5OehO' WIN OuI. lAcduuer OrOSOV. OF
Orleans, dug the wreck out of its sandy bed.
cir. Livernore paid the bills and 1t wos re-
moved to Boston. It was erhiL,,,ted on Ros-
Ton comm"I ior six weeks and was then
brought to this city and was on exhibition
for week.
Mr.. Liyermore has given the relic to the
Pilgrim Society, which owns Plymouth Hall.
the homeof so many colonial relics. at Piv-
mouth, Mass. He had kept il in this city. in
storage, from 1866 till February Is, 1889. 1t
had always been his intention to give it TO
an antiquarian society, The Pilgrim So
,lety was written TO and two members Of il
visited this city and looked over the old
.imbers. They found them apparently as
solid as they were in 1868, and Mr. Liver.
more passed them into the societys hands
'or all time. The tinbers were boxed up
md sent OF, and they are now at Plymouth.
where ship carpenters win set them up in
Plymouth Hall, if they have not already
lone so.
ThesOldest Piece of Iron.
The Oldest pieces of wrought iron now
Il