Annual Report of the Operations
of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889:
Shortly before 7 0’clock in the morning, during a heavy north-easterly gale of wind with rain, the schooner Benjamin C. Terry, of and from New York, bound to Norfolk, Virginia, parted her cables and stranded three-quarters of a mile north of the False Cape Station (Sixth District) coast of North Carolina. A few minutes later she was discovered by the patrol, who brought the news to the station with all possible dispatch. The keeper immediately informed the Little Island Station by telephone and started for the scene with the beach apparatus. The sea was sweeping over the beach and somewhat retarded their progress, but they pushed on, at times knee deep in the sand and water and dragging the apparatus-cart after them. Within a hour they were abreast of the vessel, which lay about one hundred yards off shore. The gun was placed in position, charged and fired, the first shot carrying the line on board. The whip and hawser were then hauled off. At this juncture the keeper and four surfmen from the Little Island Station arrived and assisted in the work of landing the crew—seven in number—the breeches-buoy making seven trips for that purpose. The shipwrecked sailors were then conducted to the station where they were cared for until the following morning. Residents in the locality lent valuable assistance to the life-savers on this occasion. The vessel was placed in the hands of a wrecking company, but they were able to float her, owing to subsequent storms which drove her farther up on the beach and made her a total loss.
No comments:
Post a Comment