Brigantine Annchen ~ 17 July 1888

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889:

Towards evening of the first of these dates, a vessel was seen approaching the North Carolina coast, a few miles to the westward of Cape Hatteras, and shortly after 7 o’clock she stranded between the Creeds Hill and the Durants Stations (6th District), North Carolina and nearer the first-named. This being the inactive season, the life-saving crews were disbanded, and the keepers were therefore delayed in proffering assistance through having to send some distance to summon their men. No time, however, was unnecessarily lost, the keepers having sent out as soon as the vessel’s signal of distress (a small flag at half-mast) could be seen. The life saving crews arrived at the wreck at about 8 o’clock and found her to be the German brigantine Annchen, of Papenburg. The sea being smooth, the crew had landed in their own boat, and the life savers returning ashore, found them abreast of the vessel. There were 7 all told. The brig had loaded spirits of turpentine at Savannah, GA, and was bound to Glasgow, Scotland. Early in the morning of the 16th, when some 42 miles off shore, she had sprung a bad leak, and being unable to make any harbor the captain found it necessary to beach her. The crew were taken to the Durant’s Station, where they remained two days. During the forenoon of the 28th the Creed’s Hill crew took the captain on board his craft and helped to save a number of articles of value. The greater part of the cargo was subsequently saved in a damaged condition, but the vessel became a total loss.

Steamship Canonbury ~ 28 March 1888

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888:

The British steamship Canonbury, of London, with a cargo of sugar from Matanzas, Cuba, bound to Boston, Massachusetts, at half past 2 o’clock in the afternoon of this date, struck on the west end of Old Man’s Shoal (Nantucket Island) five miles to the southeast of Surfside Station (Second District) coast of Massachusetts. A fog had prevailed for several days, and the captain, who had no observations after getting north of Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) was uncertain of the ship’s position. Half an hour after the accident the fog lifted a little, and the watch at the station descried the vessel with a flag at half-mast. He gave the alarm at once, and the station crew hastily manned the surf boat. The surf was very high and it was some twenty minutes before they got out away from the beach. They then pulled for the steamer, but when they had gone about four miles they met her crew of twenty four men, who had abandoned her in two boars and were on their way to the shore. The keeper turned back with them, and, when they were off the station outside the surf, directed them to anchor. He then took a portion of them into the surf boat and landed them. A large number of people had gathered on the beach; with assistance from them the keeper launched the large surf boat, and, making two trips out to the anchored boats, brought the remainder of the crew safely to land. He had, before attempting to land through the surf, directed the men to remain in the boat until she should strike the beach. Nevertheless, one of them, as the boat was running in on a high sea, was thrown into great consternation and jumped overboard. Surf man Gardner instantly plunged into the water, seized the man with one hand, and, clinging to the boat with the other, brought him to the beach. But for the presence of mind and nerve of the surf man the man would probably have drowned. The heavy surf rendered the landing of the unfortunate crew a very exciting affair, as the people who saw it declare, while the rescued men and witnesses alike testify that the whole exploit was marked by great coolness and skill on the part of Keeper Veeder and efficiency and discipline on the part of the life saving crew. The shipwrecked men were taken to the station and provided with dry garments from the store of clothing sent by the Women’s National Relief Association. Richard Williams, a seaman of the steamer, had been sick at the time of the accident, and by order of a medical attendant he was removed from the station to a neighboring cottage; but the exposure and fatigue of landing had been greater than he could endure, and at 2 o’clock of the following morning he died. With the exception of one man, the steamer’s people were fed and sheltered at the station till the morning of the 30th, when the captain arranged for other quarters for them. The vessel drove over the shoal during the night following the casualty and drifted some five miles to the northeast, upon what is locally known as Pochick Reef, where she sunk with the water up to her lower yard. She was examined on the succeeding 1st day of April, with  view to saving her engines, but the current was so strong that divers could not work and the project was abandoned The vessel subsequently broke up where she lay, and became, with her cargo, a total loss. With the exception of the ship’s papers and the officers’ instruments, nothing of importance was saved from the wreck.

Steamer Kimberley ~ 1 December 1888

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888:

The British steamship, Kimberley, of Port Glasgow, Scotland, from New Orleans, Louisiana, bound to Liverpool, England, by way of Norfolk, Virginia, with a freight valued at half a million dollars, consisting of corn, wheat, and cotton, stranded at quarter past 11 o’clock at night three fourths of a mile south-southeast of Wash Woods Station (Sixth District) coast of North Carolina. She was discovered immediately by the station patrol, who speedily notified the keeper. There were at the time strong northeast winds and high surf, making it impossible to use the boat. The lifesaving crew therefore took the beach apparatus to a point abreast of the vessel, arriving at midnight. They fired the Lyle gun repeatedly, but as the vessel was more than a quarter of a mile from the beach the projectile invariably fell short. The keepers and men of the neighboring False Cape and Currituck Inlet Stations, who had been informed by telephone of the affair, reached the place, ready for service, shortly after 1 o’clock (morning of the (2d). However, nothing further, beyond displaying an occasional signal could be done till daybreak, at which time the firing was resumed, but without success. They signaled to the people on board that it would be necessary to wait for the ebb tide, but a portion of the vessel’s crew soon set out to land in their own boat. The surf was so high, however, that they shortly gave up the attempt and went back on board. On the flood tide the vessel had worked in somewhat nearer the beach, but she was still out of range, as several futile shots from the Lyle gun proved. At low water the lifesavers were enabled to gain a few yards towards the vessel, and a shot at this time struck her side. At the next trial the projectile fell on deck and the whip line and hawser were sent off. About an hour before noon the work of landing began, and twenty four of the men were taken ashore, the breeches buoy making twenty trips. The other seven members of the crew preferred to remain on board. The gear was left set up, maintaining communication with the vessel in case of emergency. The lifesaving crews returned to their respective stations about sunset, well-nigh exhausted by their continued exertions and by lack of food. The rescued men went to the Wash Woods Station, where those who needed it received dry clothing from the supply kept at the station by the Women’s National Relief Association. One man was very sick and was expected to die, but he was provided with medicines from the station chest and after a time rallied and grew better. The following day (3rd) the lifesaving crew landed the baggage belonging to the seamen, and on the night of the 4th the sick man and five others left the station for Norfolk, the British consul having made provision for them. Two days later (6th) five men were landed from the steamer by the breeches buoy, leaving only the captain and chief officer on board. These remained until the 9th, when, with the exception of three who went on board their vessel for duty, they were transferred to a steamer for conveyance to Norfolk. In the meantime the vessel had been placed in the hands of a wrecking company, who were at work discharging her cargo. Many delays were occasioned by storm, and the vessel was not floated until the 26th of January, 1888, at which time she was towed to Norfolk. The damage to the vessel amounted to about one third of her value. Two thirds of the cargo was lost. The station crew conveyed messages and rendered assistance in many ways throughout the time the vessel was ashore. They subsequently received several grateful letters from different member of the crew of the Kimberley. The following is published as an exponent of the esteem in which their services were held:

STEAMSHIP KIMBERLEY,
Norfolk, Virginia, February 28, 1888
“SIR: We, the undersigned, before leaving Norfolk, desire to offer our sincere thanks to you for the many attentions shown us while on the beach off your station, and to testify to the skill with which you and your crew worked the lifesaving apparatus on the occasion of the stranding of this steamer. We would more especially thank you for the care bestowed on the sick until opportunity offered for a removal to hospital. Wishing you every success and hoping you may long be spared to serve in the gallant Service to which you belong. We beg to remain, yours sincerely, J. HIGGINS, Commander, L.A. HARTLEY, Chief Officer.”

Schooner Lena Breed ~ 4 December 1888

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889:

On the 4th the day watch at the Cape Hatteras Station (6th District), North Carolina, observed schooner standing in for the outer slue. A short time afterward, the sea being smooth on the shoals, the vessel got out of the channel and stranded at half-past 1 o’clock on the Diamond Shoal about 6 miles south-southeast from the station. The surf men made all possible haste in getting out the surfboat, employed a team to draw it to the beach opposite the schooner, launched, and went out to her. She proved to be the Lena Breed, of Philadelphia, PA, with a cargo of yellow pine from Wilmington, NC, bound to her home port. Taking the crew of 7 men into the boat, the life savers set out for the beach. They had not gone far when they were met by the surf boat from the Creed’s Hill Station, (adjacent to the southward) the life saving crew at that point having noted the disaster and set out at once for the place, a pull of more than 7 miles. The Cape Hatteras surf boat being heavily loaded, two of the sailors were transferred to the other. The Creed’s Hill men rendered further aid by taking a line and towing the surf boat of the Hatteras crew inshore as far as the bar. The keeper of the next station north, Big Kinnakeet, having also started to the assistance of the stranded vessel, arrived just in time to help the men ashore. They were conducted to the Cape Hatteras Station. On the next day (5th) the surf men again boarded the craft and saved clothing, ship stores and other articles. They found the vessel in bad condition. Her crew left the station on the 6th, and on the same day, the wind blowing fresh from the westward, she was dislodged and driven to sea, becoming a total loss.

Barkentine Samuel Welsh ~ 26 February 1888

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888:

At 7 o’clock in the morning of the earlier of these dates, the south patrol from the Whale’s Head Station, NC (6th District), North Carolina observed a longboat filled with men, abreast of the station and about a mile beyond the breakers. The life saving crew upon learning of the affair immediately launched their surf-boat and went out to the assistance of the people in the boat. The men proved to be the crew of 9, all told, of the barkentine Samuel Welsh, of Philadelphia. As they could not land in their own boat, on account of the rough sea, they abandoned it and were taken ashore in the station boat. The surf was heavy but they landed without mishap though not without difficulty. Their vessel had sunk the preceding night some 20 miles southeast of the station, having sprung a leak during heavy weather. She had been bound to Brunswick, GA, with a freight of railroad iron from her home port. The rescued men stayed at the station until the morning of the 28th, when they proceeded to Norfolk, VA.

Richmond Dispatch / 28 February 1888 / No. 11 / Pg. 4 Col. 4

The captain and crew of the foundered barkentine Samuel Welsh arrived here today from Whale's Head on the steamer Bonito.