T.B. Witherspoon - January 10, 1886

A ferocious winter storm descended on Nantucket on January 8, 1886, bringing blinding snow and winds that whipped the sea into a frenzy.  In the early morning hours of January 10, Keeper George Veeder, standing on the roof-walk of Surfside Life-Saving Station, sighted his beach patrol hurrying to the station with an alarm. Soon after, the Surfside crew were pulling their beach cart through flying snow and sand towards the wreck. 

Once they reached the beach, it was obvious that a surfboat could not be launched into the deadly waters.  Veeder and his crew would be dependent upon the breeches buoy to save the men of the Witherspoon.  Line after line was shot towards the schooner, but the high winds, ice encrusted vessel and weakening survivors made it impossible for the line to hold.  Those on shore watched helplessly as, one by one, sailors succumbed to the cold, fell into the water and disappeared.

As daylight faded, the life-savers were finally able to secure a line and set up a breeches buoy.  They quickly hauled two survivors to the shore; the rest of the crew and the wife and young son of a survivor, seven people total, had perished.  The only remaining piece of the schooner is a portion of the ship, which was saved as a reminder of this tragic wreck.

Veeder and his surfmen had done their best.  They had labored throughout the day under the most trying and discouraging circumstances, but had saved only two people from the wreck. The officer who investigated this sad affair reported: "No better work under the circumstances could have been done than Veeder and his crew did that memorable day; and when it is related that a vessel was wrecked near the Surfside Station and seven out of nine of her crew perished, it will also be told that the life-saving crew did their whole duty."