Before Hurricane Damage The Creque Marine Railway is a special, historic property that first became a part of our family’s holdings in 1910. While visiting over Christmas, I had the opportunity to see what Hurricanes Irma and Maria had done. Unfortunately, it became obvious that the building suffered significant damage. Most of the steam […]
Hurricanes ⚡️
Honoring Hurricane Heroes Past and Present
HMS Valkyrien ~ Crew Hurricane of 1916 Just over 100 years ago, a hurricane in October of 1916 tore through the Virgin Islands with a vengeance—leaving a path of destruction similar to hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. 🌧 The damage was of historic proportions for its time and it left a lasting impression […]
How Crown House Survived the Hurricane of 1916
By Dr. Dante Beretta For every bad, there is a good. West Indian saying When the barometer reading steadily dropped and the weather turned ominous, island residents understood this as a foreboding sign. 💨 Our grandfather, George Beretta fastened the jalousies and shutters and made his last-minute preparations. The Berettas hunkered down in their family home, Crown […]
A Hurricane Prayer for the Protection of the Virgin Islands
After Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands destroying everything in its path, I started to think about life differently. ⛈ No longer do I want to hold on to so many material things. I started perusing my file cabinet with a view to throwing as much as I could away. While sifting through […]
ON THIS DAY, The Devastating Hurricane of 1867 hit the British Virgin Islands and Danish West Indies
ON THIS DAY, the costliest and deadliest hurricane of 1867, hit the British Virgin Islands and the Danish West Indies! My 2x great-grandfather was just 9 years old. He spent that fateful day huddled in a two room home in the Anegada settlement with his parents and six siblings. Had the hurricane’s path veered further north, […]
The Disappearance of the Sloop, SPIDER ~ 1916
St. Thomas was struck by one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of the Danish West Indies! ⚡ The unforgettable date was October 9, 1916. The Spider Captain William Creque, the brother of our direct ancestor, sailed right into its fury. On that fateful day, he was the captain on board the Spider. The 45-ft sloop […]
The Sinking of the Schooner, FANCY ME ~ 1926
Launching The Fancy Me The Fancy Me was a locally-built schooner that became infamous when she was lost in a hurricane with most of her passengers who were returning home to their families. It was one of the most tragic events that occurred in the maritime history of the British Virgin Islands. The schooner was built on Hassel […]