The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-10-30


cabin as the safest place when pass
ing through the breakers. While
going over the outer bar an i'm
mense sea broke over the stern,
smashing the yawl, and bursting
into the cabin with terrific force.
At this time the mate, Alonzo
Driscoll, of Atlantic City, New
Jersey, stood within the cabin
holding the doors together, and was
therefore directly in the path of
the wave, which tore away the
doors and sent one of them with
fatal violence against him, to all
appearances causing instant death.
The crew rushed out of the cabin
and climbed into the rigging. The
captain followed, after hastily
examining the mate; but while he
was making his way forward the
vessel was again swept by a sea
which left him helpless with a
broken leg. By slow and painful
movements he crawled to the cabin
and remained there until two men,
bers of his crew placed him in the
buoy, which by this time had been
sent off. Upon landing the captain
was carefully wrapped in blankets
and sent to the Little Kinnakeet
station in the keepers cart, where
he received all possible attention.
The keeper doing the best he could
with the appliances and remedies
of the station medicine chest in
dressing the injured limb and al
leviating its pain.
The crew were also cared for at
the station, where they remained
far a period of nine days, until
state of the weather permitted
their departure across the sound to
the mainland. The isolation of the
narrow strip of land on which the
life-saving station is situated is
such that no physician could be Sc
cured to give the captain needed
treatment. Efforts were made to
obtain surgical aid from the main
land, but the severe gale and high
sea which continued several days
prevented until March list, when
the revenue cutter Winona, from
New Bern, bearing surgeon of the
Marine Hospital service, reaching
the station in response to q dis
patch from the Department. The
master then received proper pro-
fessional care, and on the follow
ing day was conveyed to New Bern
on the cutter.
The high surf prevented the
launching of the boat until the
third day after the occurrence of the
wreck, when a successful trip was
made to her, and the mates body
and the clothing of the crew were
brought on shore. The body was
prepared for burial at the station,
and then carefully laid to rest in
the cemetery of the neighborhood,
after funeral ceremonies befitting
the sad occasion in the presence of
his late comrades. The clothing
supplied by the Women's National
Relief Association was drawn upon
for the urgent necessities of the
master, as well as in preparing for
burial the remains of the mate.
In addition to the many verbal
expressions of gratitude for the
kind attention received while So
journing at the station, written
Statements were made by the master
and crew of the lost vessel. A dep
osition, executed February 25, 1892,
before Samuel R. Hazen, notary
public, previous to the official in
vestigation of the unhappy accident
is given below:
"We, the undersigned, captain
and crew of the schooner Annie E.
Pierce, which was wrecked near
Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Sta
ton, depose and say that the mate,