This article quotes from three histories containing descriptions of the Great Gale of 1815’s impact on Newport, Providence, Narragansett, South … That was the Colonial Gale of 1635, which almost killed Richard Mather, the influential Puritan minister. [6] Waves of up to six feet were reported in New London. When it was all said it done, everything was covered in salt deposits destroying much of the local flora and fauna. There were plenty of hurricanes, and of course snowstorms and blizzards. Rob Emlen is university curator and senior lecturer in American studies at Brown University, and a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of the History of Art and Visual Culture at the Rhode Island School of Design. An historic plaque commemorating the catastrophic event. At one point tsunamis that wiped out entire cities and were responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people, weren’t thought within the realm of possibility…until the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 2004 which resulted in worldwide devastation and the death of a quarter of a million people. Joe Silvia John Endecott around 1630, lost half its branches. eight Bartlett, John Russell, 1805-1886 Publisher. His family rescued him. Since the word "hurricane" was virtually unknown in early America, residents later identified the monstrous storm as the "Great Storm" or "Great Gale" of September 1815. II. One tragic incident was that of Temperance Perry who left Sandwich on a vessel heading to Newport, Rhode Island. Since the word "hurricane" was virtually unknown in colonial America at the time, residents later identified the monstrous storm as the "Great Storm" or "Great Gale" of September 1815. Your email address will not be published. In Danvers, Mass., the Endicott pear tree, planted by Gov. 1886.3.1 NETOP … Rhode Island suffered the worst damage, as the storm surge floo… [6] The leaves on trees which were not blown away were covered with a white salt coating that resembled a light frost. Stores and houses reeled and tottered, then plunged into the floodwaters. Learn more about Rhode Island History, access exclusive events and more by sharing your email with us. By 1815, science was undergoing a transition. The Great September Gale produced significant wind damage in Connecticut, Rhode Island, east-central Massachusetts, and southeastern New Hampshire. This policy applies to all information received by RIHS on any platform by any means, both online and offline, as well as any electronic, written, or oral communications. The flood demolished stores and wharves lining the harbor while the wind toppled chimneys and ripped the roofs off buildings standing on higher ground. These storms are contemporary monsters in relatively recent memory, but it’s nice to look back through local history and see how storms of the past affected society and communities in identical ways. Tides rose 10-15 feet above normal, the steeple of the Old South Church in Boston was bent over, ships were reported to be sitting in the streets, and the bowsprit (a spar extending forward from a ship’s bow) of the vessel Ganges went through the third-story of the Washington Insurance Company building. Armed with a terrible new knowledge of what a September storm could bring to their shores, Rhode Islanders rebuilt in ways that transformed their communities. In Stonington, Conn., the tide rose 17 feet and deluged the town. Choose the plan that's right for you. Item Date. Learn how your comment data is processed. Gardens and fertile fields turned into sandy beaches. Copyright © 2010-2015, University of Rhode Island. 401-331-8575. For years afterward Rhode Islanders recited stories of the events of that day, of entire houses cast adrift in a sea of flotsam, of the ship Ganges being driven up Exchange Street until its bowsprit smashed through the third-story facade of the new brick Washington Insurance Company building, which stood on the site of the present-day Fleet Library at the Rhode Island School of Design. Nulla facilisi. These storms have always been around, and always will be around until mankind somehow learns to control weather patterns and whether mankind should control weather patterns – will they have a domino affect and disrupt the planet’s ecosystem? In a lot of ways, the folks of the 19th century were just like us. When Joe isn't writing, he's coaching people to punch each other in the face. [2] At the time it struck, the Great September Gale was the first hurricane to strike New England in 180 years. Salt spray and salt deposition were noted in many areas after the hurricane. Praesent eget mauris vitae purus aliquet pretium. Intriguing History. With estimated sustained winds… The storm surge caused an extraordinary tide 12-14 feet above high water. Ships were tossed about like toys, hundreds of buildings, including churches, homes and businesses were turned into splinters, and trees were uprooted and sent sailing. I wonder if the people of 1815 had a hurricane party? On the morning of September 23, 1815, the first major hurricane to hit New England in 180 years made landfall at Old Saybrook, Connecticut. [5], In Dorchester, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, local historian William Dana Orcutt wrote in the late 19th century of the hurricane's impact: "In 1815 there was a great gale which destroyed the arch of the bridge over the Neponset River. They replaced the last of the 17th-century dwellings that the settlers had erected along the harbor with modern houses set above the new flood line. Dorchester's First Parish Meeting House was too badly damaged to repair. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale which categorizes hurricanes wasn’t developed until 1971. The Great Gale of 1815 was one of the three strongest hurricanes ever to hit Rhode Island. In Buzzards Bay, the tide rose so high that it covered farmers’ fields with sand. All rights reserved. [6] Even houses turned white.