The large coal-ladened schooner William H. Keeney, of New York, stranded at 4 o’clock in the morning of the earlier of these dates, about eight hundred yards southeast of the Little Kinnakeet Station (Sixth District) coast of North Carolina, and some three hundred yards off shore. She was on a voyage from Baltimore, Maryland to Savannah, Georgia, at the time and, in beating down the coast against a strong southerly wind, stood too long on the inshore tack, the weather being hazy, and ran aground. Three-quarter of an hour later she was discovered by one of the station men, the regular patrolman being father down the beach. The alarm was immediately given, and, while the surfmen were making ready to run out with the apparatus cart, the keeper sent a man to burn a signal near the schooner and then telephoned to the Big Kinnakeet and Gull Shoal Stations for assistance. They responded promptly to the call and, not being burdened with any gear, were soon on the scene. At 5 o’clock the crew of the Little Kinnakeet Station were abreast of the vessel, and five minutes later a shot was fired from the beach gun. This fell short. Again the gun was trained, with a change of elevation, and fired, but with a like result. A lighter line was then bent to the projectile and a third trial was made. This time the line fell across the spanker boom, and at a signal from the life-savers the sailors hauled the whip line on board and made if fast to the mizzenmast. In the meantime the wind had veered to south-southwest and increased to a fresh gale. In sending the hawser on board the whip worked very hard and the cause of the trouble was not explained until the first man (the captain) was landed, with much difficulty, in the breeches boy, when he reported that the sheave had spilt out of the tailblock. Another block was procured and sent off on the same line. A delay in nearly a half an hour was occasioned by this accident. The six remaining members of the Keeney’s crew were soon brought ashore, nothing further occurring to interfere with the work, when all were taken to the station and given stimulants to counteract the effect of their long exposure in wet clothing. All of the gear, with the exception of the hawser, which the keeper preferred to leave attached to the schooner for the present rather than to cut it, was conveyed to the station and put in order. As soon as the residents in the vicinity learned of the wreck many of them hurried to the beach and ably assisted the surfmen in the rescue of the crew, which was rendered very laborious owing to the heavy wind and strong coast current. The following day the crews of the Big and Little Kinnakeet Stations made three trips to the schooner in the surfboat of the latter-named station, the wind and sea having sufficiently moderated, and brought ashore the effects of the sailors, some small articles of ship’s stores, and the schooner’s sails. It is seldom that a vessel, particularly when loaded, once fairly lodged on the treacherous sands of the North Carolina beach is ever floated off, and this one proved no exception—the Keeney and her cargo became a total loss. The wreck was sold on April 1st, and two days later her crew left the station for their homes. They gave the keeper the following letter when they departed:
LITTLE KINNAKEET LIFE-SAVING STATION.
“Our vessel having been wrecked near the above-named station on the morning of March 28, 1890, we with to commend the keeper and crew of said station for their prompt, cool, and courageous work in saving our lives by landing us from the wreck. And we wish also to thank them for their kind treatment while at the station. We feel that we can not with the pen adequately describe our feelings of gratitude to the United States Life-Saving Service. SAMUEL LIPPINCOTT, Master. WILLIAM H. NUGENT, First Mate. ANDREAS NELSEN, Second Mate. N. JENSEN, Steward. C. ALLSTON, Seaman. CHAS. JONES, Seaman, A.B. WILLIS, Seaman
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