The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-02-03

very emphatically that the schoon-
er was at least one thousand yards
off. Indeed the purpose of the
keeper in firing the gun was more
to reassure and encourage the
poor fellows than from any hope
of reaching them with the line. At
the same time the surf was 50
high and dangerous that no human
power could have forced a boat
through it. The hands of the
beachmen were practically tied.
They could do nothing but watch
and wait for the storm to abate
and the sea to run down, and the
outlook for this was not promis-
ing. Here, on the one hand, was a
sunken vessel with her crew in the
rigging, looking imploringly to the
shore for help, and on the other,
band of sturdy men skilled in the
handling of boats in the surf and
equipped with the most approved
appliances for the saving of hui
man life from the perils of the
sea, but withal powerless to save.
Yet this was the exact Situation.
At noon the party on the beach
was reinforced by the arrival of
the False Cape crew from the
north. They would doubtless have
come earlier, for they had seen
the vessels spars soon after day
break, but supposed she was at
anchor, she appeared so far out.
But their coming did no good,
since the storm continued with
undated violence all day, and alb
solutely nothing could be done.
With the approach of darkness
driftwood fires were lighted and
kept blazing all night to encour-
age the hapless sailors on the
wreck.
On the following day, (25th) at
8 o'clock, the tide being low, an
effort was made with a picked
crew to launch the boat, but al
though the gale had slackened a
little, the surf was still. trenren-
dously high and the attempt fail
ed. The agony of suspense the
poor fellows suffered must have
been terrible, as cold, wet and
hungry they clug with the des-
peration of despair to the dripping
shrouds, watching for the relief
/ which could not reach them, wait
ing for their awful doom. Towards
noon one more unfortunate fell
exhausted from rigging and dis
appeared. This left but three re-
naming alive. AS a last resort
message had been forwarded by
way Of Cape Henry for the dis
/ patch of a tug or other vessel
from Norfolk to the aid of the
people from outside. In response.
to this small revenue steamer
in HAMPTON Roads, the Lot M.
Morrill,, made the attempt but the
! sea outside the capes was too
rough and she was driven back.
The beach was vigiantly patrolled
that night, an extra force of men
being out watching for a lull to
enable the boat to go off.
On the 26th, the crew of the
Little Island Station arrived.
These men had done good work
at the wreck of the schooner F. o.
Dame, in their own precinct, ten
miles away, on the night of the
23rd and morning of the gath. The
vessel having stranded close in
! they had saved the entire crew by
means of the breech-buoy. Three
attempts were made on this date
(26th) to reach the Simmons, but
back full of water, the wind hav-
every time the boat was driven
ing changed to the southeast and
set in more fiercely than before,
with, if possible, higher sea.
Two of the remaining men were
washed out of the rigging during
the day in plain view of the peo-
pie on the beach, and the day clos
ed with but one man left on the
wreck. The weather on the morn
ing of the 9th was no more favor
able, the rain falling in torrents,
with a continuance of the south
easterly gale. Towards evening,
however, the storm had nearly
spent itself, and there was prom
Use of a shift of wind to the west
ward. This was what the life-sav-
ers had been hoping for and it
gave them encouragement, though
there must necessarily be one
more night of horror for the suf-
ferer in the rigging before the sea
could run down sufficiently for
him to be reached. If he could