The Forgotten and Found

The burials of two ships captains and the New York Pilots Association's tribute to Thomas Freeborn.

Investigation: The New Jersey "whitewash" of the events concerning the John Minturn disaster.

Unprincipled Wretches: The U.S. press stigmatizes the "barbarians" of the New Jersey coast.

Aftermath: Once the storm headed north, it left behind a trail of destruction along the eastern seaboard. The most destruction was reserved for the New Jersey coast and the John Minturn. Accounts of the Minturn's final moments are accounted for as well as the victims of the disaster. In particular the New York pilot, Thomas Freeborn body is recovered and morned by the pilot's association. The beginnings of criticisms reach the press.

Sunday, February 15th After disembarking from New Orleans in January, the John Minturn approaches the entrance to New York harbor. There Captain Stark awaits for a Sandy Hook pilot to escort his vessel into port. When a New York pilot boat approaches in the early morning offering assistance, Stark rudely rejects them preferring to wait for a Sandy Hook pilot. Because of the rejection, the John Minturn is captured in the clutches of the storm that will claim the vessel and become the moniker for the storm from then on.

The John Minturn departs New Orleans and approaches New York Harbor on Saturday, February 14th. As New York pilot, Thomas Freeborn motions to come aboard, Captain Stark rejects the offer and awaits a Sandy Hook pilot. Stark abhors the New York pilots and considers them unqualified for the job. After an eight hour wait off the New Jersey coast and no sign of a Sandy Hook pilot, Stark reluctantly signals for Freeborn to come aboard the John Minturn. By now the storm is starting to gather strength and sharpening its destructive focus on the John Minturn.

Mounting Casualties-Continued The loss of the Lotty and the Alabama in the John Minturn Storm of 1846

Mounting Casualties: The first list of maritime casualties is discussed: The Mary Ellen The Pioneer The Register The Arkansas The Antares The New Jersey

Undiminished Violence-Reports along the eastern seaboard of the coming nor'easter of February 1846. Reports from South Carolina,Virginia,Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts document the storm's ferocity.

In Episode 4 we learn of the pilots and their boats who assist vessels navigating into New York Harbor. The hazards (then and now) are many: shifting sands, submerged shipwrecks, frequent fogs, etc. We discover the losse regulation of pilots during the early 19th century and the confusion it caused incoming ships. Part 2 of Episode 4 introduces us to the ship the John Minturn; its dimensions, construction and "enrollment" and a history of its voyages prior to its fateful trip in February 1846.

Intro The year 1845 was disturbingly quiet on the east coast of the United States; neither a hurricane nor a tropical storm had made an appearance. However, the residents along the coast knew that there would be 'hell to pay" when ’46 arrived. The John Minturn storm was extraordinary both in terms of reach and severity. In Salem, Mass: "Drifts 15 to 20 feet are said to be piled up." In New Bedford, Mass: "The quantity of snow is said to be greater than at any time previous in this vicinity since the memorable snowstorm in 1815." Reports from Connecticut: “The snow lies on the east side to an average depth of five feet, ad we have noticed a number of houses where it lies not less than six feet in depth directly against the front doors." "The mercury is down to zero, Fine times these!" It didn’t take long before a wicked February nor’easter battered the entire U.S. coastline. The storm stretched inland from Savannah, Georgia to Syracuse, New York where snow was “piled in heaps of all imaginable shapes and dimensions” while barometer readings plunged in just a few short hours. The storm obtained its monicker because of the destruction it caused upon the New Jersey coast, wrecking nine vessels including the brig John Minturn. The demise of many of these shipwrecks were witnessed by residents from the New Jersey shore, who in may cases also were responsible for individual rescues. The podcast retells the events that led up to the storm, the storm itself and its aftermath. But it is far more than just a recounting of the weather and nautical events of the day. It gives us insights into the lives of the passengers and crew aboard the John Minturn, the freakish bad luck that accompanied some men aboard when just weeks before they had escaped death in an earlier shipwreck (actually more than one). Their were two major actors to the Minturn tragedy-the captain and the pilot who joined them hours before; both men working to guide the ship into New York Harbor, though both would lose their lives in the attempt. We learn of the captain’s prejudice of the "New York" pilots and his preference for their Sandy Hook counterparts and his decision resulting in the deaths of his family, crew and passengers. We also discover the heroism of one man-Thomas Freeborn-who sought to save the Minturn's passengers. His death prompted the building of one of the largest monuments in New York City to honor his bravery. We also uncover the captain’s closely guarded secret kept even from his family and the motivation which caused him to push his vessel, his passengers and crew into danger. And more broadly, the loss of the Minturn became part of a national story, when accusations were made that the residents of the New Jersey shore had plundered the bodies and charged a retrieval fee for their love ones. The outrage caused the state of New Jersey to conduct a formal investigation into the charges and seek out the “barbarians”. The podcast’s contents were taken from the author's book Undiminished Violence which is available in soft cover and ebook form. The book includes dozen of images including maps, charts, letters and photos that provide a fulsome account of the entire story. I hope you enjoy all episodes from The Forgotten and Found. Please contact us at TheForgottenandFound.com. And thanks!

How twenty two sailors from two recent shipwrecks-the schooner Van Buren and the 415 ton Cherokee-found themselves aboard the ill-fated John Minturn when she left New Orleans on January 24, 1846. The previous year, 1845, was noteworthy in U.S. History. The U.S. Naval Academy was established, the SS Great Britain made her maiden voyage and a fire in Pittsburg spurred the development of a new kind of bridge construction.

The year 1845 was disturbingly quiet on the east coast of the United States; neither a hurricane nor a tropical storm had made an appearance. However, the residents along the coast knew that there would be 'hell to pay" when ’46 arrived. It didn't take long before a wicked nor'easter battered the entire coastline in February. The storm reached inland from Savannah, Georgia to Syracuse, New York where snow was "piled in heaps of all imaginable shapes and dimensions" while barometer readings plunged in just a few short hours. But the storm reserved its wrath for those who happened to be at sea. The storm rose quickly from gale to hurricane force in a matter of hours and kept the intensity for days. When it reached the New Jersey shore it claimed nine ships, including the John Minturn, which bears the storm’s name to this day. In the words of one witness… “the wind continued blowing with Undiminished Violence”.

Uncovering the history and personal stories behind the ships and the individuals lost in the lesser known disasters of the 19th and 20th century. From the nor-easters that created havoc off the American coast to the ships lost by fire journeying from England to Australia, we research why so many tempted the Fates and ventured upon the high seas.