A True and sad relation of the burning, sinking, and blowing up of the English ships in the river of Thames, on Thursday and Fryday last. With the manner how one of them floted up to the bridge in a flaming fire, and there gave a most terrible and dreadful blow with gunpowder, renting the houses, splitting the boats, and tearing of divers limb from limb. With the names and number of the men women, and children, that suffered in this dismall, and woful accident: some having their brains dasht against the walls: others, their legs and arms shot off: and divers lamentably mortifi'd, to the great astonishment of many thousands. Likewise, the discovery of a desperate and dangerous conspiracie upon the river; and the apprehending of a gentleman on Fryday night last, with divers granadoes and fire-works.

1654

A true and sad RELATION OF The burning, sinking, and blowing up of the English ships in the River of Thames, on Thursday and Fryday last.

With the manner how one of them floted up to the Bridge in a flaming fire, and there gave a most terrible and dreadful Blow with Gunpowder, renting the houses, splitting the Boats, and tearing of divers limb from limb.

With the Names and Number of the men women, and children, that suffered in this dism [...]ll, and woful Accident: some having their brains dasht against the walls: Others, their Legs and Arms shot off: And divers lamentably mortifi'd, to the great astonishment of many Thousands.

Likewise, the Discovery of a desperate and dangerous Conspiracie upon the River; and the apprehending of a Gentleman on Fryday night last, with divers Granadoes and Fire-works.

Imprinted at London for G. Horton, 1654.

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ON Thursday being the 20 of this instant July, a Merchants ship laden with Cloth, and other Commodities, being bound for Bilbo in Spain, and from thence to the Barbadoes, was to the great grief of many hundreds accidentaly set on fire, whose violent flames brake so dreadfuly forth, that neither Mariner, Waterman, nor others, could by no means possible alay or quench the fury and vehemency thereof; insomuch, that every man was constrained to look out for deliverance and none durst at last attempt a preservation of the Vessel, so that she was exposed to a destructive floting, from towards Dep [...] ford to London bridge, where it pleased divine [Page 4]Providence so to determinate a stop to her boundless way, as to run her upon a shelve of sand neer unto the bridge, otherwise those stately Fabricks had been indangered to have been leveld with the lowermost Arches; for no sooner was she stranded upon the sands, but immediatly the fire seized on the powder, and thereupon the great blow was given, in which many lost their lives; for by its mighty violence all the decks were blown up and rent asunder, and the main mast and misne cast up at a great distance, so that the ship was so disjoynted, that sundry pieces thereof flew about upon the shore, making great devastation; and many were slain and hurt; amongst the rest, a Gentleman upon London bridge, as he was walking upon his Leades, hads his skul and brains all shattered to pieces: Others had their Head, Legs, and Arms taken [Page 5]off, and many sacrificed their lives in the flames, whose names are said to be as foloweth:

Mr. John Thorowgood,
Mr. Leonard Mason,
Mr. Thomas Atkinson,
Mr. Peter Ward,
And James Anderton.

Besides the houses were most pitifully rent and torn, and so great a shrieking of men, women, and children, that the like hath not been heard in many Ages.

Notwithstanding which sad accident, the like danger by fire could not be prevented on Fryday the 21 instant; but about nine of the clock in the forenoon, another ship laden with Oyles, and other Commodities, lying at Fresh-Wharf was likewise suddenly blown up, the manner thus:

The ship being unlading, and a Merchants man going down with some of the Mariners into the lower Hold to look for some Goods, it so accidentally hapned, that the snuff of a Candle falling, took [Page 6]hold of the Gunpowder, and blew up certain Parrels, which carryed away the whole steerage, Gunroom, and Masters Cabin, and the force of the blow did likewise split the Keel, so that the ship was immediatly fill'd with water, and great skreekings and doleful cryes there were ashore, some having their Arms also taken off: Others, their Legs, Heads, and other parts of their bodies sorely bruised & brake; but that which seems the most dreadfu [...], is, that a Gentlemans maid holding a little Child in her arms, about a twelve-month old, upon the Wharf side, received several wounds by splinters, and the poor Infant was blown from her, and never yet could be heard of.

Nay more, the terrour of the blow extended so far, that above 40 persons were exposed to great misery, and are now made objects of pity and compassion.

Yet thus much is observable, that when the blow was given, the windows shatter'd to pieces, and the houses rent and torn, that two birds in their Cages, hanging neer, & opposite against the Crane, where the blow had its greatest force, were both preserved safe, and not so much as a feather hurt.

The number of those killed in this ship are said [Page 7]to be nine, viz.

The Gunner,
The Gunners Mate.
A Psalters man.
The Bostons Mate,
The Carpenter,
The Steward,
And three more.

Great was the loss likewise the day before, for divers were wounded as they passed over the bridge, yet (blessed be God) not a man hurt in the ship, for so soon as they perceived her a fire, the C [...]ptain leaped out into the Thames, and swum for his life; the like did all the rest; who got cleer off, except the Gunners wife, who being newly come aboard, and astonish'd at the fire, ran skreeking up and down the ship for her husband, insomuch that the flames caught hold of her head-cloths, singed her hair, and scorched her face, but did her no other harm.

The loss is exceeding great, and perilous to many; but so much the greater, by reason of the taking off many Gentlemen; amongst the rest, Mr. Fulner a Drapier upon London-bridge, coming to [Page 8]his Neighbors house, to help get off certain goods, and to carry them at a further distance, by reason they feared the firing of that end of the bridge, attempted (with two other Gentlemen) to go up into a Gallery, to discover how neer the ship was, who immediatly thereupon striking upon the sands, the blow was given, and the ship blown up, whose splinters flew with such vehemency, that a piece of his head was taken off, and his brains dasht against the walls: the other two Gentlemen were both hurt, but not mortal: besides divers that were in boats, and other places; to the great astonishment of many hundreds. But tis hoped that care will be taken for the future to prevent these sad accidents; and the rather, because there is a great suspition of some desperate Conspiracie agitating by the Portuglals; and that for this cause: That on Fryday last towards the Evening at Horsey-down, a Gentleman was apprehended, who had divers Fireworks about him; But upon examination, he was committed to safe custody.

FINIS.

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