This vivid engraving depicts the Great Storm of 1703, a wave cyclone that caught the British Navy by surprise in the English Channel. A total of 12 ships are illustrated near Goodwin Sands, a sandbar approximately 6 miles off of the English coastline near Deal, with 6 shown at various stages of sinking. A rocky outcrop at bottom reveals men desperately trying to anchor rescue boats with ropes while others climb in an attempt to reach safety. Rear Admiral Basil Beaumont and over 1500 sailors drowned during the ordeal. Only one crew member survived. When the storm was over, the entire 13-ship Channel Squadron had been lost.

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Condition: B

A crisp impression issued folding and now flat. There are professional repairs to a 5.5" tear at lower right and a chip at lower left with a 1" x 2" section of image loss. Remargined at left.