Gay Head, Massachusetts: 103 Souls Lost Half a Mile from Shore

Gay Head, Massachusetts. At 3.45 in the morning, on January 18, 1884, the lookout aboard the passenger steamer City of Columbus screams a warning into the darkness. Devil's Bridge buoy is off the port bow. It should be starboard. Second mate Edward Harding yells, heart a port, but it's too late. The ship strikes jagged underwater rocks at full speed. The grinding crack tears through the iron hull. The sound echoes across black water like the scream of tearing metal. TIMELINE 1878: at Chester, Pennsylvania, she was 275 feet long, with an iron hull and a 1500 horsepower steam engine. 1884: the lookout aboard the passenger steamer City of Columbus screams a warning into the darkness. 1981: and her network of associates has infiltrated the U. WHY THIS MATTERS The story of Gay Head is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know. Episode 179 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-historyAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy