The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-12-03

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burning steamer.
About five miles off shore
Keeper Midget met one of the
boats from the steamer contain
ing the master and sixteen men
proceeding towards the beach.
From the master, Captain w. R.
Williams, he learned that his ship
was the British tanker MIRLO,
en- route from New Orleans, La,
to Norfolk, Va, with a cargo of
gasoline and refined oil, and that
she had been torpedoed by a
German submarine, which had
caused the fire and explosions
and the loss of the ship. Keeper
Midget also learned that two
others of the MIRLO'S boats
were in the midst of the fire,
one of them being capsized. the
master of the MIRLO being of
the opinion that all of the men
IN the capsized boat had been
burned to death by the blazing
gasoline and oil. In this opinion
he was Joined by the members of
his crew who were with him.
Hastily giving Captain Will
liams directions how to proceed
in the safest manner towards the
beach, and cautioning him to
await his return outside of the
breakers, as it was a very dan
gerous landing, Keeper Midget
proceeded at full speed under his
motor to the scene of the fire.
Quoting from the official report
of Keeper Midget we read as
follows:
Six Men Hang Onto
Capsized Boat
There were two great masses
of flame about one hundred
yards apart, with the sea for
many hundreds of yards cover
ed with burning gas and oil. At
times, between the two great
masses of flame when the smoke
would clear away, could be seen
capsiZed boat wi tn 81 x men
clinging to it. The heavy swell
was washing over the boat. With
great difficulty 1 ran our boat
through the smoke, floating
wreckage and oil and rescued
the six men from the burning
sea. All of them had burns, but
none were serious; but it was not
pleasant to hear them relate the
story of how they had to dive
under the water to save them
selves from being burned to
death. These six survivors in
formed me that they had seen
some of the crew disappear in
the burning sea, and they felt
sure that none was afloat except
those in the boats. However,
crowded, that the men could not
row, and was drifting with the
wind and sea.
This boat, at the time it was
found, was about nine miles
south east of the station. l ran
alongside, took her in tow, and
proceeding in towards the land
for the point l had directed the
masters boat to await my re-
turn. Upon reaching the rendez-
vous, the masters boat was
found to be in waiting, and TAX
ing her in tow also I proceeded
towards the beach. There were
thirty-six people in the two
boats. as well as six extra per-
sons in my surf boat. I headed
for my station. Night was falling
rapidly, the wind was increasing
from the N. E., and the sea was
breaking heavily upon the beach.
When about two miles south of
my station, I anchored the two
ships boats about 600 yards off
shore, and proceeded to land the
crew of the MIRLO, or at least
the survivors. They were all
landed in the stations surf boat,
four round trips being made in
the darkness. I was met at the
beach by members of my crew
who had been left on shore and
by the crew of Coast Guard Sta
ton No. 100, who had come up
to assist me in landing the boat.
AS fast as the survivors of the
MIRLO were landed, they were
taken to the station by our
teams, given medical aid and
their burns dressed. Each was
given dry clothing by members
of my crew, and from the stock
on hand contributed by benevo-
lent associations. after which
they were given supper and a
place to sleep. The following
morning, August II, after break
fast at about 900 am, the S. P.
U. S. S. LEGONIA arrived off
the, station, and the wind and
sea having gone down, 1 trans
ferred the survivors of tn e
MIRLO'S crew to her, and at
HAS am, she sailed for Nor
folk, Va. The master of the