The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-08
HEROIC PIECE OF
RESCUE work
THREE MEN CARRY LINE TO
CAPE CHARLES LLGHTsHIP
IN TURBULENT BREAKERS.

y
boat distinguished themselves in the
stormy ocean Off Virginia Beach yes
teiday afternoon when they showed
off from under the lee of the buor
tender Orchid and carried q line from
her to the Cape Charles lightshlp that
was dragging at her last anchor only
three hundred yards outside the tur-
bulent breaers.
1t was the finest piece OF rescue
work that has been done along the
virginia coast since CAPTAIN Partridge
Of the tug John Twohy. took eleven
men from the awashed decks of the
undertaken schooner George w
Grant, several winters ago, when that
vessel was pounding on the bar just
outside of Cape Henry point.
The lightship broke her anchor
chain Saturday evening during the
hurricane that wa sweeping the coast
by the gale diagonally across the
mouth Of the bay.
She was headed straight for the
shore between Cape Henry and the
Casino at Virginia Beach when sight
ed at half past eleven by q surfman
from the Virginia Beach ;ifesavins
station. By the time he had hurried
hack to the station and given the
alarm the vessel was within eight
/ AunQICu yAIu8 oA tuC oHoA y.
Then the wind veered from north
east to north and her drift was
changed parallel to the beach in
stead OF toward 1t. This lucky chanse
In the wind came not ten minutes too
soon. Had 1t been later there would
be another story to write.
IAfeSavers ON Guard.
Captain Barnes, OF the Virginia
Beach station realized that 1t would
be impossible to launch surf boat
through the sea that was piling upon
the sand, but mustered his men ready
to shoot line over the lightship the
minute she struck the bar
This, however, wss not to be. The
captain OF the drifting vessel had
spare anchor and rope hawser
aboard and these he threw overheard.
For more than two miles the drift
OF the craft was not checked and the
lifesavers followed her down the
coast. Just a little after 3 O'Clock yes
terday morning when the vessel was
abreast the Virginia Beach Hotel the
anchor held for the first time and the
vessel rode there until s o'clock.
While she was drifting her crew KEEP
her foghorn blowing and burned q
big flare on her deck as distress
signal. But after she pulled up these
were discontinued
Her second drift began as day was
breaking and again the lifesaverss foi-
lowed her. This time, however. she
only made q mile south. but came in
about two hundred yards, and when
the anchor caught again she was six
hundred yards from the shore and
just abreast OF Rudy Inlet. TIE life
savers camped at the home of Mrs.
Augustus Post, quarter OF mile
further south. while the revenue cut
ter 1tasca stood Off about mile
from the shore.
Several tramp steamers nosing
their way UP the coast through the
thick weather made out the lines OF
the light vessel and Immediately
headed in for shore. thinking she was
at her regular anchorage. and in two
instances disasters were barely
missed. All of them realized their mis-
take before too late and lost no time
in heading to sea again.
The Ifasca on account of her deep
draught. could render no aid TO the
lightship, so she steamed in toward
Norfolk and at 2 o'clock the buoy ten
der was seen heading in for the i'm
periled ship through the mist.
The tender hove to about three
hundred yards to the north Of tina
llightship and succeeded in launching
lifeboat on her lee side. There wero
two men in 1t when 1t took the water
and third jumped into 1t afterward.
These men navigated the tiny craft
across the wild stretch Of water be-
tween the two vessels while hum
dreds OF people on the beach watched
and hoped they would succeed. Most
of the time they were hidden from
, view. but finally they reached their
goal, only to lose their light line they
were carrying from the rescuinE ship
! They had to pull back against the
! wind and tide to the tender to re-
cover the line and again they started
for the lightship.
This time their trip was successful,
but not until they had come perilous-
iy near going under. for the tide
swept them far south OF their mark
and. already tired. 1t was almost more
than they could do to make the head.
way against 1t necessary to take the
line to the lightship. But they sue
ceeded and then they pulled them
selves back to their ship along the
line.
The men on the tender made a
heavy steel cable fast to the light
line and the men on the lightship
pulled this cable to their boat and
bent 1t around a towing bit In the
bow.