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The Inquirer and Mirror Reports /
the Wreck of the Marshall A RECENT GIFT to the Association is the research material compiled by the author of Life Saving — Nantucket, and contains information on Nantucket Life Saving Stations, Lighthouses and Lightships and Ship wrecks, together with related material. Among the factual reports is the account of the wreck of the bark W. F. Marshall, as reported by The Inquirer and Mirror over the initial period of her coming ashore and continuing through her eventual breaking up during the following months. The first Life Station on Nantucket was built in 1874, and still stands at Surfside, where it is now an American Youth Hostel. The Station was opened December 1, 1874, with Captain Joseph Winslow as the first Keeper. It was March 10, 1877, that the first emergency arose — the wreck of the big bark W. F. Marshall. The Nantucket newspaper reported the story as follows: March 10, 1877 As Mr. Horace Cash of the Life-saving station was returning to the house from his boat yesterday morning, about five o'clock, he discovered through the mist, a large bark headed directly for the shore which she soon struck at the head of Mioxes Ponds, driving well up on the beach. A strong southeast wind was blowing at the time. Aid soon arrived and the vessel was boarded. It proved to be the bark W. F. Marshall of St. Johns, N.B .* Captain James H. Wright, with a crew of fourteen all told. The wife and child of the steward were aboard, but were immediately landed and cared for. The wind was blowing onshore yesterday which gave no opportunity for an attempt to get her off, but if the weather moderates today an effort will be made to rescue the vessel. The captain says, "We left Hampton Roads Wednesday afternoon (March 7th) bound for St. John. The weather was fine until Thursday afternoon when a breeze sprung up gradually increasing to a moderate gale. Took an observation Thursday at noon and then steered east of north intending to pass twenty miles inside the South Shoal Lightship. The weather continued to thicken at night, and about 12 o'clock looked at my chart and figured we were some fifty miles south of Nantucket; afterwards
