The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-11
Shipwrecks at the Manacles,

l have been az some pains 10 collect IL
formation as 20 The number OF casualties
thai have taken place latterly within two
or three miles OF the Manacles. One
fisherman. who IS stu in middle life. re-
calls thirty-SiX. HIS lis. however. Is IN
complete. for more than fifty have hap
pensd during the past thirty years. OF
these, considerably more than half may be
clasSed as total wrecks To turn % the
ife-boat records Il seems that the Port
houstoek boat. which by the way, was
sent TO the hamlet in consequence OF
three quickly ensuing wrecks. has since
the year 1872 been on active service six
teen times. and has effected the rescue
OF IL persons. The same records show
that I19 lives were lost from the vessels
10 which the nfe-b0at went out There
were at least sixteen other wrecks during
that period. resulting II the loss Of forty
four lives, 10 which the life-boat could
render no assistance. In some instances
the crews rowed ashore IN their own
| boats. In others. a hurricane from the
east made a launch impossible.
When one looks at this terrible array OF
facts. II may appropriately be asked II
the means OF averting dhasteT ana Of
saving life are adequate IN the neighbOr-
/ hood. A bell-5uoy certainly exists At the
Manacies. but il is OF so little use that
I II hardly deserves 20 be mentioned. Next,
there exists ar Coverack two and q half
miles from the aAInacles very good
/ coastguard station. The men attached 10
! this station have. by their untiriBg vigi-
/ lance. saved many ships from destruction.
I Only single cOas5guard is stationed at
( POrthoUstock. but previous 70 the wreck
( OF the MChegau Il was decided 20 increase
/ the number 10 three and TO erect cottages
/ for them in the cove. 1t may be pointed
/ out. however. that from POrthoUstock
Z
obtained, and none at all OF the Mana
/ cles. ePrsons thoroughly acquainted
! with the situation are Tnost strongly con-
/ WINGED Of the eminent desirability OF sta
/ tioning these men on Mauacles Point.
/ Had they been there last October, they
/ would probably have been able 70 signal
! The AIohegan in time 70 prevent her from
being stranded.
| Next. the fact that on the night OF the
| wreck OF the MoheEan the rocket sppa-
Tatus at Coverack had 70 be lsboriousIy
! pushed by men up great hill directs at
\ teutiOn to the unfavorable position IN
/ which the machine is placed. Save In the
actual cove itself there is no road along
| the shore from Coverack in either direc-
! ton IN fully nine cases out OF ten a
/ steep ascent has 70 be made with the
/ apparatus before Il can be conveyed to
/ any point outside a haif-mile radius As
.
/ rack human labor must be employed OBJ
viously the best place for the apparatus
/ IS St Kiverne, where horses are always
4 to be had, whence by an easy descent
/ any part OF the neighborinE coast may
! be reached. In the great blizzard Of 1891.
/ when four vessels were wrecked in two
/ days, the delay in getting the rocket APP
/ paratus 70 the scenes OF the catastrophes
/ Is locally he'll dto be responsible for much
! unnecessary loss Of life Finally. it
might be suggested 10 the lifehoat insti-
/ tuition that boat stationed az Coverack
would be likely TO prove useful. Occa-
/ siOnally very serious wrecks. indeed. ac-
! companied by great loss Of lie, occur at
! ST Keverne- -Four wrecks alone within
/ the last ninety years have resulted in the
! drowning OF no fewer than 40 persons.
! In such cases one Ife-boat Is manifestlv
! insufficient. Boats coming from dis
I lance however brave and skilful their
| crews may he cannot render much SER
/ vice. II is not possible for men who have
/ no intimate knowledge of the Mauacles
! 70 take their craft safely at night through
! all the intriCaCies Of the trcacherous
| waters. At Coverack there are enough
| experienced fishermen. Acquainted. BY
| reason Of their avocations. with every
rock and cove and shoal and headiand IN
| the neighborhood. 81 ann a boat. These
men in a llfebOat might have been able
! 70 save many Of the unfortunate passen-
| gers and crew fthe MoheEan, who FOR
J n time were kept ahoat by lfeboats only
/ 70 be dashed finally against the cliffs ard
| boulders Of the inhospltable coast
| Perhaps II the proposed CoastEuard STA
/ ton were established on Msnacie Point In
/ stead of P1rthoustock Cove ~ the rocket
| appa ratus were removed 20 ST. Keverue.
and if a Efeboat were sent 10 Coyerack
/ the force Of n plea for a iightship az the
/ Manacles would be greatly diminished
/ 7 orF1v V-froac