The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-12

to rob 1t of its one claim to notoriety,
however much that within may cost the
sailor, and backed by storms and the
consequent violent seas. 1t ended both at
tennpts in disastrous failure, even after
beth caissons had been sunk and appar-
emily made fast. At present the govern
ment spend over $4,000 annually tt
the Outer Diamond. doing all that hui
man agency can devise to warn the mar
iner of his lurking foe.
Hatteras seems to have been stormy
even in it's first days of habitation. The
first white men known to have set foot
OIL its shore were the members of Sit
Walter Raleigh's Inflated first colony OF
settlers. They landed in the latter part
OF the sixteenth century. and finally set
tied on Ronakoe Island in the sound. In
few months their ship went back to
England for more colonists and supplies.
When it returned several year later. not
a sign of the original colony nor of HUI.
man life could be found. The disap
pearance remained a mystery to the new
colonlsts until few months later when
they were attacked by the Croatan In
dams and driven off.
Once Home of Pirates
Edward Teach, pirate, known today as
"Rlack Beard and In those days as
the Living Devil" came along in 1919
and added more strife to the record of
Hatteras. for 1t was there that this cele-
brated william made his headquarters.
Teach was known to have been the most
fiendish and barbarous of marine high
waymen After a round of rich hauls
he sailed from Charleston in the summer
of that year with two ships each under
A. l. IL.
Richards and Hands. The latter COM
branded the Trent. small vessel which
accompanied the fleet for what reason
none knew but Teach himself.
1t transpired that on the voyage north
ward Teach planned to break up his large
company, secure the booty. which
amounted to more than $4,000 pounds sterl-
ing. and divide 1t among favored few.
Conseque ntly, just before he sighted Hat
teras he made for Topsail Inlet, as 1t
was then called. ostsnsibly to clean ship.
He ran aground as II by accident. and
called his two ships to his assistance.
The Revenge. commanded by Richards.
ran aground also, and Teach transferred
his booty, himself and his 40 favorite
hands to the Trent. He sailed on and
left the Revenge where it lay. and the
following morning set some of the orig
inal crew of the Trent ashore on small
island south of Hatteras. On Hatteras
island he disposed of all but his selected
few by creating murderous fights among
them. and finally by slaughtering the re-
mairder himself.
Concerning Teach's treasure. If you
ask anyone at present residing at Hat
teras where the pirate buried it, they
will tell you that the night before he
was killed someone asked him II his wife
knew of the whereabouts of his treasure,
In the event of his death mo one but
the devil and myself know replied
Teach. land the longest liver shall take
all" Therefore. they say, it belongs to
the devil
Ease of Slave Traders
About the year 1850 a large Portu'
guese ship escaped the shoals and was
cast ashore on Hatteras island 1t IL
claimed that these people made no effort
to find the mainland Instead they built
settlement and lived there peaceably
until the smugglers which infested that
region in the early years of our govern
ment, put in an appearance. The Por-
tuguese sided with the government and
attempted to drive off the smugglers.
This, however. was an ideal spot fo~
such operations. and as the government
could not then maintain a force there at
all times. the result was frequent and
severe clashes with the Portuguese res
idents. which told on them so heavily