Historian Art Mattson recounted the twin tragedies of the Bristol and Mexico shipwrecks — two disasters that claimed more than 200 immigrant lives along Long Island’s coast in the winter of 1836–37 — at The Philips House on Nov. 5.
“We had two ships nearly weeks apart that sank, carrying 215 people combined,” said Thomas Hodge, Philips House trustee.
Mattson’s book “Water and Ice,” discusses the two shipwrecks in deep detail and was featured in the discussion.
“A group of people buried 139 of them, and that’s what this is all about today, telling about that tragedy,” Hodge said.
The two events are often discussed together due to its similarities and how close both horrific events were from one another.
About 20 attendees gathered to hear Mattson’s lecture, which began with a discussion of the Bristol shipwreck.
“It was a beautiful day in November when a huge wave hit the ship,” Mattson said.
Out of the 144 passengers on board, 100 died. Negligence of the crew and pilots was to blame, according to authorities.
“A 100 lives were lost because they were at a picnic, and weren’t out to move the ships in,” Mattson said.
Noting the historical aspect of the Mexico sinking Mattson said: “The wreck of Mexico was the largest loss of accidental life in the history of the United States, at the time.”
Raynor “Rock” Smith led the rescue efforts. He was able to save some passengers. Out of the 123 passengers on board, 115 died. Charles Winslow, the ship’s captain, was one of the few survivors who abandoned his crewmembers, saving himself and his prize possessions.
Passengers being stranded on a sandbar roughly 200 yards off Long Beach’s east coast is considered the reason that fewer people survived the Mexico sinking compared to the Bristol. The water’s frigid temperature played a huge part in the deaths of both boats passengers.
“The temperature was 3 degrees above zero,” Mattson said. “You could hear the screams of the women and children, mostly the high pitched, coming from 200 yards away.”
In 1840 a monument was erected at the Rockville Cemetery at the Mariner’s Burying Ground in remembrance of the victims of both wrecks.
“I’m from Ireland and didn’t know about this till six years ago,” Rockville Centre resident, Donna Quinn said. “I didn’t know they had this monument so now we go to every anniversary.”
The monument is also a burial ground with the bodies of 139 victims.
“I started crying, it’s sad to think about. I am Irish and I feel an injustice for those Irish people on these ships,” Rockville Centre resident Cathleen Cavanagh said.
Both ships were carrying Irish immigrants, coming to America to seek a better life for themselves and their families, only to be met with a tragic fate.
“They all literally froze to death or drowned,” said Mary Bossart, a Philips House trustee.
Mattson answered questions and signed editions of “Water and Ice.”
“We are “the people of the sea,” so this local story is something we all should care about,” Rockville Centre resident, Carol Zinser said.
