The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-02-22

northward from the Little Kinna-
keet Station, (then the Sixth Dis
trict), North Carolina, discovered
large vessel, which proved to be
the schooner Nathan Esterbrook.
Jr., of New Haven, Connecticut,
ashore two and one-half miles
north-northeast of the life-saving
station, and about three hundred
and seventy-five yards from the
shore. This point is some four
miles northward of the town of
Avon.
The vessel was Of seven hun
bred and thirty-one tons burden,
having on board cargo of guano
valued at $4,000, and was on a
voyage from New York City to
Savannah, Georgia, carrying a
crew of nine men all told. The
wind was from the southwest, and
although strong, was favored for
the schooner, and while it was in
tensely dark the weather was not
stormy, but the master had in
some way missed his calculations
and almost before he was aware of
his peril, ran hard aground as
stated above. The tide was falling
and the surf was heavy.
The patrolman no sooner saw
the lights of the schooner than he
knew she was stranded, and he
therefore made his way with all
possible haste to the life-saving
station, where the crew were a.
reused and at once prepared to go
to the wreck. While the apparatus
cart was being run out, and some
extra articles that the keeper
thought might be found necessary
were 3 being loaded into a horse
cart belonging to him, he tele-
phoned to the Gull Shoal Station,
some five miles to the north of his
own, and also to Big Kinnakeet,
some six miles to the southwark,
informing them of the stranding
and requesting their presence at
the scene. Then he went to the top
of the lockout and burned a red
signal to Yet the ship-wrecked men
know that preparations were in
hand for their rescue. The life
saving creE then harnessed them
selves to the apparatus cart and
started off, the keeper going ahead
and making faster time with his
own cart loaded with the medicine
chest, blankets, life belts, extra
shot lines, etc. Not long afterwards
he met the Gull Shoal crew and
sent some of them with a horse to
assist his men who were behind
with the apparatus cart. No time
was unnecessarily consumed, but
extreme darkness of the night and
the condition of the beach were
such that a considerable period
was required to get abreast Of the
wreck with the apparatus, which
was not accomplished until nearly
3 o'clock.
The Lyle life gun was i'm
mediately brought into requisition
carefully sighted by the lights OF
the schooner which were still burn
ing, and a moment later its friend
ly shot went whizzing through the
air toward the mark. The distance
was great, and the darkness SC
Iimpenetrable that the eye could
not follow the flight of the projec.
tile, but the fact subsequently ap-
Ipeared that Notwithstanding the
difficulties of the situation both
the keeper and the gun had done
their work well.
It is true the shot did not res
on board the vessel, but it reached
her fairly and would have proved
entirely successful had it not hap
pened to strike the heavy foresta!
and rebound into the water. Aftel
waiting a sufficient length of tim,
to find that the line was not being
hauled aboard, the keeper knew
the shot had failed, and prompt!
prepared to try again. The seconc
projectile was fired with a large
line and heavier charge of pow
der, but fell short. Upon the thir'
trial the same weight cartridg'
was used, but lighter line (of tn
same size as the first one), ant
this shot landed the line in excel
lent position across the fore gait
between the fore and main masts.
The shipwrecked crew at ono
began hauling out the whip, and il
the space of a few minutes tn
hawser was sent out and mad
; fast, but unfortunately, as it late
appeared, too low down. The move
ments of the life-saving men wer
guided solely by the signals of |
lantern on board the schooner, an,
they had no knowledge of wha
was going on there except iron
that source, therefore, when |
signal was made that the hawse
was fast they set it up. clapped o.
the breaches buoy, and it was a
, bout to start on its first tri1