Barkentine Angela ~ 5 March 1883

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883:

The barkentine Angela, of Genoa, Italy, bound with a cargo of iron ore from Cartagena, Spain, to Baltimore, MD, and having a crew of 10 men, stranded at midnight 300 yards from shore, and a quarter of a mile south of the Paul Gamiel's Hill Station (6th District), North Carolina. The vessel had sprung a leak, and, being in a sinking condition, was run aground to save the lives of her crew. At the time the sea was high, the surf raging, and the wind blowing freshly from the north. The wreck was immediately seen by the two patrolmen then starting away from the station on their respective beats, and one of them promptly fired the red Coston light as a signal to those on board, and gave the alarm. The keeper, William H. O'Neal, at once roused all hands, and they turned out with the surf boat and beach apparatus, and speedily got abreast of the wreck, with which from that time until morning they were engaged in efforts to effect communications. The steepness of the beach at this particular locality, which lets the sea break almost without intervention directly on the shore, causes, in any roused condition of the waters, a surf of great fury; and on this occasion the incessant torrents flung upon the sands made boat service impossible. Operations were therefore confined to the wreck gun. Two shots fired in succession fell short of the wreck, and a third parted the line; a fourth reached the vessel, and the life saving crew waited, wondering why the sailors did not haul the line on board. The solution came at daybreak, when the barkentine's men were discovered out at sea in the ship's boat, beyond the line of breakers, having abandoned the vessel under the conviction that sh was going to pieces. In a little while, seeing the group of station men upon the beach, they proceeded to make a series of attempts to land, but were warned off in each instance by the life saving crew waving before them a red flag. It was still impossible to launch a boat, but the sea was beginning to fall very fast, and the keeper was sure that if he could only keep the sailors away from the surf, entering which they would certainly be drowned, he would be able by 10 o'clock to pass the breakers in the surf boat and save them. At 9 o'clock, however, the sailors rowed away up the beach, outside the breakers, toward the Caffey's Inlet Station, several miles north of the station at Paul Gamiels Hill. Keeper Austin, of this station, was on the beach with Keeper O'Neal and his men, watching the sailors, and instantly telephoned to his crew to be on the lookout for them, and then hurried away to his post. Upon arriving he found his crew beside the surf boat, ready for a launch. The beach at this station, unlike that at Paul Gamiels Hill, is flat, so that the surf was much less violent, and, besides, the sea had now fallen considerably. The surf boat crew, therefore, were enabled to fight their way successfully through the mob of breakers, shipping in the passage about a barrel of water, and after rowing half a mile to the southward, met the wrecked sailors, too off five of them, and put back for the shore, shipping another barrel of water in the return. After waiting a few minutes they again essayed the passage. This time they went through with the shipment of but little water, reached the boat from the wreck, took in the remaining five men, together with the captain's chest of books, papers, and instruments, and returned safely to the shore. It was then 11 o'clock in the forenoon.
     The men thus happily rescued were in a pitiable plight. The sea had drenched them, one might say, to their very hearts, and they were famished and half frozen. Some of them were nearly naked, and the remainder had not clothing enough to keep them warm under ordinary circumstances. No time was lost in making them comfortable with food and cordials, and dry clothing was procured for them from the Poyners Hill Station, next above, a supply being on hand there, donated by the Women's National Relief Association. The men thus succored poured forth gratitude in their profuse Italian way, and called down blessings on the life saving crew for rescuing and caring for them. 

Bark Dulcimer ~ 12 February 1883

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1983:

The bark Dulcimer, of London, England, with a crew of 11 men, bound from Pernambuco, Brazil, to New York, with a cargo of sugar, was wrecked at half past 5 in the morning on the coast of North Carolina, about a mile and a half south of Durants Station (6th District), near Hatteras Inlet, the disaster being attributed to the foggy weather then prevailing. She was discovered at 6 o'clock by the station patrol and reported to the keeper. As the sea was too rough to use the boat the life saving crew set out with their beach apparatus, arriving abreast of the bark at half past 6, an hour after she struck. The wreck gun was placed in position as quickly as possible and fired, the first shot carrying the line over the fore yard arm. The whip line and hawser then followed, and after some little delay, occasioned by the strong current, which prevented very rapid work. all hands were safely landed from the bark and conducted to the station, where they were properly cared for. On the following morning (13th) the life saving crew assisted the captain in recovering some of his personal effects which had been left on board, the vessel then being in the hands of wreckers who were engaged in stripping her. In the afternoon the sea became much worse, and word reached the station that four of the wrecking gang, who were on board the bark, needed the help of the life saving crew in getting ashore. The latter responded to the call without delay, and by using one of the bark's boats soon had the men safe on the beach. The sailors were sheltered at the station for several days and then took passage for Norfolk, the vessel and cargo becoming a total loss.

Newspaper Article:
New York Times, February 13, 1883
New York Times, February 14, 1883

Schooner Eugene ~ 25 January 1883

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883:

The crew, 6 in number, of the schooner Eugene, which ran into a wreck 30 miles southeast of Ocracoke Inlet on the 22d and sunk, landed in their yawl near Durants Station (6th District), North Carolina, and were succored there for four days, until they were able to secure transportation to their homes.

Schooner Lillie F. Schmidt ~ 9 March 1883

Stranded and totally wrecked, 10 miles from station; furious sea and gale. After a hard and laborious journey, brought beach apparatus to place of wreck and landed her crew of 7 men with breeches buoy. Keeper secured them shelter at Ocracoke village, as they were too exhausted to go to station. (See letter of acknowledgement.)

OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA, March 18, 1893

DEAR SIR: March 9, at 5:15 a.m., the schooner Lillie F. Schmidt, of Philadelphia, bound from the port of Savannah, Georgia, via Bermuda, to Baltimore, stranded in the breakers about five hundred yards from the beach, about four miles north of Ocracoke light. At the time a strong gale blew from the southward, with thick weather and rough sea. At 8 a.m. was sighted by people from Ocracoke village, who proceeded to the life-station station, northeast end of Ocracoke Island, and notified Captain J.W. Howard of the stranded vessel, and he and crew, with apparatus, proceeded to wreck as soon as possible, to save the crew. Arriving abreast at 2:30 p.m., prepared and shot a line across the vessel, rigged the breeches buoy, and all hands were safely landed in three-quarters of an hour from arrival on beach abreast of vessel, which, in my opinion, was well done, owing to the great distance vessel was from the beach. Myself and crew being much fatigued and the distance being so great, with no way of getting there without walking the whole distance, Captain Howard arranged and sent us to the village of Ocracoke, where we were all taken care of. I desire to express my grateful thanks to the captain and crew for his and their timely aid and prompt service in landing myself and crew safely from wreck to shore and attending our wants. Your respectfully, P.C. VAN GILDER, Master of Schooner Lillie F. Schmidt

The schooner, Lillie F. Schmidt wrecked on Ocracoke's beach. 

Found at https://villagecraftsmen.blogspot.com/2018/03/lillie-f-schmidt.html

Schooner Luola Murchison ~ 3 October 1883

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

The schooner Luola Murchison, of and from New York, bound to Savannah, GA, laden with phosphate, and having a crew of 8 men, stranded at a quarter past four in the morning nearly abreast of the Kitty Hawk Station (6th District), North Carolina and was soon afterwards discovered by the patrol. The wind was blowing a fresh gale from the northeast and the surf was rough. The boat was launched and proceeded to the vessel, the life saving crew arriving on board at half past five. They immediately assisted in running an anchor off shore to keep the vessel from working farther onto the beach. By the time this was done the crew of the Kill Devil Hills Station arrived, and at the master’s request the two crews landed all the personal effects, although the sailors remained on board. After the baggage was safe the Kill Devil Hills crew returned to their station and the Kitty Hawk crew kept watch on the vessel, ready to go off at a moment’s notice, word having been sent to Norfolk for the assistance of wreckers. On the afternoon of the 4th the schooner fell over on her starboard side and the sea made a complete breach over her, compelling the master to make signal of his wish to abandon her. The state of the sea prevented the surf boat from getting alongside; the beach apparatus was brought into use and the entire crew were safely landed and conducted to the station.

Schooner Rate Coleton ~ 11 September 1883

A hurricane that moved ashore just east of the SC/NC border caused strong winds and wrecked several vessels along the coast line. There were 53 deaths in the state of North Carolina.

At about 3 p.m. on September 11 the schooner Rate Coleton out of Rock Port, England was discovered by the Keeper of the Ocracoke light house where she had run ashore. James W. Howard, newly appointed Keeper of the new Hatteras Inlet Station reported (transcribed as found):

"... the Sch RATE COLETON from Cuba. She was leaking. She was driven by hard winds the 11 day of Sept over Ocracoke Bar ad thae let her anchors go but she drug a shore and was bilgd on the Point of beach at Ocracoke. The crew went to lower the boat from the davids and the boat got stove so the capt went a shore in his, so cold, little dinky and went a shore braing one may with him the rest of the crew was carried ashore by the sitisons of Ocracoke. I sent to no if the wanted eny assistence. the wanted none. the wear all ashore when I heard of it. She went 14 miles distance from this station."

The Coleton, with her crew of 6, was under the command of Captain N.A. Pierce.

Schooner Robbie L. Foster ~ 14 October 1883

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883:

At daylight the crew of the Cape Fear Station (Sixth District) Smith’s Island, North Carolina, discovered a large three-masted schooner ashore on Frying Pan Shoals, about nine miles south-southeast of the station. The boat was launched as soon as possible, and after a hard pull for two hours they reached the vessel to find her abandoned, her people having been taken off by a steamer which passed them on the way out. The schooner proved to be the Robbie L. Foster, of Saint George, Maine, bound from New York to Savannah with a cargo of railroad iron. She was full of water, with the sea breaking over her, and it was apparent she could not be saved. The life-saving crew returned to their station, reaching there at 3 in the afternoon, much fatigued from the trip, which had taken over eight hours. The keeper afterward learned from the captain of the steamer which took the people off, that nine men were rescued, including a passenger, and that he had landed them at Smithville, at the mouth of Cape Fear River. Although no assistance was rendered in this case, the life saving drew deserve the credit of making a gallant effort by undertaking a long and dangerous journey to the stranded vessel. The schooner became a total loss.

Schooner Thomas J. Martin ~ 9 January 1883

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1883:

About one o’clock at night, the wind being north-northeast, the weather thick and a heavy sea running, the schooner Thomas J. Martin, of Bridgeton, NJ, bound with a cargo of phosphate rock, from Charleston, South Carolina, to New York, and having a crew of 8 men, stranded about 400 yards from shore and a half a mile to the north of the Caffeys Inlet Station (6th District), North Carolina. The station patrolman was over two miles north of the wreck when he discovered her, which was about 20 minutes after her stranding. He at once fired his red Coston light and ran for the station, where he arrived at two o’clock, badly exhausted with the speed of his course. Keeper Austin immediately threw up some rockets, both as a signal of cheer for the ship and to recall the patrolman on the south beat for service with the rest of the crew.
     The night was so black and thick and the surf so high, that it was judged prudent to operate with the wreck gun rather than the boat, and this, with the beach apparatus, was accordingly taken, the rescuing party arriving abreast of the wreck by half past two. Nothing cold be seen of her, looking through the misty darkness across the tumbling waste of water but the red and green lights in her rigging, except when at intervals she burned a torch, which made her bulk start out vaguely upon the gloom; but even these appearances were not sufficient in the thick atmosphere to enable the crew to determine her distance from shore, and it was therefore deemed useless to fire the wreck gun, since the shot would necessarily be thrown at random. In the enforced interim of waiting, the keeper left one man with orders to build a fire upon the beach, and hurried back with the remainder of the crew to fetch the surf boat for use if it should be required.
     Upon re-arrival the weather had cleared a little overhead, and the vessel could be dimly seen working on the rising tide, over the outer bar to the south, impelled by wind, current, and sea. A little before daybreak she brought up solid on the outer rise of the inner bar and the wreck gun was at once planted and fired, the shot line falling handsomely in the forward rigging at the first essay. The whip line was then sent out, followed by the hawser, but the men on board worked so slowly in getting up the lines that the keeper grew impatient, and as day was on the point of breaking, and the coming light would enable the crew to see what they were doing, the surf boat was launched and made speedy work of the rescue, the 8 men on board being brought ashore at the first trip, and most of their baggage at the second. By half past 7 o’clock all hands were in the station, where the rescued men received proper attention; 5 of them were fed and sheltered at the station for a day and a half, when they left for their homes; the other three remained for eight days.

     At one o’clock on the day of the rescue the life saving crew again went out in the surf boat, taking with them the schooner’s mate, and made an effort to recover the shot line, which had been left attached on board, and furl the vessel’s spanker, which was flying loose, but were baffled by the strong current, which made it impossible, in the absence of assistance on deck, to hold the boat near the hull, or to get over her sides. The effort was successfully renewed later (January 12), when the water was low and the surf had abated, and some provisions were brought away, the shot line being found irrecoverable, so snarled up had it become with everything near it. The vessel and cargo proved a total loss.

    Two patrolmen from the two stations on either side of Caffreys Inlet, not meeting with the patrols therefrom, pushed on to see what was the matter, and finding them at the wreck turned in and rendered good service. The colored cook of the Caffeys Inlet Station, Appollus Owens, also volunteered, and helped all he could.