The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-12-18

east on Hatteras Island. Keeper
Bur1Tus Immediately set out, but be-
cause of rough seas he could not
make it to the "Ariosto" on the
ocean side. He was obliged to use
the station supply boat and go
down by way of Pamlico Sound. 1t
was a two hour trip, but they ar
rived in time to render valuable
service. The Life Saving crew
found it difficult to bury the sand
anchor because of the heavy surf.
1t was also hard to set the Lyle
Gun out of the water since the tide
was running high. The "Ariosto"
was about 600 yards distant but
was constantly working toward
shore. Shortly before noon the
crew were successful in getting a
line aboard, and those on the YES
sci were hauled in on the breeches
buoy. Captain Baines was the last
man to leave the ship, and he
brought with him his pet dog, "Bel-
GUM.
Long since, news of the wreck
had spread and people from Ocra-
coke and Hatteras villages had
come by pony cart or boat. Three
bodies were recovered that day;
others were not found until sew
eral days later, and a full ten days
after the wreck Stanley and Ira
came upon two more bodies washed
up five miles south. All We're buried
in the dunes along the beach. The
Rev. Wyche added to the duties of
his circuit a special memorial serv-
ice not planned as part of his
Christmas visit.
Eight of the crew were housed
at the Lifeboat Station, four of
them named Charlie, three of them
Alex. The children were particular
ly impressed to learn that one of
the older men had not been home
since he was fifteen year old! Cap
tain Baines became a guest at
Keeper Towards home and stayed
several days. He would eat hearty
supper and then sit down at the
little parlor organ and play hymns.
His oft-repeated favorite was "Hold
the Fort for / am Coming. When
the storm abated he was able to
get out to the wrecked vessel by
skiff. He brought in several per-
sonal belongings and other items.
He presented Mrs. Howard with
some of the "Aliosto's silver nap
kin rings, beautifully engraved,
and he gave little Elsie a pair of
folding embroidery scissors, which
she has kept to this very day.
Christmas dinner was happy in
spite of the tragedy. One of the
sailors had brought in an English
plum pudding. The women folk
marvelled that a pudding baked in
July, as he claimed, was so good
in December. Long after the wreck
Elsie found a blurred letter lying
on the beach. Judging from what
she could read, and read between
the lines. it was a love letter TO
someone's sweetheart in New York.
At the vendue, which was not held
until the following March, Stanley
and Ira earned pocket money as
water boys, and Stanley even sold
some flotsam he had picked up on
the beach.
The day came with Captain
Baines thanked his host and hos
tess and said farewell. But few
years later he remembered Keep
err Howard with book HEROES
OF THE GOODWIN SANDS. In
it were recounted tales of live-sav-
ing on a particularly dangerous
coast in Europe.
So life resumed its normal
trend at Cedar Hammock settle.
men. There were other wrecks tina,
winter, but none quite like the
Ariosto. And certainly none thai