The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1959-01-23

lCgL StdtCAAC1At, tiiS oSSoAAes AAAs~S>
had been swept from the rigging
and another man shared a like
fate an hour or so later. Thus but
five men were in the rigging when
the station crew arrived, and short
ly afterwards another fell into the
sea. An attempt to reach the craft
with line thrown from the wreck
gun failed utterly, the shot drop
ping into the water about half
way. 1t was thus demonstrated
that, owing to the great distance,
the beach apparatus was practical
ly useless, the office detailed to
investigate the affair reporting
very emphatically that the schoon-
er was at least one thousand yards
off. The purpose of the keeper in
firing the gun was more to re-
assure and encourage the poor
fellows than from any hope of
reaching them with the line. At
the same time the surf was so
high and dangerous that no human
power could have forced 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 promising.
Here, on the one hand, was sunk
en- vessel with her crew in the rig
ging, looking imploringly to the
shore for help, and, on the other,
a band of sturdy men skilled in
the handling of boats in the surf
and equipped with the most APP
proved appliances for the saving
of human life from the perils of
the sea, but withal powerless to
save. Yet this was the exact sit
uation.
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 UNI
abated violence all day, and abso-
lutely nothing could be done. With
the approach of darkness drift
wood fires We're lighted and kept
blazing all night to encourage 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 tremen-
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 chung 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 ex-
hausted from the rigging and dis
appeared. This left but three re-
naming alive. AS a last resort a
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
a small revenue steamer in Hamp-
ton Roads, the Lot M. Morrill,,
made the attempt but the sea out
side the capes was too rough and
she was driven back. The beach
was vigilantly patrolled that night,
an extra force of men being out
watching for a lull to enable the
boat to go off,
On the Goth, 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 precincts, ten miles
away, on the night of the 23rd and
morning of the oath. The vessel
having stranded close in they had
saved the entire crew by means
of the breeches-buoy. Three at
tempts were made on this date
(26) to reach the Simmons, but
every time the boat was driven
back full of water, the wind hav-
ing changed to the southeast and
set in more fiercely than before,
with, if possible, higher seas.
Two of the remaining men We're
washed out of the rigging during
the day in plain view of the peo-
Pile on the beach, and the day
closed with but one man left on
the wreck. The weather on the
morning of the 9th was no more
favorable, the rain falling in tor
rents, with a continuance of the
southeasterly gale. Towards eve
ming however. the storm had