The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-13

itself, for the Peaked Hill Bar has moaned over many
other wrecks.
On March J.. 1873. an Italian bark, the Giovannia.
from Palermo. went ashore on the fatal bar. As soon
as the vessel was seen from the Race Point Life-Saving
Station preparations were made to rescue the crew,
and the station men started out with the mortar-shot
lines and fsawsers. The men had great difficulty
in driving the cart along, as there was a heavy ice
wall along the beach, and it took over three hours
to get to the scene of the wreck. The crew of the
Highland Station were already on hand, but without
any apparatus. y consultation was held, and it
was thought best that the crews should return to
the Highland Station and get the lifc-car. Meanwhile
the steward and boatswain of the bark tried to reach
the shore upon a plank. The plank was tossed about
and turned over and over. but the men chung to it
until they reached the breakers on the beach. Here
the boatswain lost his hold and was drowned. but a
young man from the shore saved the steward by
rushing into the surf with a line around his body.
and when he had grasped the almost exhausted man
both were hauled ashore.
The station men did not arrive back at the scene OF
the wreck until eleven o'clock that night. for it was
slow work hauling the lifc-car through the heavy
banks of snow and ice. There had been heavy snow
squalls all day, and by the time the men got back the
vessel was hidden from sight by the darkness.
y fire was kept burning on the beach. and as soon
as day dawned the vessel was deserted on the bar.
The mortar was loaded. and a shot with a line attached
was fired, but it fell short over sixty feet. Again and
again the mortar was fired but the shots all fell short.
and at length the ammunition was exhausted When
the firing ceased the crew of the doomed ship clam
bered up in the fore-rigging and jumped overheard
in the hope OF swimming ashore But not a soul
reached the beach alive-the current and the under
tow were too strong. and the watchers on shore, help
less to aid. beheld twelve men 60 down before their
eyes. Shortly after the crew jumped overheard the
vessel began to break up: soon there was nothing
visible OF the wreck except a portion of the bow.
and ere long the shore was strcwn with debris.
The lfe-saving apparatus is now more efficient than
1t was a quarter of a century ago, but still the dan
gerous bars claim their victims.
The Belmont. a barkentine from the West Indies.
was lost upon the bars, and six of her crew were
drowned. Then, September -. 1906. another Italian
bark was dashed to pieces on the Peaked ELL Bar.
Some OF the crew were saved. but the bodies of the
Captain, mate and steward were found upon the
beach with their throats cut. They committed sui
eide, either through grief at the loss OF the vessel. or
because they ~despaired of being rescued.
The last ship to run upon the bars was the Theta.
a British ship bound for Ncw-York. She dashed upon
the inner bar in the early morning of June -. 1907:
but by prompt assistance from the lifc-savers the
crew were brought to shore in a 1ife-boat. \ few
days attcrward the Theta herself was got off from
the bar with little damage, and was towed to Province
town Harbor-one of the few ships that had been
driven on the bars and vet had escaped destruction.
The shifting sands about Provincctowl hide the
veStige OF many a wreck beside that of the old man
ot-war. the Somerset. As the wind shrills over the
wastes OF sand on a stormy night one can almost
imagine that he hears the walls of those who found
their death upon the moaning bars. Well it was that
the Mavflower with its precious freight steered clear
OF those dangerous shoals, and well might the Pilgrim
Fathers give thanks upon their safe arrival in the
waters of Provincetown harborl