Shipwrecked in Atlantic City
There are lots of people coming to Atlantic City to try out their luck, and some of the more unlucky ones might feel like they’ve been through a shipwreck. However, there are other shipwrecks in the area, and one in particular, that was no metaphor. In the days before the city became a gambler’s paradise, before the turn of the 20th century, even, there were other gambles being taken. In the middle of the 19th century, there were massive waves of immigrants coming from Europe to the U.S., traveling by ship, and the voyage to a new life was often perilous, and there was never any guarantee that they would get there for sure.
Judging from the makeup of the citizens of the country, many of these hopeful immigrants did make it to the shores, but there are plenty of stories of those who did not. One of the most infamous, and certainly of interest to residents and visitors in Atlantic City, was the sinking of the Powhattan . This happened in April of 1854, where an estimated 300 plus people lost their lives as the ship crashed and sunk, in a hurricane that combined with a snowstorm, for disastrous results.
There is a mass grave at the Old Manahawkin Baptist Church , where 145 unknown victims were buried, and the Abescon Lighthouse was even erected as a memorial to the event. Visitors staying in the local hotels would have the chance to explore some of this history, where the majority of the people on board were coming from either Germany or France. It would appear that there were people from all walks of life on board, as well, from the well-to-do to the moderately poor, hoping to begin a new life here. This sad tale also underscores how recent these things happened here, and how the hope for a better life is something that hasn’t eroded with time.
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