The Deadly Shipwrecks of the Powhattan & New Era on the Jersey Shore

Download or read book The Deadly Shipwrecks of the Powhattan & New Era on the Jersey Shore written by Captain Robert F. Bennett and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2015-04-20 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1854, two horrendous shipwrecks took place off the New Jersey coast. The Powhattan and the New Era were both American-flag sailing packet ships carrying hopeful European immigrants to new lives in America. The ships ran aground on the offshore sandbars along the shoreline between Sandy Hook and Little Egg Inlet, claiming the lives of many passengers and crew. The staggering casualties finally prompted calls from the public and politicians for reforms to the system for rescues that the federal government had in place. The tragedies ultimately resulted in changes that prevented countless similar deaths. This unique and gripping account offers minute-by-minute details of the deadly wrecks, their causes and their final outcomes.