North Carolina Ghosts & Legends

Lifesaver of the Outer Banks

Lifesaver ofthe Outer Banks The testing ofMalachi Corbel Asolitary figure wrapped in evening mist strode near the edge of the foaming surf. Strong easterly winds tugged at the brim ofhis oilskin hat, secured by a loop ofcord under hisjuttingchin. Occasionallyhe looked up and studied the leaden sky. Malachi Corbel had battled many a storm, and he had come to see each as having its own distinctive personality. The behavior of some storms might be tenacious, trying a man's patience to the limit. The ways of others were deceptive . They would seem to pass on, onlyto turn back and strike again with renewed savagery. And then there were those storms so fierce, so vengeful thathe was convincedtheywere incarnations ofthe Devil. This one was sending advance signals that a worthy adversary was on the way. He gazed up at the dark thunderheads massing in the sky, saw the gun-metal hue ofthe sea and the height of the waves. Two storm petrels skittered over the water, their faint, piercing bird cries barely audible over the roar and Lifesaver of the Outer Banks 47 crash of the breakers. He shivered slightly. He was not a superstitious man, but ever since his boyhood he had heard that the sight of petrels was a bad omen. A short, heavily muscled man with piercing blue eyes and black curly hair streaked with gray, Malachi Corbel was Keeper ofWash Woods, the lifesaving station farthest to the north on the hazardous North Carolina coast. It was October 23, 1889, and a fine rain had started about midday. He strained his eyes seaward. He knew that out there by now the winds had reached gale force. Vessels would be driven helplessly up the flanks of waves the size of small mountains, then plunge precariously, out ofcontrol, into the deep, wet valleys ofthe sea. Drenched men with rain lashing their faces would be shouting desperate commands, striving to be heard above the indescribable sound ofthe wind's fury. They would be clinging to the rails and fighting to keep from going overboard as tons of black water swept across the decks. God help the luckless sloop that was blown upon treacherous Pebble Shoals, Corbel thought. Close beneath the surface of the water near the boundary line of Virginia and North Carolina, those grindingjaws lay hungrily in wait for their victims, and the jaws were often fed. That evening Corbel went back to the station, boiled some coffee, and sat down to make an entry in his journal. Then he dozed until Waterfield and White came in from patrol duty. "We spotted a light near the tip of the shoals," Waterfield reported. "Flashed our red signal but got no flash in reply." Torrential rain pounded the roof of the lifesaving station, streaming down in crooked rivulets over the windows . Evans came in just before daybreak with some news. 48 Outer Banks "There's a vessel sunk to the north and its wreckage is floating ashore." Keeper and crewmen hurriedly gulped coffee, jerked their oilskins on, and went out. Leaning into the force ofthe gale, they headed north toward Pebble Shoals, dragging a lifeboat behind them. The boat carried a Lyle gun. It was possible the wreck might be near enough to shoot the projectile and catch the vessel so that they could haul survivors to safety. Along with slickers they wore hip boots, for the water was rising. As they approached the southerntip ofthe shoals, the dim outline ofa ship's rigging loomed out ofthe mist and rain. They stared at what first appeared to be knots of tangled sails, and then they realized that the knots were five human beings clutching fast to the rigging. Nothing more could be seen ofthe ship itselfsave the end ofthejib boom. Corbel estimated the wreck to be scarcely halfa mile off shore. Waves crashed heavily upon the beach and the sea raged and foamed as far out as they could see. Corbel wondered how long the small human knots in the rigging could endure hangingthere, ravaged by wind and rain and cold. Could he and his crew possibly reach them in time? While he was thinking, out on the vessel one ofthe men lost his hold on the ropes, fell into the water below, and was gone. The keeper cursed. There was little hope ofrowing out to the vessel in such heavy seas. He decided to try firing a line aboard...