WRECKS. 313 



coast, of the midnight alarm to the watch below, with 

 the terrible cry of " Breakers ahead! " of the rush to 

 the deck, the awful crash, the lowering the boat, the 

 irresistible wave, the long shriek of agony as the good 

 ship goes down and all is swallowed in the seething 

 and remorseless sea, — and to tell the tale, nothing left 

 but these sad mementos that constantly drift to the 

 shore. 



Since the island's settlement, something like five 

 hundred vessels have been either totally wrecked or 

 met with some mishap on or near it. The timbers of 

 many of these once noble vessels can be seen at vari- 

 ous points all around the island, lying half buried in 

 the sand, gradually crumbling to dust. 



Within the last hundred years the government and 

 individuals have done much toward alleviating the 

 sufferings of shipwrecked seamen cast upon our coast, 

 by the establishment of life-saving stations and hu- 

 mane houses. 



F. C. Sanford, Esq., who has been for twenty years 

 connected with that noble charity, the Massachusetts 

 Humane Society, has kindly furnished the compiler 

 with many facts in regard to its great work. 



In 1791 the State Legislature granted to the citi- 

 zen merchants of Boston a charter for a society which 

 had been formed for the purpose of " recognizing and 

 rewarding all humane, daring, and gallant exploits of 

 individual citizens of the State, wherever performed." 

 It was called the Massachusetts Humane Society, 

 and " to-day it looks back with pride upon ninety years 

 of benevolent work." Stations for the succor of ship- 

 wrecked seamen have been established all around our 



