The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-18
BAKING POWDER.
TO SAVE LIFE AT GAY HEAD.
The Government to Erect a Life
Saving Station There.

Saving Station There.
Gay Head, on Martha's Vineyard
Island, the scene of the wreck of the
Boston and Savannah steamer City of
Columbus ten years ago and of the United
States steamer Galena later on, is to have
a life-saving station. The point has al
ways been dreaded by seafaring men.
Thousands of vessels pass there. 1t com
mands the entrance to Vineyard sound,
which is the great thoroughfare through
which the commerce of the coastwise
trade passes on its way from New York
to Boston and intermediate points.
There is lighthouse at Gay Head
which has done inestima BILE service in
warning off vessels from the Devil S
Bridge, the picturesque and exceedingly
appropriate name for the dangerous
shoals which run off into the sea from
the foot of the high, bare bluff But not
withstanding the presence of this warn
ing beacon, no less than eight vessels
have been lost on this point in the last
ten years, and with one of them, the ill
fated City of Columbus, ninety-nine per-
sons were lost.
The Gay Head station will consist of a
main building, Outbuildings, boat house,
flagstaff and boat shed. The main build
ing will be one and a half stories high,
with large cellar underneath The
tower will be used as a watch room.
The interior of this structure will be ar
ranged for the accommodation of the
keeper and crew.
From Aug. ] to June 1 six men, beside
the keeper. will be on duty, and from
Dec. l TO May l an extra man win be
added.
From past experiences at that point
they will have to keep a close outlook on
Fridays, for that day seems to be parti-
cularly unlucky in the neighborhood of
Gay Head. 1t was on Friday, Jan IS,
1884, that the City of Columbus was
wrecked This wreck is of such recent
occurrence and was attended with so
many terrible experiences that there are
few in New England who do not remem-
Der the dreadful accident.
1t was a moonlight night, but a trife
hazy, and there was a stiff gale blowing,
when the City of Columbus was proceed
ing down the sound on its way from Bos-
ton to Savannah with eighty-three pas
sengers and crew of forty-four men on
board. The captain had cautioned the
pilot to call him on reaching a certain
point, and had then retired to seek re-
pose.
Unheedful of the warning the pilot al
lowed the captain to sleep on, and at :45
a. m. Friday the vessel struck on Mussel
bank, Just outside of DEVILS bridge, at
thelfOot of Gay Head. The vessel was
soon reduced to a total wreck, and the
water was alive with struggling men,
women and children
Some managed to reach the slippery
rocks and to cling to them until assist
ance arrived, but of the Ill who had been
on board the steamer only twelve lived to
tell the tale. The other ninety-nine sank
beneath the waves
Had there been a life-saving station
there then the horror and suffering oc-
casiOned by the disaster would have been
mitigated. If not entirely avoided by the
efforts Of the brave life savers, and many
a home in New England would not have
been Swallowed by the presence of grim
death.
Friday, March 10, when the United
States steamer Galena, together with the
United States tugs Nina and Triana went
aground near this same point Fortu-
nately there was no loss Of life in this ac-
cident, but the vessels were pretty badly
damaged. The. Gay Head Indians assisted
in saving the lives of the officers and men.
They brought the life saving apparatus,
mortar, breaches, buoy, etc, from the
Massachusetts Humane Society s station,
mile and half away, and after helping
to get the fOrty-nine men ashore, fed and
sheltered them.
These are but two Of many instances
where the presence Of the station, which
it is now proposed to build, would have
been of incalculable service, and it will
add much to the peace of mind of the
hardy seafaring men of the Massachusetts
coast to know that the government has at
last started to provide against similar
dangers which may threaten them in the
future