The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-03-21

d. Ill. % the HSLn ne plChCU up GWO
on the starboard bows, which he at
first took to be shore lights, but
on looking at them through his
glasses he found they were steam
ers.
At 400 the port watch came on
deck to relieve the Captain, who
was keeping the starboard watch,
but the latter still remained on
deck to look after the soundings.
For some time after 400 the YES
sci ran along in II and 13 fathoms.
When she made Is fathoms the
captain told the mate that they
would soon wear ship, meaning
that they would swing the schooner
clear around to port, making a
loop, as it were, and head out sea-
ward on the port tack almost at
right angles to the direction in
which they were going. This man.
oeuver was necessary in order to
get out far enough to go again on
the starboard tack for Cape Hen
ry, inside of which the Captain
says he wanted to make refuge.
Just before the necessary orders
were given for bringing the YES
sci around, sounding was taken
which showed IL fathoms. The cap
tain states that he had then no
idea that he would go on the beach.
He simply thought that they were
getting as close in shore as was
prudent and that the time had ar
rived to get off in order to come
up again on the starboard tack.
The necessity for wearing ship, he
explains, was the direction of the
wind, which was blowing from the
northeast. In the opinion of some
of the life-savers, if the wind had
been point farther eastward, it
would not have been necessary to
wear the schooner around, and she
would undoubtedly have reached
without accident the haven she had
in view. 1t was while executing the
maneuver mentioned that she got
into trouble.
When Captain Hunter found his
vessel in IL fathoms, he took the
wheel and told the mate. to slack
away the spanker topsail and
stand by. The slackening of this
sail, he stated, was to throw the
wind pressure more on the forward
sails, thereby helping to swing the
schooner around more quickly.
While the mate was slackening the
sail, the captain rolled the wheel
hard up and fastened it with the
beckett. Telling of what next oc-
cured, he says:
The schooner paid off north
west, but seemed to hand, and as |
did not want to lose too much
ground or strain my steering gear,
l next called to the mate to slack
the spanker peak. AS she still did
not pay off, l then told him to low
er the spanker away. l, at the same
time, ran to leeward and let 90 the
mizzen sheet. AS the vessel still
did not answer her helm, began
to suspect that something was
wrong with her steering gear, and
was doing everything possible to
bring her around"
By this time the wind was fresh
ened up to 20 knots and it had be-
gun to drizzle, making a mist over
the water. Day was breaking, how
ever, and through the occasional
riffs in the scurrying fog, the sail
ors could see to windward, long
lines OF foam breasted seas, which
warned them of their proximity to
the shore. Up to this moment, it
seems, the captain had not been
apprehensive that he was danger
ously near the beach, and he had
scarcely time to realize what was
IN store for his vessel before she
fetched up in the breakers. She
struck about $50 yards off shore
nose first, then swung around mort
side to the beach, headed north
ward.
The seas were running high
when she took bottom, and thew
now broke over her decks and the
houses fore and aft, the spray flv-
ing high up in the rigging. The
captain, young man just turned
80, and who appears to have acted
with great courage and presence of
mind through the terrible scenes
that ensued, and to have manifest
ed the greatest concern for the
safety of his crew-ordered all
hands on deck. Two or three of the
men were forward and the rest aft
/ After calling the men up, the can
tam, the mate and two seamen nm
dertook TO lower the sails $50 that
there would not be so much gear
swinging around" The water was
coming aboard in much volume
however, that they were unable to
finish their work, having to take
refuge on the quarterback. where
they were shortly Joined bv the
men from for1x,o,.J