A.P. Richardson

On September 26, 1894 the two masted schooner, A.P. Richardson, was stranded on Ocracoke's beach just one half mile south of Hatteras Inlet. The "sea was very high," and a "strong gale" was blowing, along with heavy rain. According to keeper James W. Howard of the Life Saving Station, the sand was "blowing almost putting our eyes out."

When the station crew arrived, the wreck was reported to be "high on the beach" but still surrounded by a raging surf. One of the surfmen waded out into the turbulence as far as he dared and threw the heaving stick on board the schooner. The heaving stick is a wooden wand about eighteen inches long with a heavy ball of lead on one end. The other end is fastened to a light weight "whip line." On this occasion the whip line was sent on board doubled and the five crewmen were hauled to shore with it, one at a time.

The ship's captain and his crew, all from Long Island, were given dry clothes and made comfortable at the station. The schooner was a total loss.

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