
The Miracle of the Kent
A Tale of Courage, Fire, and Faith
Nicholas Tracy(Author)
Westholme Publishing, U.S.
Published on 1. October 2008
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-59416-072-1 (ISBN)
Description
The first modern account of the most spectacular rescue in history. In 1825, the Kent. And East Indiaman, set sail for India with a crew and nearly 600 passengers, mostly men of the 31st Regiment and their families. Reaching the Bay of Biscay north of Spain, the ship was slammed by a ferocious gale, and while a sailor was inspecting the hold for damage, his lantern ignited a cask of spirits. A fire quickly erupted, and even with the desperate expedient of opening hatches and flooding the ship with seawater, the fire burned out of control. As night wore on the ship became an inferno, with the flames moving toward stores of gun-powder. At this point, everyone on board knew that they would perish, and they began preparing for their ghastly deaths. Despite the raging tempest a sailor climbed to the top of the mast one last time and - miraculously - a sail appeared on the horizon. It was the Cambria, a small brig carrying a crew and twenty Cornish miners on their way to Mexico where they planned to explore abandoned Spanish mines. The Cambria's captain spied the burning Kent and through determination and dogged seamanship, the little brig closed the doomed vessel.
Launching their boats in towering seas, the Kent's and Cambria's crews were able to transfer nearly all of the children, women, and men to the brig before the Kent exploded.
Launching their boats in towering seas, the Kent's and Cambria's crews were able to transfer nearly all of the children, women, and men to the brig before the Kent exploded.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Yardley
United States
Illustrations
25 full-colour & b&w photos
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-59416-072-1 (9781594160721)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2014
Westholme Publishing
€31.99
Available for download
Person
Nicholas Tracy is adjunct professor of history associate of the Milton Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick.