The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-03-02
BUXTON SEAMAN SAW
HISTORY REPEATED
IN TWO WORLD WARS
By BEN DIXON MaeNEILL

Buxton on Cape Hatteras-
Neighbors paused on their way
out to the beach here that August
afternoon in 1918 to urge Mrs.
Barnett to come with them to
where they could see Diamond
Shoals Lightship burning after
being shelled by a German sub
marine. The Seven Villages of the
Outer Banks had been hearing
cannon fire all afternoon and it
was still going on.
Mrs. Barnett would not go a.
long. She could see all she needed
to see from her front porch, which
then as now looks out past the
Lighthouse here and the wide
sweep of the Atlantic. At night
she could see, in good weather, the
light on the Lightship IA miles
away and she was comforted by
the fact that her husband could
see her light in the window from
the Lightship. He was first mate,
and, in the absence of the master,
OHlcer In charge.
Capt. Walter L. Barnett was in
command that afternoon and he
remembers wildly now that when
things began to happen at 1870
o'clock he was listening to the i'm
probable story of dream that his
chief engineer insisted on telling
him. Capt. Barnett didn't believe
in dreams at 1:30 o'clock and he
was not having much patience in
his listening. But he was listen
ing, and now and then CHANGING
north-westward toward Cape Hat
teras and his own house.
The Dream Realized
Five minutes later, if he had
had time to stop and think about
anything, Captain Barnett would
have discovered himself an I'M
willing convert to a belief in
dreams. The engineer had dream
ed, during an off-watch nap, that
great ship came alongside and
spewed out of its bow smaller
ship and it came over and whop-
ped the Lightship right under the
bow, making her stand on her
hind end.
That afternoon the weather
was good as only weather off Cape
Hatteras can be when it takes the
notion. Warm, sunny, cloudless,
and utterly calm. Off to the north
east Dutch ship deeply loaded
went slowly north. On the other
quarter, two heavily loaded tank
ers rolled lazily with the swell.
Then the calm was shattered by
the blast of big cannon, and in
moment, through his glasses,
Captain Barnett could make out
the Dutch crew taking to it's boats.
There was more firing.
Radio Message
Radio was something pretty new
aboard the Lightship then and
Captain Barnett had no great
faith in it but he Immediately sent
the alarm to the Naval Radio Sta
ton at Morehead City. Evidently
the German submarine, now visi-
BILE two miles away and easily
spotted by the flash of its guns,
heard his warning and they turn
ed their guns on the Lightship.
At the first shot the radio anten-
nae went down which, Captain
Barnett admits, was not bad shoot
ing.
By now the Dutchman was a.
blaze and the submarine came
closer. Its second shot landed
right under the bow and the
Lightship reared out of the wat
err. The next one was under the
port, and a shower of filthy water
showered down on the spotless
ship. Captain Barnett was a good
housekeeper and he continues to
be. His house on one of the higher
hills above the Lighthouse is spot
less, and right now the retired
veteran is busy with his spring
painting.
More shells came whistling ov-
CT, UuJ IlC NC1AIdu 1ldIhSIudIlSlIp
was not improved. Maybe, the
Captain now thinks, they were not
trying too hard to actually hi3
him. He gave the order to lower
the lifeboat and within minutes
the twelve members of the crew
were in it and pulling away. The
submarine. came closer and i'm
proved her shooting. Presently the
lightship was mass of flame.
Captain Barnett headed for
home. The only Hatteras Islander
in the crew with him was Sea-
man Guy Dudley, now also living
in retirement here. His mother,
Mrs. Rovenia Dudley, is the old
est living resident of the Island.
They watched a little fearfully as
the raider approached closer to
the Lightship, wondering if she
wou,3 pursue them. Instead she
turned to the southeast where the
two tankers, alarmed by the gun
fire, had turned about and headed
for shoal water. They outran the
raider, which turned north again.
Caufoin Corra ,nordad