Capt. Benjamin C. Sparrow, superintendent of the second life-saving
district, was born in Orleans, Oct. 9, 1839. He is a lineal descendant
of Richard Sparrow, who came over in the ship _Ann_, landing at
Plymouth. When a boy he always accompanied his father, a well-known
life saver and wrecker, to the shipwrecks that occurred along the
coast, and at an early age became familiar with the scenes of disaster
from which the shores of Cape Cod have become noted.
In those early days, long before the establishment of United States
life-saving stations on Cape Cod, volunteer crews responded to the
calls for assistance when there was a wreck along the coast. There were
others who engaged in the work of saving lives and of wrecking, or
assisting distressed vessels, and they were known as “beach combers.”
Captain Sparrow was a “beach comber” for many years, and relates
thrilling and interesting incidents that occurred during his
experience. After finishing his education in the public schools of his
native town, he taught in the public schools in the adjoining town of
Eastham.
He entered Phillips Academy to prepare himself for the legal
profession, and was a student there at the outbreak of the Civil
War. The war had hardly begun, however, before he left college, and
enlisted in the regular army, in the engineer battalion attached to
the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, serving in this capacity
until 1864. During his term of service he endured much hardship, being
a prisoner at Belle Isle in the summer of 1862.
At the close of the war he returned to his home in East Orleans, where
he has since resided. On Dec. 25, 1866, he married Miss Eunice S.
Felton, of Shutesbury, Mass.
He has been connected with the United States Life-Saving Service for
thirty years, or since the time of its reorganization, his appointment
as district superintendent being a part of the plan adopted by the
government to stamp out the evils which existed in the service at the
time.
Captain Sparrow in the thirty years in which he has been
superintendent of the second district has been actively engaged in the
arduous duties of his calling, and to his efforts is due the success in
securing the discipline and efficiency in this hazardous service in the
district under his charge.
[Illustration: CAPT. B. C. SPARROW, DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT UNITED
STATES LIFE-SAVING STATION.]
His home is connected by telephone with all the stations along the
shores of the Cape, and the moment a wreck is reported to him he is
away to the scene.
Ofttimes he has been obliged to travel many miles on foot in the teeth
of a raging gale and driving storm to reach the scene of a disaster,
yet he has attended nearly every wreck that has taken place along the
shores of Cape Cod during the past thirty years.
The veteran captain has often shared the hardships and braved the
perils with the life savers in their work along the beaches, and the
hardships of thirty years have left their deep imprint upon him. The
night that the schooner Calvin B. Orcutt was wrecked on Chatham bars,
Captain Sparrow suffered such hardship going to the scene that his
eyesight has since been seriously impaired.
The life-saving department recognized Captain Sparrow’s ability from
the first by appointing him on the board of experts to examine new
appliances and methods proposed for use by the department.
This position he has filled with great credit to himself and to the
betterment of the department to the present.
[Illustration: A DERELICT CAST ASHORE.]
Captain Sparrow has always taken an active interest in the affairs of
his town, and his fellow-citizens have honored him from time to time
with public offices within their gift. To the life savers of Cape Cod
Captain Sparrow has ever been a staunch friend.