Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-06-27
THE sPNRRoWHAwK.
Strange Story of Good Ship
WreCkediA. d. 1927.


on Cape Goa in the winter of 1927, on
a voyage from England to Virginia,
and for time It's passengers 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 1868 was lost to
recollection. 1t was lifted into creek
by n great storm, and then by the Incl
dents of sand drift was covered up.
The vessel was well-bnilt Of oak. and
there was no trace off decay, while all
iron about her had disappeared. Her
upper works had been burned, prob
ably after she was stranded. When
whole she was probably vessel of
seventy tons, and her midship section
was a semi-circular, showing good car
rying capacity and stability, while her
deadwoOd was very long, which indi.
Gated a long run, and consequently, a
fast sailor The ribs ware pieced up
In manner which had always been
thought to be u modern innovation ia
ship carpentry. 1t is also mentioned
that the keel showed bGt one mast
step, and indicates the probability that
the vessel had Il small mast away aft
after the at that time common rig OF
the ketch.
The SparroVhawk was big enough
To cross the Atlantic, says the Provi-
dence Journal, but hal keel only
twenty-eight fee1 and ten inches long.
She had a great rake at both stem and
stern, and measured forty feet long on
deck, with depth OF nine and q half
feet. She is said tO have had "many
passengers in her and sundrie goods, :"
and from what Governor Bradfords
History of Plymouth plantatio tells
OF the wreck her Importance was COM
parable with that of ANY vessel in the
ns-Atlantic service of those days.
The history Of Gov. Bradford on this
point reads:
They had lost themselves at sea,
either by the insutliciency of We master
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 il would seem was badly assisted,
either with mate or mariners; or else
ye fear and unrIliness of We passengers
were such as they made him stear a
course betweene We southwest and We
northwest that they might fill with
| some land, whatsoever it was they cared
not. For they had been six weeks at
sea, and had no water, nor Deere, nor
any woodc left, but had burnt up all
! their empty caS.lc; only one of we COM
! pany had a hoGshead OF wine or two,
which was also almost spente.
SO ~ they feared they should
be starved at sea or consumed
with diseases, which made them
rune this desperate course. But it
| pleased God that though they came so
neare We shoulds of Cape Codd peaked
! hill and and Nauset bar5) or else run
stumbling over them in We night,
! they knew not how, they came right
! before Il small blind h lrbore that lies
about yc middle of Manmoyaie bay TO
the southwark Of Cape Codd, with n
small gale of wind, and about high
water touch upon a barr Of sand that
! lyes before it, but had no hurt, We sea
being smooth; so they laid out an an
! chore. But towards the evening the
| wind sprUnge up at sea and was so
rough as broakc their cable and beat
them over the bar into we marlboro.
where they saved their lives and
goods, though much were hurte with
salt water; for with beating they had
sprung we butt end of plank or two.
and beat out their occome (oakum) :;
! but they were sOone over and ran on u
drie flat within the harbor, close by a
! beach, so Mt low water they got out
their goods on drie shore and dried
those that were wette, anG saved most
OF their things without any great loss;
neither was the ship much hurt but
she might be mended and made servis-
able againe.
When everything and everybody
was ashore in tho wilderness, Govern
or Bradford says that they were much
cast down, but Indians at length offer
cd TO guide them to Plymouth, and
two men were sent with guides TO
bring assistance. 1t was supposed
that the vessel could be saved, and
some repairs were made upon her, but
IA storm arose and she was thrown
upon tho shore. The shipwreched
company went to Plymouth and re-
NAMED there until the en1 of the next
summer, when they were taken TO
Virginia.
The creek in which the vessel went
ashore became IN time swamp, ana
at last was lost sight OF. a sand dune
rose above it, and this was for CEN
fury called "The Old Ship" The
wreck remained covered for over two
hundred and forty years, with the ex-
ception of a single day in 1892, when
the sands slid away and showed its
timbers. But nobody cared about it
then. 1t was not uncovered again
until 1868, upon May 6 OF which year
it was seen by Messrs. Solomon
Linnell. I'd, and Alfred Rogers. NJ
Linnell had passed the very same spot
without seeing the relic two days be-
fore that time. The hulk remained
where it had been found for several
months, and was visited by many an.
tiquaries. In August, 1865, it wal
again covered with sand for shor
time. Mr.. Amos Otis. of Barnstable
about that time made a statement o
the finding and history of the wreck
and a little later Mr.. Charles w. Liv
ermore, now of this city, but then
resident of Boston, together with Mr.
Leander Crosby, OF Orleans, dug tn
wreck out OF its sandy bed. Mr.. Liv