Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-01-20
CAPE HATTERAs.
Most Dangerous Spot on the Atlantic
Scene of Many Wrecks.


Scene Of Many Wrecks.
The wreck Of the steamer Northeast
ern of Cape Hatteras adds another
to the long list Of ships that have lost
their bones on the treacherous Dta-
mond Shoals. the graveyard Of the At
lantic ocean.
No place touched by the waters Of
the Atlantic ocean is the scene Of 80
many disasters as Cape HatteraA Ask
mariner for the name or number Of
ships that have given up their ca
reers on the treacherous projection Of
the North Carolina coast, and he will
shrug his shoulders. The deep-sea
sailor loses recollection Of the constant
mishaps of Hatteras. Disasters are
too frequent to stand out clearly In
the memory.
The greatest loss of life occurred
when French steamer, trading be-
tween New York and the West Indies,
struck .derelict vessel at night dur
ing gale and went down, with nearly
200 souls aboard. The British and
Norwegian tramp steamers that have
missed their way in rounding tn pro-
montory may be counted by the score.
The Baltimore bark Priscilla went to
pieces near Hatteras, when Captain
Springsteen lost his wife. son and q
passenger.
Cape Hatteras Is the easteriimost
projection Of the Atlantic coast into
the sea. Shoals Of shifting SANDS run
Is miles out to sea, where Is ar,t lored
the Diamond Shoals nghtship. which
has several times been swept away
from her. moorings and once driven
ashore. II there Is a gale from almost
any direction 1t kicks up big seas on
the shoals that sprawl out to sea.
The Gulf Stream, which sweeps
around the projection of land. adds to
the confusion of the seas. 1t Is re-
gion Of fogs, and there are Landmarks
on the coast which somewhat rssem-
BILE Cape Henry, often Turing ships In
on the beach when their shippers be-
lieve they are heading for the Chesa-
peake.
No lighthouse has ever stood the
fury of the seas of Hatteras. Between
1875 and 1902 the records Of tho life
saving service show that there were
81 wrecks. at this point with total
losses Of ss,Ooo,0oO and So lives.
The latest attempt to build light
house at this important point was in
1889. when a contract was given to
Anderson & Barr, Of Pittsburg. An
enormous caisson was constructed, and
preparations were made for putting 1t
In place and filling In the masonry and
concrete in the shortest possible time.
In a period Of calm weather an efort
was made to do this, but a sudden
storm carried the work away.
AS in the famous case Of the Minots
Ledge and Eddystone lights, 1t has
been seriously doubted IL a permanent
| lighthouse can ever be built at the
dangerous spots of Cape Hatteras.
Ever since the twenties, however, q
lightship has been maintained there.
This lightship, though held In place
by mushroom anchors Weighing 5000
pounds, has repeatedly been driven
away from her moorings In storms.
On one occasion in 1900 the lightship
was adrift for three days, while on
April Of the same year, she was
dragged two miles from her proper
station. AS the light Is located only
five and three-fourths miles from the
nearest shoal, such displacement ID
very serious matter. The two light
ships which relieve each other ut this
station are numbered II and "a, res
pectively. American.