Schooner J.C. McNaughton ~ 8 April 1899

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899:

Parted her cable, stranded and sank ½ mile E. of station at 2 a.m. The Durants and Creeds Hill life saving crews were soon on the beach abreast the stranded vessel with the beach apparatus. Shot line was quickly thrown across her, the whip hauled off and made fast in the main rigging, the hawser set up, and the crew of 5 men safely landed in the breeches buoy, and provided with dry clothing from the supplies of the Women’s National Relief Association. The wreck became a total loss, but about $800 worth of her cargo of lumber was saved by the surfmen. The shipwrecked crew was succored for 5 days at the life saving station.

Wreck of the J.C. McNaughton

The 146-ton J.C. McNaughton parted her cable during a gail of wind and stranded near Hatteras about 4 or 6 miles from the Durants Station. Built at Delaware in 1888, the three-masted schooner was under the command of Captain Outten and bound for New York City from Scranton with a load of lumber.

The Durants lookout spotted the vessel about 8 a.m. Surfman D.E. Willis, at the Ocracoke Station had already discovered the vessel and keeper Burrus and his crew were on the scene when the Ocracoke crew arrived. They worked together for four full days until they obtained another vessel to use as a lighter. After transferring most of the cargo they finally floated the McNaughton at 6:30 p.m. on the 13th.