The Storm of 1676 and Shipwreck of Ephraim Howe.
About the twentieth of September, 1676, a violent storm pre-
vailed on the New England coast, causing vessels to be wrecked
and otherwise doing much damage.
The most interesting portion of its history is the shipwreck of
Ephraim Howe, a sea-captain of New Haven, Conn., who regularly
sailed, in a vessel called a ketch, of about seventeen tons burden, be-
tween New Haven and Boston. On September to, he set sail from the
latter port, having on board two of his sons, who were able seamen, two
passengers and a boy. Contrary winds detained them for several days
and before they could double Cape Cod the storm came upon them.
The ketch was driven upon the shoals and almost stranded. While
endeavoring to keep afloat, the rudder was lost, from which time their
control of the vessel was gone, and they were carried out to sea.
Tossed to and fro and almost overwhelmed, the treacherous waters
forced them farther and farther from the coast until the shore faded
from their earnest gaze, and they were wanderers on the pathless, dan-
gerous deep.
The father became sick from the exposure to wet and cold, but soon
grew better. The oldest son suffered severely from the effects of the
storm and eleven days only passed, after their last view of the sandy
hills of Cape Cod, before he died and was entombed in the sea.
Only a few more days elapsed when the other son, who had been un-
able to perform his duties for a short time, also fell a victim to expos-
ure and died. The father felt their deaths severely at this trying time
but in speaking of the loss of his sons in after years said that their
resignation and faith in Christ and their escape from a more terrible
experience, which seemed certain to come, greatly consoled him.
Captain Howe was now sick himself in the cabin most of the time,
and the vessel drifted at the pleasure of the winds and waves. While
in this hopeless state, one of the passengers died, also from the effects
of exposure. Half of the company were now gone. Only Captain
Howe, Mr. Augur, one of the passengers, and the lad were left.
Their necessities and fears increased. Winter would soon be upon
them. Something definite must be done I They must not be inactive
longer. There seemed to be but two propositions to consider. They
must either endeavor to reach the New England coast, or sail for the
islands of the south. Divine guidance was sought, and after praying
earnestly they drew lots to determine which course they should take.
The lot fell upon New England and immediately, with a new rudder,
which they had constructed, they turned their prow in the direction in
which they supposed New England lay.
Storm after storm gathered about them and violently swept over
them, threatening their destruction. Cold and penetrating winds
rushed over the limitless waters, sometimes so forcibly that those sta-
tioned at the sail had to be fastened with ropes to enable them to stand
in their places. Though in a state of bodily weakness, Captain Howe
now stood at the helm for twenty-four hours, and sometimes even thir-
ty-six hours, at a time, while the waves dashed over the deck so strongly
that he had to be lashed fast to the helm to escape being washed over-
board.
A month had passed since they set out for New England, when they
again lost their rudder. Their courage was now so far gone that they
did not think it worth while to try to make another. Hope had left
them. In their despair tile craft was permitted to drift wheresoever
it would for a fortnight. All this time Captain Howe's clothes had
rarely been dry, and none of the three had consumed any warm food
more than three Misses while they had been in their lamentable condi-
tion.
About three months had elapsed since they had seen land, and it
was nearly seven weeks since they determined to strive to reach their
native coast. A strong wind was one day driving the vessel before it
amid the white-capped waves, when to their surprise the sound of
breakers was heard, and a peculiar motion was felt about the ketch.
Upon examining into their situation, they found themselves aground
on a reef, with the sea breaking violently around them. It was after-
ward ascertained that they were on a sunken island off the coast at
Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, the tops of whose ledges were scarcely be-
neath the surface of the water, causing the waves to break above them.
They looked away from the foaming breakers leeward and saw dreary
rocks rising from the water, the spray flying over them. If the vessel
had not caught on these hidden rocks, it would probably have been
driven ashore and dashed to pieces on the relentless ledges. They
immediately dropped an anchor and got out the boat, which they
still had. Much to their relief the wind ceased its violence, and the
waters grew less turbulent. They put a few things into the boat, but
under the excitement of the occasion took much less than they after-
ward wished. The shore was reached successfully, and they landed.
The violent wind which had driven them on the reef had come from
the cast, bringing in its wake a storm which after the short lull, burst
upon them. The vessel was stove to pieces, and from it floated ashore
a cask of powder, a barrel of wine and several other things.
Ignorant of the place where they found themselves, their attention
was now turned to an examination of the country. To their dismay
they soon learned that it n-as a desolate island, with neither man nor
beast upon it, and their great hopes of succor were dashed. Perish-
ing of hunger here seemed hardly preferable to drowning in the sea,
or starving in their vessel. But being on land was at least a change
which was welcomed after their three months' voyage on the boister-
ous ocean.
With some things which they had brought from the vessel they made
a sort of tent to shelter them from the storms and extreme cold of the
region at this season. After the structure had become dilapidated a
cave was made which afterward served as their abode.
The only inhabitants of the island beside themselves were birds,
consisting of gulls and crows. It has been already stated that a cask of
powder had floated ashore. A gun or two also came with the wreck
of the ketch. The guns and ammunition seemed to be their only
means of obtaining sustenance, but the birds were so scarce that rarely
more than one could be shot during a single excursion for that pur-
pose. Consequently, the food was necessarily sparingly eaten, ofttimes
only half a bird, with the liquor, sufficing for a meal for all three. At
one time they had no food at all for five days ; but they had become
so accustomed to abstinence that the stomach forgot its cravings
which seemed to them a special blessing.
The days dragged drearily away. Their time was spent in watching
for the appearance of some vessel, in gunning for birds, and in medita-
tion upon their hopeless condition. They knew not where they were,
and it scented to matter little except the
Fishing vessels, on their way to and from the Grand Banks, now
frequently sailed within view of the island. He used all the means
that his great need could suggest to attract their attention that they
might come to his relief. But nothing availed ; either they did not
see his signals, or seeing them supposed that they proceeded from
some band of hostile Indians, for this was at the time of King Philip's
war, when all the savages within the regions of New England were ar-
rayed on one side or the other in the last national struggle against the
white settlers.
Captain Howe had now been alone nearly three months. He had
spent much of the time in meditation and, being a Christian, in prayer,
beseeching God to provide some way for his escape. At last, a new
thought struck him, as it did Selkirk, that
"There's mercy in every place,
And mercy, enconraging thought !
Gives even affliction a grace,
And reconciles man to his lot."
In spite of all the misery that surrounded him and while believing that
death must soon relieve him from his sufferings, he fasted and prayed,
repenting of the sins which were worthy of the calamities that had be-
fallen him. Turning from his mendicant position, he could now see
so much mercy that had been shown to him that he was sorry for his
forgetfulness and selfishness and determined to acknowledge it in some
solemn way of thanksgiving. He set apart a day for that purpose. A
few days later, in answer to Isis prayers, as he believed, a passing ves-
sel sailed snuck nearer the island than others had clone. He eagerly
adopted means to attract the attention of the people on board and
make known to them the presence of a shipwrecked mariner. The
vessel belonged to Salem, Mass. His signal was seen, and a boat was
sent to the island. With a heart overflowing with emotion he boarded
the boat and was welcomed on the vessel which immediately pro-
ceeded on its homeward way. Joy and thanksgiving filled his breast.
He arrived in Salem on July 8, 1677, a few days after his rescue, ten
months having elapsed since he left Boston on his disastrous trip.
He returned to his family and friends at New Haven, where he was
hardly recognized, his sickness and suffering from exposure, cold and
hunger having had their due effects upon him.
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