The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-11-02

| aAthobAOAAy III SAlC was A1c0AS w oAAi4A
at any moment. In the midst of
these dangers the men, by watch
ing their opportunity, would de-
scend to the decks and work the
pumps until again driven to the
rigging by the seas. At half-past
ten o'clock that night the schooner
struck with a crash on what is
known as Pebble Shoal, one of the
many small outlying shoal Jumps
in the vicinity of Fale Cape, and
there she bilged and quickly filled
with water.
The top of the cabin was almost
Immediately swept away, and the
vessel settled into the sand until
the hull was wholly submerged,
leaving northing but the mssts
above water. What passed during
the remaining hours of that dread
full night is a blank, beyond the
statement of Garrett that at 3
o'clock in the morning of the oath,
the steward, a colored man, unable
to hold on any longer, fell into the
storm dashed sea and was lost. This
greatly shocked the rest. When day
dawned the scene from the rigging
of the wreck was wild and terri
flying one. The wind still ragged
and the waves broke into surf as
far offshore as the eye could see
through the pelting rain and
spume drift, while to, the leeward
lay the low sand hills, which ever
and anon came into sight and were
then hidden by the towering bill
] lows that rnadly chaser one anoth-
er shoreward, and were there scat
tered with thunderous. roar into a
smother of foam and spray upon
the desolate beach.
Tide on Station Floors
The first intimation the Wash
Woods crew had of there being a
craft in the offing was after mid
night, when the incoming patrol
man from the north beat reported
a faint white light, apparently
some distance off. This he had an
swered with his Coston danger
signal. 1t should be stated here
that the storm tide had risen so
high that it swept completely
across the lower floors of the sta
tons. Under these conditions pa
troll duty was attended with the
greatest difficulty and danger the
men having in places to wade hip
deep and being frequently driven
to the knobs for safety. The next
patrol upon returning at daylight
brought news that a vessel had
sunk during the night well off
shore; the masts at that time~show-
ing above water about two-thirds
of their length, while the end of the
job boom was just visible between
the seas. The vessel lay with her
head shoreward. AS it was scarcely
light when the patrolman passed
her, he saw nothing Of the crew.
Another surfman was at once dis
patched up the beach to obtain
more definite information, and re-
turned with the report that he
could see several men in the rig
ging. 1t was impossible to handle
the beach apparatus just then, by
reason of the condition of the
beach, but as soon as the water
fell off on the ebb tide the men
set out with the long-range gear
and after a hard tug reached the
scene at about 10 o'clock in the
forenoon.
In the meantime, at about 9
O'Clock, according to Garnett's
statement, the second mate had
been swept from the rigging and
another man shared like fate an
hour or so later. Thus but five men
were in the rigging when the sta
ton crew arrived, and shortly aft
erwards another fell into the sea.
An attempt to reach the craft with
a line thrown from the wreck-gun
failed utterly, the shot dropping