The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-10-14
The Story of Another Ship That Never
Returned Lost Off Kinnakee+ As Yrs. Ago
Eight Men Went TO Wae Grave On Bitter Night in Mid
Winter 1910, But Nameplate and Fragments of The
New York Schooner Frances Hoated Ashore

where at sea the gale was driving
a ship and it's crew to death and
destruction on their beach.
Thick Weather Continues
At daybreak on February l.
1910, the weather was still thick
but the temperature had risen sew
eral degrees, and the wind, while
still fresh, had moderated to about
IS miles an hour. The snow and
sand flurries, however, still OBJ
scured the view along the beach,
and the surf was still running
very high. In those days the beach
patrol was maintained only at
night, but on this particular occa-
sion the weather was so bad on
the beach along the cape that
beach patrol duty at Big Kinna-
keet station was kept up after day
broke.
At 8 am. Surfman C. R. Hooper,
who was temporarily in charge of
the life saving crew at Big Kinna-
keet station, sent Surfman E. F.
Miller on patrol of the beach south
ward toward Cape Hatteras. Half
an hour later Surfman Miller re-
turned to Big Kinnakeet station
and announced breathlessly that he
had discovered a vessel coming
ashore on the beach. What he had
seen is set for here in his own
words:
"She was bearing TO the south
and east of where l stood on the
beach, about a mile from the sta
ton, and appeared to have piece
of her mainsail set as we'll as the
fore staysail. had a glimpse of
her for only moment. After a
bit l caught a glimpse of her a
second time, and it looked as
though she had hauled more to
the southwark. In all / had three
views of her, all very brief and
mostly obscured by squalls of
snow driving from the beach. l
didn't tarry long enough to try to
make out her hull and appearance,
knowing full we'll that if she held
on her dangerous course she would
surely be wrecked on the beach"
Another surfman from Big
Kinnakeet station also got view
of the vessel. While Miller was
making his hurried report he
caught up a marine glass and
looked down the beach from an
open window. Because of the driv-
ing snow and spray from the
breakers, he couldn't distinguish
her hull plainly, but was able to
make out two masts, one of them
standing upright, and the other
hanging over, as if broken. At that
time the doomed vessel appeared
to him to be stationary. No other
human being saw the vessel again
before she finally broke up.
Could Be Seen From Shore
Acting Keeper Hooper immed-
lately telephoned Little Kinnakeet
station and the life saving sta
ton then located at Cape Hat
teras, several miles to the north
and southwark, respectively, re-
questing the assistance of crews
from these stations, being of the
opinion that the vessel would
strike the beach within the limits
of his patrol. In the meantime
the Big Kinnakeet crew got
the beach apparatus cart ready
and in a matter of minutes al
hands were on their way down the
beach.
First to reach the vicinity OF
the disaster was the crew from
Cape Hatteras station, they having
set out unencumbered by any life
saving apparatus. One surfmar
went on ahead with instruc.
tions to meet the Big Kinna
keet crew and help them with
their heavy beach apparatus.
Later relating what he saw off
shore, this surfman said:
when the high line of breaker!
ran back from the beach l coult
see the entire length of the hull o:
vessel. AS far as l could tel
she was heading nearly northeast