Cape Cod History

1778: British man-of-war shipwrecked. 2006: Police failed to test all Worthington case DNA

2006: Police failed to test DNA of all evidence at Worthington murder scene

In the Worthington murder trial which was about to end on this day in 2006, the jury will not visit crime scene McCowen's girlfriend takes stand, but doesn't testify, and another witness testifies some DNA was not tested. cc2day. Read the trial reports here.

1778 B ritish warship runs aground. 1973: Somerset wreakage return

On this day in 1778, residents of Provincetown and Wellfleet awoke to learn that the Royal Navy man-of-war Somerset had run aground at Peaked Hill Bars in a fierce two-day gale. Twenty of her crew and two officers were killed while survivors were taken prisoner.

The frigate had played a notable role in the American Revolution. In April 1775, Paul Revere rowed past the Somerset at anchor in the Back Bay en route to his midnight ride to warn of a British attack. Longfellow later immortalized Revere's close brush with the warship in his poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."  

The Bunker Hill Monument you see as to drive north out of Boston on I-195 or 93 was built by mistake on nearby on Breed's Hill.

Two months later, the Somerset served as British flagship during the Battle of Bunker Hill, which the British won but at a fearful toll in lives.

The wreakage returns

At least twice in the centuries to follow, the wreckage of the Somerset near Dead Man's Hollow was uncovered by storms, in the late 19th century and again in 1973, as shown in the photo.

(photo credit, http://www.royal-nay.mod.uk/)