A Storm in Colonial Boston
A description of a storm in Boston in 1743 also
gives us a very vivid description of what Boston’s
waterfront was like in the 1740s, when it was a
thriving city, well established for more than a
century, but still a British possession.
Saturday 22. Last night arose a violent N.E.
storm, which continued all the next Day;——at Noon the
Wind blew in prodigious Gusts, with the greatest
fierceness, and which over-flow’d most of our Wharves;
and came up into several Streets higher than has been
known for above these Twenty Years past; so that vast
Damage was done to the Wharves and Shipping; some
Vessels that got loose, were drove a shore higher up
than ever was known before, and several; small Vessels
were cast upon the Wharves, and Boats floated into the
Street: A Store-House with Salt was carried off a
Wharff near the Long Wharff, & with a Sloop was
drove quite up into a Ship-Yard. Great Quantities of
Staves, Shingles, Boards, Plank, Timber, Tar,
Turpentine, Cord-Wood, &c. were floated off the
Wharves and scatter’d about all Parts of the Shore:
The Tide floating into many Houses and Stores, and
filling the Cellars, did much Damage to what was
therein. ’Tis impossible to enumerate all the
Particulars of the terrible Effects of this Storm, or
estimate the Damage sustain’d by it.
That same Day a Boat with four Men in it over-set
below the Castle, and they were all drowned.
Burials in the Town of Boston this Month, 47 Whites,
5 Blacks. Baptized in the Churches 29.
——The
American Magazine, October, 1743.