This station is another of the original nine stations erected on the
shores of Cape Cod in 1872. It is located on what is called Little
Ponchet Island, back of the Nauset Beach, about two and one-half miles
south of Nauset Harbor, and about five miles from the Orleans village.
Its approximate position, as obtained from the latest coast survey
charts, is latitude north 41° 45′ 35″, longitude west 69° 56′ 00″.
The first keeper of the station was the late Captain Solomon Linnell,
who was succeeded by Capt. Marcus Pierce. Captain Pierce was keeper of
the station for fifteen years, and upon his retiring from the service,
Capt. James H. Charles was placed in command.
[Illustration: ORLEANS STATION.]
The station is located at one of the most dangerous sections of the
coast, sunken bars stretching along the coast there for miles. The
patrol north from this station extends as far as Nauset Harbor, two and
one-half miles, the surfmen using time clocks. The south patrol covers
two and one-half miles of beach, the surfmen meeting and exchanging
checks with the surfmen from the Old Harbor Station. Before the Old
Harbor Station was built, the surfmen from this station were obliged to
cover the entire beach south as far as Chatham Harbor, a distance of
five miles.
At this station there are three surf-boats, two beach carts with guns,
breeches-buoys, etc., and a torch light, the latter which gives a
tremendously powerful light and is of great benefit to the life savers
while working at wrecks in the night. Captain Charles has a horse at
this station which the government employs during the winter season.
[Illustration: ALONG THE SHORE AT ORLEANS STATION.]
Since Captain Charles has been keeper of the Orleans Station nearly one
hundred lives have been saved by his crew from wrecked vessels. From
the schooner _Lizzie M. Center_ sixteen men were taken ashore in the
surf-boat by his crew, the schooner being saved. From the steam launch
_Etta_ ten men were taken ashore in the surf-boat. Two men were rescued
from a dory by the surf-boat, and from the schooner _Ann_ three men
were saved by the surf-boat and the vessel floated. From the schooner
_Lottie L. Haskins_ fourteen men were taken ashore in the surf-boat and
the vessel saved. Two men were taken ashore from a cat-boat, but the
life savers could not save the craft. From the schooner _Walter Miller_
the crew of five and one woman were taken ashore in the breeches-buoy
and the vessel saved. The schooner _Iva Laffrinier_, with crew of five
men, was boarded by the life savers, who took the crew ashore, the
vessel becoming a total loss. From the steam launch _Zilpha_ three
men were saved, and from the schooner _Zenobia_ the crew of three men
were rescued by the surf-boat, and the latter craft saved. From the
sloop _Carrol_ three men were taken ashore by the surf-boat and the
craft saved. From the cat-boat _Mary C_ three men were taken ashore in
surf-boat. One man from a dory and one from a small cat-boat were also
brought ashore in the surf-boat. From the schooner _John L. Parker_,
which became a total loss, the crew of six men were taken off by the
breeches-buoy. From the schooner _Elsie M. Smith_, which also became a
total loss, sixteen men were taken ashore by the breeches-buoy, while
from the steam launch _No Name_ two men and a woman and child were
taken ashore in the surf-boat.
[Illustration: STRANDED ON THE OUTER BAR AT ORLEANS, LATER BECOMING A
TOTAL WRECK.]
While Captain Charles and his crew have made many daring rescues both
by surf-boat and breeches-buoy, the hardest and most perilous tasks
they have are going offshore to the assistance of distressed vessels.
These jobs mean long and hard pulls with the perils multiplied, as
after boarding the crafts they are often compelled to work them into
port. No matter how far offshore the distressed vessel may be, once she
is sighted with colors flying at half-mast, Captain Charles and his
crew are off to her assistance. Frequently it happens that the vessels
they board, after pulling in the teeth of a gale for hours, are in a
sinking condition and the crews exhausted. It is then a race for life
to port, and many times have the life savers felt the vessels which
they have started to take into port sinking under them, before they had
gotten under way.
Captain Charles and his crew have had many narrow escapes in going to
the assistance of distressed vessels, and have often suffered untold
hardship in the work, but that they are ever ready to battle with the
wind or wave is evidenced by the great number of heroic rescues they
have made.