Philadelphia hurricane : Sept 6, 1775

from the Peter Wentz Farmstead FB page:

A search of the Virginia Gazette noted a hurricane that produced damage in Philadelphia in mid-September 1775.

a transcription of it is below... enjoy!


"PHILADELPHIA. September 6,  All last week we had squally weather and rain, but on Saturday evening it began to blow hard at N.E. and S.E. and by midnight increased to a hurricane, attended with heavy floods of rain, which raised the tide in our river higher than has been known these several years, and has occasioned much damage in the stores on the wharves, among sugar, salt, and other perishable articles; wood, staves, plank, &c. was washed off the wharves, and many boats and small craft were sunk or beat to pieces. We hear the above storm has done considerable damage along the river, by breaking the banks of the meadows, drowning cattle, &c. We hear that no less than 30 sail of vessels are ashore in our river, among which are the ship Caesar, capt. Miller; brig Rachel, capt. Clay, at Reedy Island, the brig Betsy, capt. Douglass, at Rombay Hook, the others were chiefly river craft, many of which are drove so high on the shore that they will be hardly worth the expence of launching."