Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-06-21
THE SPARROWHAWK.
Strange Story of Good Ship
Wrecked A. d. 1927.

IL voyage lrolu TuS 'tuu W NiTp thitt,
and for q time Its passengers were
sheltered by the pilgrim fathers at
Plymouth. The vessel was preserved
in IA 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 great storm. and then by the incl
dents of sand drift was covered up.
The vessel was well-built OF oak, and
there was no trace of 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 IA semi-circular, showing good car
rying capacity and stability, while her
deadwood was very long. which indi.
Gated long run, and consequently, n
fast sailor. The ribs were pieced up
in n 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 indicates the probability that
the vessel had "a 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 Provi-
dence Journal, but hal u keel only
twenty eight feet and ten inches long.
She had great rake at both stem and
stern, and measured forty feet long on
deck, with n depth Of nine and II half
feet She is said to have had 'many
passengers in her and sundrie goods"
and from what Governor Bradford's
History of Plymouth plantations" tells
of the wreck her Importance was com
parable with that of any vessel in the
transatlantic service OF those days.
The history of Gov. Bradford on this
point reads
They had lost themselves at sea.
either by the insufliciency 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 it would seem was badly assisted,
either with mate or mariners; or else
we fear and unruliness OF We passengers
were such as they made him stear
course betweene We southwest and We
northwest that they night 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 caske; only one Of we com
pany had hogshead OF wine or two,
which was also almost spente.
so IA 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 bars) or else run
stumbling over them in we night,
they knew not how, they came right
before small blind h rbore that lies
about We middle of Manmoyake bay TO
the southwark Of Cape Codd, with "a
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 brOake 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 sooue 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 that were wette, auG saved most
OF their things without any great loss;
neither was the ship much hurt but
| she mis- hit be mended and made servis-
able agdiue.
When everything and everybody
was ashore in the wilderness. Govern
or Bradford says that they were much
cast down, but Indians at length offer
ed 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
storm arose and she was thrown
upon the shore. The shipwrccled
company went to Plymouth and re-
NAMED there until the end of 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 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 IA single day in 1882, when
the sands slid away and showed its
timbers. But nobody cared about it
then. 1t was not uncovered again
until 1863. upon May 6 of which year
il 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
whore it had been found for sever II
months, and was visited by many an
tiquaries. In August. 1865, it was
again covered with sand for short
time. Mr.. Amos Otis. OF Barnstable.
about that time made statement of
the finding and history of the wreck.
and little later Mr.. Charles w. Liv-
ermore, now OF this city. but then a
resident of Boston, together with Mr..
Leander Crosby, Of Orleans, dug the
wreck out OF its sandy bed. Mr. Liv-
| ermore paid the bills and IL was re-