Capt. Hezekiah F. Doane, keeper of the Old Harbor Station, was born
in Chatham in 1846, and has been in the life-saving service for
twenty-two years, thirteen as a surfman and nine as keeper. When he
entered the service he was assigned to the Chatham Station, where he
served as a surfman for thirteen years, being appointed keeper of the
station in 1893. Captain Doane remained keeper of the Chatham Station
for five years or until he was transferred to the Old Harbor Station
in 1898. He was a fisherman, yachtsman, and mariner before he entered
the life-saving service and was well prepared for the work he has since
been called upon to perform. As a surfman at the Chatham Station he
had much work in rescuing shipwrecked crews and assisting distressed
vessels, and his appointment as keeper of the Chatham Station was
meritorious reward for faithful and efficient service. While keeper of
the Chatham Station, Captain Doane and his brave crew of life savers
made many perilous trips out over the shoals to distressed vessels, and
effected daring rescues of imperiled crews. Owing to the shallow water
along the Chatham shores, nearly all the work performed by Captain
Doane was with the surf-boats, the breeches-buoy having been used but
twice since he has been in the service. He married Pemah B. Pierce, and
is the father of two sons.