The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-04-22
OAK STUMP GUARDS
SAILORS GRAVES
NEAR RODANTHE
Nineteen British Seamen Buried
BY Coast Guards at Mirlo
Beach "a Years Ago In
A Single Grave
By James A. Price, Former
Commander, The Seventh Coast
Guard District

0uulu OIStTICL
Unmarked, save by the trunk of
an old tree, stuck there by the sta
ton crew, lie the remains of Is
Inflated seamen, cast on shore near
Chicamicomico Coast Guard Sta
ton. No marks appear to identify
and the spot would hardly be
noticed by the passerby.. Only the
slight mound, now covered with a
carpet OF green attracted my at
tention and led to inquiry.
From the records obtainable, the
following information was CLEAN
ed:
The British Ste amsh Up
STRATHAIRLY of Newcastle,
England, came to grief on the
morning of March "a, 1891. Bound
from Santiago, Cuba, to Balti-
more, Nd, with a cargo of iron
ore, anil losing her position in
dense fog, she stranded one-and-
a-quarter miles south of Chicami-
comico and 500 yards from the
beach. The wind was blowing
fresh from the northeast and
heavy sea was pounding the shore.
Distress signals were sounded
with the steam whistle at $40 a.
M, and patrolman from the sta
ton responded with Coston sig
nal. The patrolman FASTENED to
the station and gave the alarm,
and in as short a time as possible,
the crews from three stations
were opposite the wreck.
1t appears that as soon as the
vessel struck, orders were given to
clear away the port or leeward
boat. The crew had just gotten it
ready when the vessel gave a
heavy lurch and the boat was
smashed. At this time all the
windward boats were swept away
and all hope of reaching the beach
with the ships boats had to be
given up. The crew then took to
the rigging, as the sea was
continually breaking over the
vessel, the captain, the first
officer and the chief engineer
going aloft aft and the rest
of the cerw forward. Very
shortly after this the steamer
commenced breaking in two. At
about daybreak, the mainmast fell,
taking with it, the captain, the
first officer and chief engineer.
All of them were lost,
People Cried Aloud
Up to z a. M, it had not been
possible to see the vessel by those
watching from the beach. but the
cries of the unfortunate crew
could be distinctly heard. An at
tempt was made to fire line on
board, without success. At 10 a.
M, the fog lifted sufficiently to
permit the shore watchers to view
the vessel, which had now broken
in two. The first shot fired after
this, fell short, so did the second.
A third, with the smallest sized
shot-line, fell on the forecastle. AS
soon as it was seen that the sail
ors had it, larger shotline was
bent on and it was drawn off in
good shape until. within a few
yards of the vessel when the small
line, unable to bear the strain,
parted, and the attempt had to
be made all over again. Being
prepared for such a contingency,
the station men lost no time, the
next shot carried a larger sized
line over the forward rail and the
men on board got this line also.
The largest sized line was now
bent on to this, but the sailors
hauled it off slowly, the current
carrying the blight so far to the
leeward that gathering the line
was slow and laborious work. To
this line the ship was attached
and for a time, it appeared the
joint efforts of the surfmen and
sailors would be crowned with sue
cess, but before the wrick block
got more than halfway, the lint
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