Schooner Benjamin M. Wallace ~ 26 March 1904

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904:

At 10.20 p.m. the N. patrol from Chicamacomico discovered this vessel ashore, fired two Coston signals to inform her that assistance was at hand, and then reported the facts to the station. The keeper telephoned the adjoining stations, New Inlet and Gull Shoal, then proceeded to the scene of the wreck with the crew, transporting the surfboat by wagon. The vessel had struck the beach in the vicinity of the N. Patrol house, but was now driving along the shore to the northward. She was followed by the Chicamacomico and New Inlet crews until about midnight, when she sank, about 1-1/2 miles S. of New Inlet and 300 yards off the beach. The three crews working together launched the surfboat, which proceeded to the wrecked vessel and it was found that the hull was under water and abandoned. The surfmen then pulled seaward, and made signals to notify the crew of the abandoned vessel that search was being made for them; these were soon answered by blasts of a fog horn, and about ½ mile distant 16 men, in four dories, were found. The dories were anchored, and the men with their clothing were taken into the surfboat and landed through the breakers. They were then taken to the New Inlet station and sheltered for three days. The next morning the crews of the New Inlet and Chicamacomico stations landed the dories which were left at anchor the previous night.

Newspaper Article:
New York Times, March 28, 1904