Schooner A.P. Richardson ~ 26 September 1894

The schooner A.P. Richardson drug anchor and came ashore on the beach about 1/2 SW of the Ocracoke Life Saving Station during a strong easterly gale and a high tide. She was under the command of Captain Newton with a crew of four, all from Long Island, NY. She was en route to New Bern to pick up cargo. The following wreck report was filed by James Howard on October 8:

Sept. 26 about 10:30 at night No 6 surfman on his beat from 10 pm to 2 am south sited sch on beach about 1030 on his way south did not go his beat but returned as early as posable reported vessel on beach. Burned coston signal before he left her to let them no that she was sene. Keeper cault out crew hitch up mule to apparatus cart. As sea was verry high and verry strong gail and raining verry hard sand blowing almost puting our eyes out. Left station 1030 arrived to wreck 11 pm. The schooner was light come high on the beach. Went at work tuck the heaving stick waded in surf and threw on board the sch. The heaving stick hault of whip line and brought them on shore one at a time all safe. Tuck them to station wher they were cared for gave them dry clothing and made them as comfortable as posable. On 28 went to wreck sch to save capt and crew things. 29 tuck Capt of sch to Hattress to send telagram to oners. Oct 8 Capt sold vessel materiels at public sail. Sch total lost. Capt gave open thanks to the service.

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895

OCRACOKE LIFE-SAVING STATION, NORTH CAROLINA, September 26, 1894

DEAR SIR: I desire to express thanks to the keeper and crew of the Ocracoke Life-Saving Station for the timely assistance rendered to the schooner A.P. Richardson, September 26, when stranded here on Ocracoke Beach, in landing through the surf all on board. We were taken to the station house and cared for, with dry clothing and kind attention. S.B. NEWTON, Master ; NAT. GODLEY, Mate, schooner A.P. Richardson

Bark Clythia ~ 22 January 1894

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30 1894:

Stranded on Pebble Shoal during foggy weather; heavy surf running, making boat service impossible. After a hard struggle along the beach, life saving crew arrived opposite bark with apparatus cart and fired a shot over her as she lay (300 yards from and head on to shore); crew of False Cape Station then reached scene and helped land her crew of seventeen men and their personal effects with breeches buoy. Provided for ship’s company at station, sending 9 of them to Norfolk on 25th. Succored remainder of crew and agents for underwriters and wrecking company until 28th, on which date, sea moderating, transferred them to vessel. Employed in transmitting messages for wrecker until February 1, when the Clythia was abandoned on account of stormy weather, the crew being cared for at station until February 6, when they departed for Norfolk giving up the bark for lost. Saved and sold at auction all articles of value remaining on the wreck and turned the proceeds over to master, at whose request the sale was made. The following is a statement received from the officers of the Norwegian bark Clythia, stranded near Wash Woods Station, North Carolina, January 22, 1894:

The twenty-second day of January we stranded two or three miles north of the Wash Woods Life-Saving Station, and were saved with the rocket line; were on shore six days the first time. It is with pleasure we state that the life-saving people were active and took care to bring us on shore, and happy are this shipwrecked crew which came to such a station, where all do everything for the wrecked crew’s comfort in any way. We think, really, if we had been wrecked in our own country we never would have been taken so much care of as now. With thankful hearts we always will remember Captain Corbel and his men, and never lose them from our minds. J. Heffermehl, Master; A. Christensen, Mate; D. Kamenni, Second Mate; J.A. Jonsen, of Clythia.

Schooner Elizabeth A. Baizley ~ 28 September 1894

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895:

The following statement was published in the Southport Leader (North Carolina) relative to the rescue of the crew of the schooner Elizabeth A. Baizley, September 28, 1894:

SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA, September __, 1894

To Captain Watts and Crew of the Cape Fear Life-Saving Station: It is impossible for myself and crew to express the great gratitude we feel toward you and your men for the services and aid given us last Friday morning, when we were taken off our wrecked schooner and saved from drowning. Your promptness in rescuing us, and many acts of kindness afterwards, will always be remembered by myself and men with feelings too deep for expression by letter or word of mouth. Deep in our hearts we shall ever hold your acts in grateful, brotherly love. Sincerely yours, H.L. SMITH, Captain Elizabeth A. Baizley

Schooner Florence C. Magee ~ 25 February 1894

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894:

Stranded and sunk on the evening of the 25th instant. Called Nags Head crew by telephone, and went to her with beach apparatus about 1 a.m. Crew of 10 persons were in the rigging. Tried to use the beach gear, but although three shot lines were placed on board, the swift current prevented the successful working of the apparatus. Finally launched the surfboat, the keeper of the Nags Head Station accompanying the Bodie Island crew. At about the same time a fishing smack ran down the beach outside the breakers and had taken off four of the crew when the surfboat reached the schooner. The life savers took off the remaining 6 persons and received into the surfboat the four men who had got into the smack. Landed them safely, and succored them two days at the station and provided clothing. The captain remained at the station 9 days. (See letter of acknowledgement.)

BODIE ISLAND, NORTH CAROLINA, February 28, 1894

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: We, the undersigned, master and mariners of the schooner Florence E. Magee, wrecked on this beach on the night of the 25th instant, desire to testify to the great bravery and exertion exhibited by Captain Jesse T. Etheridge and his gallant crew of Life-Saving Station No. 15 (Bodie Island) in rescuing us from our perilous position on the wreck. They worked from the time the wreck was discovered, at 12.40 a.m. the 26th, until 4 p.m., when we were landed. Having used every effort to shoot a line across the wreck, and succeeding in this, found it impossible to land us on account of the long distance the vessel was stranded from the beach; launched the surfboat, and at great peril of his life and crew came to us and rescued us. For this rescue and the efforts put forth to accomplish it we desire to express in this matter our appreciation of his kindness in rescuing us and the very kind treatment which we have received during our stay at the station. Yours, truly, HENRY C. ROGERS, Master ; SAMUEL G. BLACK, Mate ; JOHN RUBY, Second Mate ; FRANK KNIGHT, Cook ; ANDREW STRIGH, Engineer, MICAL ANTON, Seaman ; GUNDER KISTENSEN, Seaman ; JOHN MARTINSEN, Seaman ; HARRY HANSEN, Seaman ; THOS. MESSENA, Seaman

Bark Ogir ~ 10 October 1894

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895:

Anchored off Cape Fear Bar during night of 9th; shortly after midnight the storm drove her on the outer bar, where it was found necessary to cut away her for-mast and mainmast to make her lie more easily. Was sighted at daybreak by life saving crew, who pulled out through the breakers with lifeboat and skillfully took off 9 of her crew from the spanker boom, the heavy spanker boom, the heavy sea and the wreckage surrounding the vessel preventing a nearer approach; the other two men on board refused to leave. Landed the 9 men and succored them at station; next day brought off the other two. On 12th put part of the Ogir’s crew on board their vessel and saved the only boat that was unstove and the personal effects of the crew. On 15th transported shipwrecked crew to Southport in lifeboat. Vessel became a total loss.

Schooner Richard S. Spofford ~ 27 December 1894

The 488-ton Richard S. Spofford was a three-masted schooner built in 1890 at Newberryport, MA. On December 22 she sailed in ballast from Boston, MA for Darien, GA under the command of Captain Richard R. Hawes with a crew of seven.

As they were passing off Cape Hatteras the afternoon of the 26th, they ran into gail force SSE winds. The captain ordered the crew to reduce sails and, in anticipation of a shift in wind, stayed as near to shore as possible until reaching shallow water where he planned to anchor until the storm passed. Instead of abating, the wind increased to hurricane force driving the vessel faster than Captain Hawes realized. He later noted, "... at midnight I would gladly have put the vessel on the offshore tack, but did not dare to make the attempt for fear of lising the mainsail."

At 3:30 a.m. the Spofford struck bottom without warning and her large centerboard soon became solidly wedged in sand. With sails flying, the vessel swung broadside, ripping the heavy centerboard from her belly. This allowed her to slowly drift over the outer bar. The crew quickly got anchors out but the doomed vessel soon found her final resting place about 300 yards from the beach.

The villagers gathered on the beach at daybreak, but nobody made a rescue attempt, nor did they send word to the fully manned Ocracoke Station 14 miles up the beach. However, across the inlet and 7 miles away, keeper Ferdinand G. Terrell was on duty at the Portsmouth Station. Although not yet operational, the station had only recently been completed and Terrel was in the lookout tower, where he spotted the Spofford. As visibility improved he could see their distress signal flying and was able to muster the help of six local volunteers: Joseph W. Robinson, George Dixon, Dennis Mason, Jacob Swindell, Joseph Styron and Martin Dixon.

In the meantime, the crew of the Spofford had decided that assistance was not coming and launched the ships yawl into the turbulent sea. The mate and four of the crew boarded the vessel and headed for shore, only to be swamped as soon as they got out of the lee of the vessel. Though they were thrown into the raging breakers, they all managed to reach shore.

Upon arrival keeper Terrell tried to enlist a crew to assist in the rescue. He had already sent three of his men by sailboat to the Ocracoke station for help. Donald S. Tolson was the only one to respond. Terrel made a complete failure in getting other volunteers from the onlookers, and in despair headed down the beach in order to meet keeper Howard and his crew. Howard had come on horseback and when the two keepers met, still three or four miles from the wreck, they resolved to hasten to the wreck sight in order to survey the scene by daylight.

The going was extremely hard with the beach almost impassable. One of the mules balked after a few miles and the lifesaving crew arrived pulling the beach apparatus themselves with the help of one completely fatigued animal.

By now it was 8 p.m., dark and cold, with the storm still raging. The remaining three men had long since taken refuge on the bowsprit, where they lashed the injured steward to the rigging, wrapped themselves in the jib and huddled together for warmth. The schooner was rolling bad and the surf was breaking all over her. It was decided to wait until morning.

At daybreak, on the second try, a line was successfully fired to the vessel and Captain Hawes and the remaining crewmen were run ashore in the breeches buoy. The steward, Sylvester H. Chase of Cape Cod, who had suffered a fall from the quarter-deck the previous afternoon, did not survive the night and was left, lashed to the capstan. During the following inquiry there was some question concerning his death but was dismissed. Captain Hawes remained long enough to see the recovery of Chase's remains and to sell a few items which were salvaged from the Spofford.

The following month Terrell chose his first lifesaving crew. One of the volunteers, Dennis Mason, was chosen to fill the important position of #1 Surfman.