The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-06-26

him safely ashore. He was pretty
well exhausted when rescued
but stoutly refused to go to the
station until he could see his
shipmates also safe on land.
Second Attempt Required.
The schooner once started
from where she first struck now
began working along the bar to
the southwark and ere long the
tail of the whip-block also
parted, thus for the time COM
pletely severing connections with
the beach. The life-saving crews
quickly hauled the lines out of
the surf, and after clearing
them of turnes and kinks, re-
loaded the cart and moved along
abreast of the schooner, watch
ing an opportunity to again use
the gun. 1t soon came and the
line was once more dropped
within reach of the people on
board.
At this time the schooner was
lying parallel with the beach,
head to the northward, having
turned completely around, since
leaving her first position. The
whip was again hauled off and
the tail-block made fast as be-
fore, to the flying jib-stay. When
this was done the beachmen,
as precautionary measure,
sent off four life preservers.
Three of them were secured
and put on by the steward and
two seamen, who were thus
made comparatively safe. The
other life-preserver fouled in the
wreckage alongside and was
lost, leaving one man, the cap
tsin, without any. 1t was ex-
treme1y fortunate that even
three of the belts reached them,
for they were scarcely in their
possession when the schooner
again swung around with the
same result as before, viz the
parting of the line.
At the time it broke one of
the sailors had just started in
an attempt to reach the beach
hand over hand on the line. He
was of course, thrown into the
surf, but by great good luck
managed to retain his grasp un-
til quickly drawn ashore by the
life-saving crews. He was slight
ly injured by contact in the surf
with floating lumber from the
deck load, but little brandy
from the medicine chest soon
revived him.
AS son as the lines were re-
arranged, another shot was fired.
The schooner changed her posi-
ton so rapidly, however, that
the line fell beyond reach of
those on board. It was quickly
hauled back and the fourth fire
dropped 1T once. more on the
| head stays. In the meantime the
vessel was becoming wreck
The stern had been burst in and
the water alongside and to lee
ward was thickly strewn with
lumber and wreck stuff. Scarce
| ly had the remaining men in
the rigging secured the shot line
for the third time when it was
cut by contact with the floating
wreckage
| Two Men Overheard.
With praiseworthy persever-
ance the surfmen again hauled
back the broken line, and after
changing end for end, again shot
it over the vessels jib-boom.
The blight of it, as the current
swept it alongside, was secured
by the sailors in the rigging, but
they were benumbed and stiff,
and in such an awkward posi-
ton their efforts to haul out the
whip line failed. AS the situa-
ton became more and more
critical, two men who had life
preservers on had resolved to
attempt swimming to the beach,
leaving the captain alone in the
rigging.
They had scarcely left her
when the schooner fell on her
side. It should be remembered
that during all this time she had
kept steadily in motion, preser-
wing the same relative distance
from the shore, with a mad
whirl of waters between, which
would have swamped any boat
attempting to leave the beach.
The two men, buoyed upon the
crests of the waves of the cork
belts, gradually worked them
selves shoreward and were at
last thrown within reach of the
surfmen, who joining hands,
waded out as far as possible,
grasped them and carried them
IN the beach hills clear of the