(Rehoboth Beach, DE)
Did you know that there are over 200 known sunken ships off of the coast of Delaware alone? I must admit I was taken aback when that number was thrown out there. We were shown a map that shows where the sunken ships are. Click to enlarge the picture below for a better look.
Since we were at the site of the Indian River Life Saving Station it seemed only right that a demonstration of how sailors were saved from the depths of the ocean many years ago was given. This turned out to be very interesting to say the least.
I guess I should start with the Life Saving Station itself. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the station was built in 1876 for use by the United States Life-Saving Service, an organization created to respond to the rising number of shipwrecks along the coastline.
On the far side of this building are two large doors in which a surf boat which is housed inside can fit through.
The facility was moved back from the water's edge in 1877 due to coastal erosion. The station was abandoned after the Ash Wednesday Storm in 1962, which left it partially buried in sand. The building is now maintained by Delaware state parks as part of Delaware Seashore State Park.
The inside is furnished as it would have been back in the day.
The Library
Dining Area
Life Saving Stations were located in isolated stretches along the coastline. The pantry was a very important room in the station as the surfmen and keeper’s food and supplies were kept there.
Delaware had a robust canning industry at the turn of the century and many towns in the lower counties had canneries. This afforded the station to keep their pantry stocked with canned goods.
The federal government provided enough food and supplies to sustain only the surfmen and the keeper of the station. In order to clothe and feed the survivors of the shipwrecks that had to pay for that themselves. A group called the Women’s National Relief Association was created in 1880 to provide the Life Saving Station with additional supplies for those they rescued.
Surfmen’s Quarters
The Keeper’s Quarters
So there is the Life Saving Station as it was back in the day. Today this museum receives a lot of guests wanting to learn the ways of days gone by.
This brings us to the Breeches Buoy demonstration.
This gentleman explained everything step by step as it happened. I’m sorry I didn’t catch his name.
Delaware State Parks employees and volunteers were the crew for the demo.
BREECHES BUOY: n. An apparatus used for rescues and transfers at sea, consisting of sturdy canvas breeches attached at the waist to a ring buoy that is suspended from a pulley running along a rope from ship to shore or from ship to ship.
Back, many years ago, when the boats that plied these waters looked like this….
and then in later years, ships that looked closer to those of today, would run aground or get caught in storms and the Captain’s and crews would need rescuing. This is where Lifesaving Stations like this one would come into play.
After the distress signal was seen or heard or the watchman caught sight of a ship in distress, the surfmen would jump into action.
A cart much like this one (this a 1/3 scale replica) would be rolled down to the beach and the rescue would begin.
The ropes and pulleys would be readied….
and the Breeches Buoy would be readied.
While that is going on, other surfmen are getting the lyle gun or cannon ready.
There is a very long rope that is coiled just so over long rods. Margaret, the woman who does coils the rope has it down to about a 25 minute task.
The rope is then taken off the rods very carefully and put into the box.
The rope is then tied onto a seventeen pound projectile and put into the lyle cannon.
The projectile is then shot over the ship so that the crew members are sure to secure the rope. It may have looked like this.
As soon as the rope is secure on the ship and the breeches buoy ready on land, the rescue can begin.
A mock rescue was done right before our eyes. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.
They got both sailors back to shore safely and we also learned that there is no graceful way to get out of a breeches buoy!
I really enjoyed my afternoon at the Heritage Festival and highly recommend it to anyone in the area next summer when they have it again.
When I got back to the campground Bob and I were sitting outside, me telling him about my afternoon and him telling me about the big one that got away when we both took notice of the sky.
Curlicues all over the sky.
We feel good knowing that all of our time isn’t going to be spent at the Marina.
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