Schooner Charmer ~ 4 March 1899

At 9:20 a.m. on March 4, 1899, Surfman David S. Willis reported a vessel stranded four miles east of the station. Keeper Terrell took the station crew to her assistance, arriving at 1010. The vessel proved to be the three-masted schooner Charmer (341 tons) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bound for Charleston, South Carolina with 567 tons of coal. She had struck bottom on the shoal during a heavy fog and had beat to within 800 yards of the beach. Captain Bragg, a local pilot of Ocracoke, also boarded the vessel to assist. Keeper Terrell landed Captain Charles L. Olsen and his crew of six at Ocracoke in order for him to have easier access to a telegraph.

The entire cargo, valued at $1,700.00 was lost. The only thing saved from the vessel was about $60.00 worth of sails and rigging. Soon after wards, the Charmer went to pieces.

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

In attempting to make Ocracoke in a fog this vessel stranded on the bar. Crew from Portsmouth boarded her, but could do nothing further than to land the crew. Later on they took the master to Ocracoke to send a telephone message to Hatteras, to be forwarded thence to the owners of the vessel. When the owners arrived they turned the vessel over to Captain Bragg, a local pilot, but she soon went to pieces. (See letter of acknowledgment.)

OCRACOKE, NORTH CAROLINA, March 10, 1899

DEAR SIRS: The owner of the Charmer was here and put everything in charge of Captain Bragg, and as I am leaving Ocracoke today for Philadelphia, I take this opportunity of thanking you for the prompt assistance rendered to myself and crew in our distress. Yours, in dept, CHARLES L. OLSEN, Master of Schooner Charmer

Schooner John I. Snow ~ 14 January 1907

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907:

Foggy weather, could not see light, went ashore 3 miles S. of station at 3 a.m. She was sighted at sunrise and the lifesavers went to her in surfboat. Furled her sails, got up anchor, took crew in to the station and the keeper telegraphed for the revenue cutters Seminole and Boutwell. Before they arrived the schooner had filled and sunk. Later the underwriters discharged the cargo and stripped her. (See letter of acknowledgment.)

PORTSMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA, January 15, 1907

DEAR SIR: We, the undersigned, wish to express our appreciation of the assistance that keeper McWilliams and crew of the Portsmouth station have rendered us. On January 14, 1907, at 8.10 a.m., the above-named crew boarded the schooner John I. Snow, of Rockland, Maine, on her way to Miami, Florida, which had gone ashore on Portsmouth Beach. All of us were taken off and carried to the life-saving station. We must say that we never met a more gentlemanly crew in our life. We also found the crew ready to give assistance in any way they could. We appreciated the good work done for us; also the genial manner in which they did it. We wish to congratulate you in having such a good man as keeper McWilliams. Yours, very respectfully, H.S. TUTTLE, Captain ; G.H. BROWN, Mate ; C.F. STREAM, Cook ; VICTOR NEWMAN ; J.B. DERDLEY ; EDWARD KLEMENSEN, of Schooner John I. Snow

Schooner Luna ~ 29 July 1918

United States Life-Saving Service Report

At 6:30 a.m. July 29 Keeper Mitchell Hamilton of the Portsmouth Station called Keeper David Williams of the Ocracoke Station for assistance with a schooner on the beach 5 miles SSW. The vessel proved to be the three-masted schooner Luna, en route from Savannah, GA to New York City. Captain F.A. Allen had made an error in navigation to his chronometer being out of order. Wrote Williams:

W. Roberts, No. 1 surfman, on south patrol ... discovered three mast schooner ashore ... Arrived ... opposite the wreck at 7:00 a.m. and placed gear in proper position. The first shot was unsuccessful The second shot was a true hit. The Coast Guard crew of station No. 187 arrived this time and both crews were busily engaged until 9:15 a.m. when crew of five men were safely landed on the beach in the breeches buoy ... returned to station with gear and rescued crew at 11:45 a.m.

The following day keeper Hamilton took Captain Allen to his vessel where he abandoned all hope of saving it. The shipwrecked crew stayed at the station until August 1 when they were transported to Elizabeth City by a Coast Guard supply boat. The captain remained two more days and proceeded to Norfolk, VA. The vessel and the remains of its cargo were total losses and turned over to the insurance company.

Schooner S. Warren Hall ~ 5 April 1898

At 1:33 p.m. on April 5, 1898, the day watch, Surfman Dennis Mason, reported a two-masted schooner aground in the breakers on Ocracoke Bar about three miles southeast of the station. The tide was on the ebb with a strong "northardly" wind and high seas. The station crew went to the vessel's assistance. She proved to be the S. Warren Hall (aka Samuel Warren Hall) (152-tons) owned by John W. Hall of Wilmington, Delaware. They were en route from Georgetown, South Carolina, to Baltimore, Maryland, with a load of shingles, valued at $1,625.00. The station crew attempted to get to the vessel but had to drop back inside the inlet. They returned to the station but left again at 3:25 the following morning in order to be at the site well before daylight. The ship's crew were all in the rigging but the lifesavers were still unable to reach the vessel.

Less than half the cargo was saved; the Hall was a complete loss. The rescued crew spent two nights at the station consuming 42 meals. They were: E.W. Hill, Captain, Baltimore; Mathew Nelson, Mate, Marshallberg; Alfred Collings, Baltimore; Hayward Haverton, New Bern; Charles Gardner, New Bern; and Manuel Pereila.

Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898:

Missed stays and stranded in the breakers on Ocracoke Bar during a strong SW. breeze and heavy surf. Station crew pulled out but were unable to reach her on account of the surf; anchored surf boat and awaited a favorable chance, and at 9.30 next morning succeeded in getting alongside after two abortive attempts. Crew were in the rigging, but all were taken off (there were 6 all told) and conveyed to the station, where they were cared for and fitted out with clothing from the stores of the Women’s National Relief Association. (See card of thanks under caption “Letters of acknowledgment.”)

CARD OF THANKS

We desire to give our heartfelt thanks to Captain Terrell and crew, of the Portsmouth Life-Saving Station, for saving our lives when wrecked on the schooner S. Warren Hall and for their kind and brotherly attention to all our wants. Braver and more gallant men never lived, and we shall remember them to our dying hour with love and regard. E.W. HILL, Captain ; MATTHEW NELMIDLATE, Mate ; ALFRED COLLINS ; HAYWARD K. HOWERTON ; CHAS. GORDNOR ; MANUEL PEREILA, Seamen