AH-WR-0337

Elizabeth

Bark (or Barque) · United States · Lost 1850 · Long Island & the New York Approaches

A marble-laden bark broke apart on a Fire Island sandbar, drowning writer Margaret Fuller and helping spur the creation of organized lifesaving on Long Island.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

The bark Elizabeth was returning from Livorno, Italy, with cargo including marble and five passengers when her captain died of smallpox at sea. Under an inexperienced acting captain, she struck a sandbar off Point O'Woods, Fire Island, on 19 July 1850. The marble cargo tore open her hull; ten people died, including author and feminist Margaret Fuller, her husband, and their son.

Vessel

Built: 1850
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 530
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: July 19, 1850
Cause: Grounding
Location: Point O'Woods, Fire Island, New York
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Livorno, Italy → New York
Cargo: Marble, a marble statue, silks, liquors, oils, and soap
Aboard: 19
Lives lost: 10
Master: Seth Hasty (died at sea before the wreck); first mate Bangs in command at time of loss