In 1876, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined to take care of the dangerous Hell's Gate passage by blowing "the worst features of Hell's Gate straight back to hell with 25 tons of dynamite." The Hussar's remains, if there are any, are believed to be beneath the landfill of the Bronx.
On January 16, 2013, preservationists with the Central Park Conservancy discovered gunpowder, wadding and a cannonball in one of the two recovered cannons. The bomb disposal unit removed about 1.8 pounds of active black powder and disposed of it.
"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," according to a New York Police Department statement.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
Showing posts with label Hell's Gate East River. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hell's Gate East River. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2015
HMS Hussar, Revolutionary War Ship-- Part 2: Victim of Hell's Gate
The HMS Hussar served in the American Revolution, mostly carrying dispatches along the American coast. By the middle of 1779, the British position in New York City was growing increasingly precarious. When Admiral Sir George Brydges Rogers took his twenty ships-of-the-line south in November, it was decided that the Army payroll should be moved to anchorage at Gardineri Bay on eastern Long Island.
On 23 November 1780, against his pilot's judgement, Captain Charles Pole decided to sail the Hussar on the East River through the treacherous waters of Hell's Gate between Manhattan Island and Long Island.
The ship was swept onto Pot Rock and began sinking. Unable to run his ship aground, Pole's ship sank on 29 meters of water. Though the British denied it, rumors abounded that it was carrying between $2 to $4 million in gold which caused many salvage attempts despite the extreme difficulty of the wreck site which continued over the next 150 years.
--Brock-Perry
On 23 November 1780, against his pilot's judgement, Captain Charles Pole decided to sail the Hussar on the East River through the treacherous waters of Hell's Gate between Manhattan Island and Long Island.
The ship was swept onto Pot Rock and began sinking. Unable to run his ship aground, Pole's ship sank on 29 meters of water. Though the British denied it, rumors abounded that it was carrying between $2 to $4 million in gold which caused many salvage attempts despite the extreme difficulty of the wreck site which continued over the next 150 years.
--Brock-Perry
Friday, October 9, 2015
Central Park's Fort Clinton's Cannons-- Part 2: Carrying Gold?
The guns were removed from Fort Clinton and taken to a warehouse on Randalls Island. They were brought back because of the War of 1812 Bicentennial commemoration and because of the reconstruction of Fort Clinton and Nutter's Battery Overlooks.
It was originally thought that the guns protected the city during an expected British attack during the War of 1812, but that wasn't true.
The guns date back to 240 years to the British ship HMS Hussar, a 28-gun frigate commissioned in 1763. It ran aground in New York's treacherous East River in the 1780 and sank. Rumors abounded that the ship had been carrying gold to pay the British Army and as a result, many salvage efforts were made. None was ever found, but many artifacts were recovered.
--Brock-Perry
It was originally thought that the guns protected the city during an expected British attack during the War of 1812, but that wasn't true.
The guns date back to 240 years to the British ship HMS Hussar, a 28-gun frigate commissioned in 1763. It ran aground in New York's treacherous East River in the 1780 and sank. Rumors abounded that the ship had been carrying gold to pay the British Army and as a result, many salvage efforts were made. None was ever found, but many artifacts were recovered.
--Brock-Perry
Central Park's Fort Clinton's Cannons-- Part 1: Bringing the Guns Back
From the March 23, 2014, New York Times "Big Guns Will Return to Watch Over Park" by Sam Roberts.
I did some research on the two cannons which were reinstalled there.
A photo accompanied the article show the preservation of the two cannons. One is classified as a cannon, the other one as either a carronade or mortar.
For most of the 20th century, two 18th century cannons were located at the Fort Cklinton site ij New York's Central Park. They had been recovered from a British frigate that had mysteriously sunk off Hell's Gate in the East River. The ship had reportedly also been carrying gold.
These cannons survived the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and a fire at the nearby Conservatory Gardens. New York's financial crisis in the 1970s resulted in the cannons becoming victims of vandalism and neglect.
--Brock-Perry
I did some research on the two cannons which were reinstalled there.
A photo accompanied the article show the preservation of the two cannons. One is classified as a cannon, the other one as either a carronade or mortar.
For most of the 20th century, two 18th century cannons were located at the Fort Cklinton site ij New York's Central Park. They had been recovered from a British frigate that had mysteriously sunk off Hell's Gate in the East River. The ship had reportedly also been carrying gold.
These cannons survived the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and a fire at the nearby Conservatory Gardens. New York's financial crisis in the 1970s resulted in the cannons becoming victims of vandalism and neglect.
--Brock-Perry
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