The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-02-15

more was shown on the vessel. The
surfmen, after brief wait, ran
up the code signal L M, ('The
berth you are now in is not safe").
This was done because it would
take at least fifteen or twenty
hours for a tug to arrive, and with
night approaching and no indica-
ton of favorable change in the
weather, it was unsafe for the
schooner to remain where she was.
1t was advisable for her to seek
an anchorage farther offshore.
The vessel was all the while
closely watched, but owing to the
rain the station men, even with the
aid of glasses, could not make out
what was taking place on board.
The wind meantime had drawn off
shore to the west of north. Shortly
after four o'clock the craft was
seen to hoist her mainsail part way
up, slip her cables and stand off
the land. She soon set her jibs, and
afterwards lowered the mainsail
and headed down the beach. The
keeper at once had horses hitched
to the mortar cart and notified the
station to the south (Cape Halter
as) that the schooner had got I'M
derway and was running down the
coast, and that he and his crew
were about to follow with the APP
paratus. The beach was soft and
covered with water and when some
two miles on the way, good pro-
gress having been made, one of the
axles of the cart became heated,
causing a halt. Efforts were made
in various ways to remedy the
trouble, and number of citizens
of the neighborhood who had ac-
companied the surfmen aided in
the work, but it was found impos-
sible to get the cart in running
order until the axle could cool.
Sought The Inner Slue
1t may be we'll to state, in order
that the explanation of the vessels
movements may be better under
stood, that Cape Hatteras makes
out about eight miles to the south
ward of the Big Kinnakeet Station
and that point of the Cape (just
beyond the outer BARI and between
it the Inner Diamond Shoals there
is a channel called the Inner Slue.
Between the Inner and Outer Dia-
mond Shoals there is another chan
mel known as the Outer Slue. Many
vessels pass thru these channels
during good weather to save the
long sail out and around the
shoals, while many attempt to do
so in heavy weather to more quick
ly reach lee and smooth water.
1t was evident that the captain
intended to seek shelter by trying
to go through the Inner Slue, for
if he had wanted to beach the
schooner he could have easily done
so when she first came in sight of
the station. The fact that the jibs
were the only sails set after head
ing down the coast supports this
theory. Besides, whenever the YES
sci showed a tendency to head up
toward the land the jib sheet would
at once be drawn to windward (the
wind being a little off shore) when
she would Immediately resume her
course. The Captain seems, how
ever, to have finally changed his
mind, and abandoned the under
taking, for after while the main
sail was again hoisted and the
schooner was steered for the beach.
She struck, as near as could be
judged, some five or six hundred
yards off, at a point about three
miles north of Cape Hatteras.
When the cart became disabled
and there was no prospect of get
ting it over the beach, orders were
given for the men to hurry along
and meet the crew of the Hatteras
Station, on whose beach it was now
obvious the vessel would strike if
she was headed for the shore. The
keeper rode one of the horses as
fast as he could for half a mile or
so in advance, when he dismounted
and tied the horse to telephone
pole, so that some member of his
crew following after could secure
rest by riding the animal and
also hurry the quicker to the scene
of operations. The keeper then ran
down along the beach, passing the
vessel just as she struck the bar,
until the surfman on the horse
overlook him, when he remounted
and galloped on until he met the
crew of the Hatteras Station, who
were hurrying to the schooner's
assistance as fast as the condition
of the beach, the beating rain and
strong head wind would permit.
The vessel struck at about twenty
minutes of 6 o'clock.
The work of the life saving men
now proceeded under the direction
of the keeper of the Hatteras Sta
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