Thursday, April 19, 2012

Schooner Florence ~ 5 January 1884

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884:

During the severe northeasterly gale and snow storm of January 5, the patrol of the Chicamicomico Station (6th District), North Carolina, discovered at half past 3 in the afternoon the schooner Florence, of Baltimore, MD, from Beaufort, NC, bound to Norfolk, VA, with a cargo of guano, stranded near the beach. He immediately notified the station crew, and the beach apparatus was run down opposite the vessel. The hawser was sent on board and the gear rigged. One of the surf men was sent on board to direct the operations, and the four persons comprising the vessel’s crew were soon handed and conducted to the station. Part of the crews of the New Inlet and Gull Shoal Stations (all the same district) assisted the Chicamicomico crew in working the gear. The vessel became a complete wreck. The following testimonial was received by the keeper of the station:

I was 8 miles north of Whale’s Head on January 5th, when at 8 a.m. the gale came, with a heavy snow; the wind being north by east, I had to send down the shore, and stranded at Chicamicomico. We had all the assistance any station could give, and were taken to the station, where we were treated with all the respect due any one and well cared for by all. John E. Ireland, Master of Schooner Florence

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