The exploded Dutch warship Alphen on 15 September 1778

The magazine Maandelykse Nederlandsche Mercurius published two articles dealing with the disaster of the Dutch warship Alphen lying at Curacao when she accidentally blow up 15 September 1778. Of her crew of 230 men, just 25 survived and of which 9 wounded. Some them were on land, others on the boats to fetch fresh water. Due to the force of the explosion there was a lot of damage in the town, more as a 100.000 piasters. She was of the 6th charter, Admiralty of Amsterdam, built by May at the naval yard at Amsterdam >1764-1766<, dimensions (Amsterdam foot) 139 8/11 (lower deck) x 37 8/11 x 15 5/11-15 8/11, 36 guns. Her figurehead was a 75-cm large probably fir-wood made female bust with brown hair and a green dress.

In front of the burial procession on Thursday 17 September was Captain Van Brandt, commanding officer of the soldiers in the garrison. Around the spears and ensigns hanged black scarves and the drums were with black cloth draped. After the soldiers came two so-called announcers, one with a black crape veil representing the married commanding officer Baron G.W.H. van der Feltz and one with a white linen veil representing the unmarried captain Ligtenvoordt and lieutenant Smith. First came the body of Van der Feltz carried by the rowers of the large boat of rear admiral Van Byland, in their uniform and caps with plates of silver and black crape veils. The pallbearers were the gentlemen Stuyvesant and Hördt, lieutenants on board of the rear admiral and the gentlemen Stuyling and Specht, members of the Large Council, all of them with black crape scarves.

Second came the body of captain Ligtenvoordt, carried by the rowers of the second boat of the rear admiral in their uniform and with hats with ostrich feathers and with white veils. Pallbearers were Davelaar and Crisson, lieutenants of the civilians and Willemse and Lindesay, midshipmen of the rear admiral, all of them with white veils.

Third came the body of Lieutenant Smith, carried by rowers of the third boat of the rear admiral in their uniform with British caps and white veils. Pall- bearers were Gaubius and Testas, midshipmen of the rear admiral and Fouquet and Stoel, two young merchants, all of them with white veils.

After those three bodies came first the rear admiral in his full dress joined by the governor J. Rodier, representing the main mourning. Secondly followed by Dekker, captain of the rear admiral and J. Lixraaven, commissary of the supplies. All the members of the Large and the Small Council, the consistory and other civilians, totally 74 pairs followed this second pair. The last pair was Aldersteede, secretary of the rear admiral, with a black and his secondment with a white scarf. 24 grenadiers and their commanding officer, belonging to the rear admiral all in uniform followed them. When the bodies were buried, the castle fired 11 gunshots and the garrison 3 general rounds. The bodies of the other crew members, mainly found at the opposite of the cliff from Van der Meulen, Izaak Gouverneur Schaarlo en in the town, near and against the houses of Chatelain and others were found smashed, broken and in pieces and buried in sacks on the property of sir Brugman at the Roode Weg. According to the author of this news it was a horrible sight, bodies smashed against houses, some without heads, others without arms or legs or with their bowels shown.

Sources
Maandelykse Nederlandsche Mercurius, part 45, July-December 1778, p. 68-69. Published by Bernardus Mourik, Amsterdam, 1779.
Maandelykse Nederlandsche Mercurius, part 46, January-June 1779, p. 68-69. Published by Bernardus Mourik, Amsterdam, 1779.
Archive Admiraliteits Colleges XLVII no. 17 (National Archive at The Hague)
Archive Admiraliteits Colleges XXXIX no. 115 (National Archive at The Hague)
H.J. Hansen. Galionsfiguren.
Inventory archives admiraliteitscolleges.