Island History: A spotlight on stories from the Outer Banks’ Life-Saving Service
The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (CLSS) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, as one of the seven original Life-Saving Stations to be built in North Carolina in 1874.
As such, the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station and Historic Site in Rodanthe will be sharing stories about the seven 1874 Outer Banks stations in the months ahead, leading up to the official October celebration of the United States Life-Saving Stations’ 150th anniversary in the state.
The following is the next of these Life-Saving Station feature articles to honor the #LegacyofLifeSaving, written by Jen Carlson for CLSS.
Sage Wisdom – A historic rescue by the Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station
In the early morning hours of August 10, 1898, a surfman on patrol from the Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station found a stranded schooner about three-fourths of a mile north of the station.
He immediately burned a Coston signal indicating help was on the way and hurried back to the station to report the case to Keeper Edward O. Hooker.
After calling his sister stations of Big Kinnakeet and Gull Shoal, Keeper Hooker and the team headed out to the scene with the surfboat.
Initially, Master C. M. Sawyer didn’t want to leave the S. G. Hart as he thought both she and the cargo might be saved, but she was rapidly filling, and on the advice from Keeper Hooker, decided it was best to abandon the vessel.
Six sailors transferred all their belongings and climbed into the surfboat to be taken to shore. The surfmen then made a second trip to retrieve the ship’s master and mate along with their belongings and the schooner’s nautical equipment.
The sister station crews had now arrived on site and the teams were also able to save a small boat from the wreckage. Using a team of horses, all property and the surfboat were carted back to the station.
The following day, the surfmen and Master Sawyer were able to unload the wares using the schooner’s boat to transport the items back to shore. The sailors stayed at the station for six days until transportation was arranged for them to return home.
After leaving, Master Sawyer sent a letter to the Superintendent’s office expressing his appreciation for the prompt assistance from the Little Kinnakeet crew and for the advice from Keeper Hooker for keeping both his crew and cargo safe.
All in a Day’s Work at the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station
Sometimes it’s about taking that extra step: On September 11, 1890, an off-duty surfman from the Oregon Inlet Life-Saving Station spotted a sloop anchored about two miles southwest of the station flying a signal of distress.
There had been a heavy gale blowing for the past couple of days, and the sea was still rough.
A sailboat belonging to another surfman was moored nearby, so several surfmen went out to the sloop in the sailboat instead of returning to the station for the surfboat.
The sloop, Elwyla, had been on a fishing trip and got caught in the storm and was unable to return to shore. The two men onboard were without water and other provisions so the vessel’s captain climbed into the sailboat where he was taken ashore. He was furnished with the necessary supplies before being taken back to his vessel.
For more stories like these, visit the Chicamacomico LifeSaving Station where history is alive.
