New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13

She carried sixty-four guns and had complement of
four hundred eighty After years of foreign service
she to the Colonies and joined the British squad
at the siege of Boston. Longellow refers to the
Somerset lying at her moorings in Boston Bay on
the night of Paul Revere's memorable ride At the
battle of Bunker Hill she storned the Notifications in
the early morning and afterward covered the landing
of the redcoats During the two following years she
lowered about Cape Cod, doing much damage to
American commerce. and often made a rendezvous in
Provncetown Harbor and levied upon the people for
supplies Such the dread that the vessel inspired
that the Cape Cod mothers would brighten their
fractory children by telling them that the frigate
would carry them off unless they behaved themselves
Finally the Somerset ordered southwark and
when she returned to Cape Cod it as part
of the British squadron in search of the French fleet
which reported to be in Boston harbor The
Somerset esped under full sail driving before a
freShening nOre easter evidently striving weather
the cape by close tack in her haste reach Boston
Bay; but in lacking ship she rounding Race
Point she "miss-stayed" and struck the outer
bar
shout up from the watchers on the shore
they knew that the stanch vessel was doomed. Soon
the beach crowded with people; but there were
life-boats in those days material assistance
could be rendered. For hours the ship pounded upon
the bar, and the great broke her Boats
lowered, but they dashed to pieces Gums
ammunition and other heavy articles thrown
overheard; the masts which had been broken off
the deck, cut away and finally at high water
the leaking hull driven by force of wind and
waves over the bar and upon the shore Here the
officers and remnant of the crew were rescued and
held prisoners of
The next day two companies of militia one from
PrOVinCctOwn and the other from Truro. proceeded
the of the wreck and took the prisoners to
Barnstable and thence to Boston Under the drcc-
ton of the board of the ship stripped. The
guns that remained board utilized in the
Notifications at Gloucester and the of Maine
The small arms ammunition and stores were devoted
to the of the Continental troops. Thus did the
that washes the first landing place of the Pilgrims
help the O their descendants
One of the prisoners from the Somerset was not
taken to Boston. This was the ships surgeon
DR.. William Thaycr He was paroled and took up a
practice at Provincetown and its vicinity Finally
falling in love with Cape Cod maiden, he married
her Four daughters blessed this union and their
descendants still to be found along the Cape
AS the years rolled by the shifting sands of the
cape buried the hulk of the Somerset from sight but
in 1886 a high of tides and a succession of
northeast gales cut away the beach that a portion
of the timbers and panking were exposed The
massive tmbers, the portfolios and the general build
established the fact beyond doubt that here indeed
the remains of the Somerset and when the news
got about hundreds of people visited the wreck and
carloads of timber planking and iron bolts were
taken from II and brought town. where they were
converted into canes, models of vessels waCh-Ch
and other souvenirs. But the beach shore began to
extend out again and long the old hulk was once
more buried under the sands. Now the beach grass
Is growing it. but the location of the wreck Is
still pointed out and souvenirs of may be purchased
at almost any store in ProVincetoWn
II misery loves compauy, the old wreck comfort