344 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



State coast; and the best and finest apparatus for sav- 

 ing life that can be devised by man, consisting of 

 rafts, boats, guns, floats, life cars and lines, has been 

 placed on this and the adjacent islands of Tucker- 

 nuck and Muskeget. 



Mr. Sanford says: — 



" Since I have been upon the committee — nearly 

 twenty years — there have been many disastrous and 

 appalling wrecks. Among the most noted and dis- 

 tressing was that of the schooner ' Haynes,' from St. 

 Domingo. On Dec. 24, I860, we found her off the 

 west end of the island; the thermometer was six de- 

 grees below zero, and the vessel encased with ice from 

 her truck to the water. The Humane boat was manned 

 by a brave set of men, who boarded the vessel, but not 

 a soul was found on her. The cabin was warm, with 

 a good fire in the stove. She had struck on a shoal, 

 and it seemed probable that all the men had embarked 

 in a boat, and perished in the sea at once. We after- 

 ward found the boat and oars upon the shore, and one 

 man lying dead near them. Only a few days previous, 

 her owner had received news of ' all well.' The cap- 

 tain, just before sailing on this voyage, had been mar- 

 ried, and his wife, expecting him home on Christmas 

 day, had prepared the dinner; but instead of a ' merry 

 Christmas,' death came, turning her happy anticipa- 

 tions into mourning. 



" The next day, Christmas, was ushered in by a terri- 

 ble southeast gale. News was brought to town that 

 there was another vessel ashore at what is now Surf- 

 side, that she had gone to pieces, and crew all lost. 



" Immediately repairing to the scene, I was met by 



