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


that all hands found places to
cling to their capsized boat,
and that they were able to main
tain their positions until
the MIRLO blew up. After
that, with the deluge of
blazing oil and flame-crested
waves bearing down upon them,
to escape an agonizing death
they were compelled to sub
merge as the blazing walls of
flame and water swept over
them.
Blazing Oil On The
Waves Brought Death
Their efforts to protect them
selves from the two elements
fire and water-quickly told upon
their strength, and when they
could no longer keep up the
struggle, there was no alterna-
tive but to let 60 and drift away
to the merciful Inconsistencies
of death by drowning. Thus, one
by one, they dropped off until
only six of the original sixteen
remained. After some search,
the Coast Guard crew found an
other boat from the steamer con-
tanning nineteen men. which
they took in tow and then pro-
ceeded toward the beach. With
splendid seamanship, Keeper
Midget succeeded in landing
safely on the beach all of the.
men saved from the MIRLO,
forty-two in all. This incident
added another to the long list of
heroic deeds performed by the
men of the Coast Guard who pa
troll the lonely beaches, ever
ready to render aid, no matter
under what difficult conditions,
to mariners in distress"
Captain Williams, the master
of the MIRLO, says: "We were
all landed on the beach in very
heroic manner by the Coast
Guard crew of station 179, assist
ed by the crew of station $50,
| and 1 take this opportunity to
thank them on behalf of myself
and crew for their kindness and
attention to us after landing"
In a letter written some days
after the disaster to Keeper Mid
gett, Captain Williams goes on
to say:
81 hope you will not think me
ungrateful or forgetful of your
great kindness to me and my
crew after being rescued by you
and your gallant crew from the
MIRLO after being blown up by
a submarine off the Wimble
Shoals. I am sure it will be an
historical shipwreck. Had it not
been for your promptness in put
ting out to sea, and going to the
fire as you did, the loss of life
would have been much greater. "
The following men composed
the crew of Coast Guard Station
No. 179, who went to the rescue
of the British steamer MIRLO
in the station power surf boat
on August Is, 1918:
Keeper John Allen Midget,
Surfman No. l, Zion S. Midget,
Surfman Arthur V. Midget,
Surfman P. l.. O'Neal, Surfman
Clarence E. Midget, and Surf
man Leroy S. Midget.
The Commodore Commandant
of the Coast Guard wrote t n 2
following letter of commenda-
ton to Keeper J. A. Midget on
learning of his heroic rescue:
From the report of the board
of investigation, convened at
Coast Guard Station No l79 on
the 18th instant, it appears that
the power surfboat of that sta
ton under your charge, manned
by No. Surfman z. S. Midget,
and Surfmen A. V. Midget, P. L.
O'Neal, c. E. Midget and L. S.
Midget, was launched through a
heavy sea on the afternoon of
the 10th instant and proceeded to
the rescue of the crew of the
British Tank Steamer MIRLO,
which had been blown up and
set on fire by an internal eXplo-
sion, and whose cargo of gasoline
and refined oil spreading over
the sea covered the surface in
her vicinity with masses Of fire
and smoke. 1t further appears
that you took the surfboat into
the midst of this conflagration
and among the wreckage from
the steamer, succeeded in res
cuing six men who were cling
ing to capsized boat, and car
ried them safely to shore.
Crew Highly Commended
The spirit of dauntless devo-
ton to duty displayed by you
and the members of the boats