The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-01-18

upon which their lives seemed
wholly to depend.
Throughout the entire day the
haze continued, but when night
came on, the two officers eagerly
set fire to their signal. In the
meantime, however, the tide had
risen, as we'll as the wind and sea,
so that only with the greatest
difficulty could the blaze be kept
up, often entirely extinguished by
the waves that broke over the
wreck. Frequent heavy showers
also conspired with the sea to
thwart the purpose of the care
worn men, but nevertheless they
kept their pitiful signal burning
at every possible favorable interval
during the night. Altogether they
had used up by the time day
dawned 80 gallons of oil and tur-
pentine, although much of it,
priceless as it was to them, was
wasted by the action of the ruth
less sea.
Two nights and one day had now
passed without food, and under
such a tension of excitement and
apprehension as to seriously inn
pair the resources of the strongest
and bravest of men, and it was
doubtful whether they could hold
out much longer. But fortunately.
although they did not know it,
their forelorn signal had been seen
by some of the crews of both life
saving stations, and also the Hat
teras Station had responded with
a red rocket, which, however,
proved not to have been visible
on the wreck. Indeed the light
shown on the wreck was so dim at
the stations that the keepers were
by no means sure of it's import.
Lights are often seen in the vicini-
ty of the shoals, borne sometimes
upon vessels which, during the
slues between the Inner and Outer
summer, often pass through the
Diamonds, and also upon fishing
vessels which frequently anchor
under the lee of shoals.
Nevertheless, Keeper Etheridge
was suspicious of trouble, and at
daylight turned his telescope to-
ward the point where the signal
had been seen. The weather was
still a little thick, but at seven
am. it lighted up, and the tele-
scope then revealed the funnel and
masts of the wreck. Etheridge
knew them all. His many years
experience told him well enough
what his eyes could not see. He
quickly ordered out the Monomoy
surfboat, called up Keeper Styron,
of Creeds Hill Station, and re-
quested him to start at once for
the Outer Diamond, as the Hat
teras crew were about to do. The
boats of both stations got away
at the same time, and as soon as
they cleared the beach made sail.
The wind was now blowing a
gale from northward, and the sea
was running high, but there was
no faint heart among the life
savers, although all knew full well
the peril of their undertaking. By
nine o'clock the five wretched men
on the wreck made out the two
cleaning sails of the two surf
boats, but they could scarcely be-
lieve their own eyes, for they had
little confidence that any men
would venture out to the Diamond
Shoals in such weather as then
prevailed. But there were the life
boats-help was coming at last.
For forty-two hours the poor fell
lows had endured hunger and
thirst, and contemplated without
sign of weakness almost certain
death, but now that deliverance
was at hand they gave way to
tears-the brave mans last tribute
to joy as we'll as to sorrow.
The Creeds Hill boat arrived
first at point within about a
quarter of a mile of the wreck, but
seeing the tremendous sea run
ming over the treacherous shoals,
and realizing the perils that an
attempt to rescue would surely in
volve, Keeper Styron wisely de-
cided to wait for his mates to
come up. The Hatteras boat was
soon on hand, sail was taken in,
and the two keepers conferred a
few moments regarding the best
plan of action, deciding, in order
to minimize the danger of disaster
to either boat, that the Hatteras
crew should take the three men
from the bridge, and the Creeds
Hill crew the captain and the mate
from the bow. The breakers were
so heavy that the boats could not
cross the shoals, and therefore
they proceeded under oars around
the southwest point of the Outer
Diamond, and each approached its
appointed place as near as the