Ship Wrecks
For some history of the
island, where the name came from can be included in the history section of the
website-
- Fire came from misreading five on earlier maps
- Another theory states the name Fire Island came from fires that Native Americans made to signal the main land ( which would be Long Island for more supplies or help
- Another possibility is that bandits used fires to also signal some ships for help and when the crew if the ship would land, the bandits would loot the ship and kill the crew.
For the next part the history section can yet again be updated to include shipwrecks that have occurred on or off the coast of Fire Island-
Hylton Castle
- Freighter ship
- Now lies underneath 100 feet of water
- Destroyed on January 11, 1886 when it was caught in heavy winds which cut through the hull flooding the ship
Kenosha
- Freighter/Lightship
- Now lies underneath 105 feet of water
- Destroyed July 24, 1909 when it was caught in a storm off the coast of Fire Island
Texas Tower
- Radar tower built on 3 cement legs off the coast of Fire Island used to detect the inevitable Russian Invasion which never happened
- Now lies underneath 180 feet of water
- Destroyed on January 15, 1961 after one of the legs got damaged from a Hurricane which then caused the whole tower to collapse into the ocean.
This is the simple outline for the history section of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society website which can be added and hopefully attract more people to check out the island and its history.
- Fire came from misreading five on earlier maps
- Another theory states the name Fire Island came from fires that Native Americans made to signal the main land ( which would be Long Island for more supplies or help
- Another possibility is that bandits used fires to also signal some ships for help and when the crew if the ship would land, the bandits would loot the ship and kill the crew.
For the next part the history section can yet again be updated to include shipwrecks that have occurred on or off the coast of Fire Island-
Hylton Castle
- Freighter ship
- Now lies underneath 100 feet of water
- Destroyed on January 11, 1886 when it was caught in heavy winds which cut through the hull flooding the ship
Kenosha
- Freighter/Lightship
- Now lies underneath 105 feet of water
- Destroyed July 24, 1909 when it was caught in a storm off the coast of Fire Island
Texas Tower
- Radar tower built on 3 cement legs off the coast of Fire Island used to detect the inevitable Russian Invasion which never happened
- Now lies underneath 180 feet of water
- Destroyed on January 15, 1961 after one of the legs got damaged from a Hurricane which then caused the whole tower to collapse into the ocean.
This is the simple outline for the history section of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society website which can be added and hopefully attract more people to check out the island and its history.
Ship wrecks Continued
During the 17th century, Europeans were immigrating to the New World. They settled throughout the east coast of the U.S. and started trade business because they were near water. Many people lived in a region, known as Fire Island, which has fishing and trade business. Fire Island is mainly beach; therefore many activities like trade and whaling were occurred there. Since this area was mainly for trade, many ships passed by the coast during varying times of day. For sailors and ships’ safety, “fisherman and whaling crews stoked fires along the inlets to guide boats into the bay at night” (A proposal). But then there were settlers known as “wreckers” who took advantage of lighting up fires by luring the boats in for looting and murdering the sailors. Tradesmen like hunters, fisherman and many other tradesmen were victims to the “wreckers”, or known as pirates. Sometimes, these fires that are lit during the night cannot be seen by sailors, this leads to shipwreck because before the sailors could see the land they have already crashed on shore. On November 5, 1821, a steamship known as SS Savannah was wrecked on Fire Island. The steamship embarked on “a voyage that astonished the world and marked the beginning of a new era of oceanic steam travel” (Bleyer) on 1819. Unfortunately, the ship filled with cargo of cotton bales that was steered by Captain Rogers was “wrecked off the shore of Fire Island, east of Bellport.”(Bleyer) Luckily, everyone on board the steamship survived. Soon this issue will be somewhat resolved with the construction of a lighthouse.
By 1826, the first Fire Island lighthouse was built at the end of the island. It was 74 feet tall and the light shined out for 10 miles into the sea, so ships can avoid crashing onto the shore. Also, in 1848 the U.S Life-Saving Service was established across Long Island and New Jersey shores to help recover cargo and rescue people during a wreck. But, on July 15, 1850, a bark known as the “Elizabeth” was wrecked off the coast of Fire Island. The vessel left from Italy on May 17, 1850 “carrying cargo, five passengers and a crew of 14.”(Field) The Captain miscalculated their speed, which led them to be driven onto the coast of Long Island. Soon the vessel hit the bar five miles east of the Fire Island light and this led the ship to flood (Field). Eight people were drowned that morning including Margaret Fuller, a literary editor of NY Tribune and a feminist. This wreck was highly publicized because Margaret was a renowned writer and woman activist. This led to an uproar by the people, for a new and improved lighthouse. In 1852, the U.S. Lighthouse Service recommended for a new lighthouse, and so the Congress initiated a new one to be built. The new improved lighthouse that stands to this day is 168 feet tall.
After the second lighthouse was constructed, the number of shipwrecks decreased dramatically and with the help of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, as well. Couple a shipwrecks that happened after 1852, were SS Oregon (1886), Hylton Castle (1886), Louis V. Place (1895), Kenosha (1909), USS San Diego (1918) and Le Papillon (2011). The largest ship on Long Island, SS Oregon was “sunk off Fire Island after a collision in 1886” (Bleyer). This ship sailed from Liverpool, England for 7 ½ days and everything was going fine until another ship, Charles R. Morse crashed into the Oregon and created three large holes in the ship during the night. Thankfully everyone worked together accordingly and everyone was saved on the Oregon, but not on the Morse. On February 8, 1895, Louis V. Place was wrecked off Fire Island. She sailed from Virginia on February 4, but along the way the weather got bad and the ship’s parts were all frozen. Nothing can be done but to wait it out, but the vessel “pounded the bar with the seas breaking over the decks” (Field). The Lone Hill Lifesaving Station saw the wreck, but they were also helping another ship, John B. Manning, that was a mile east from the Louis V. Place. By the time they were helping sailors on Louis it was too late, most of them have died from hypothermia and only two were saved that day, but they died later on. This shipwreck was the most famous one off of Long Island. The USS San Diego was wrecked ten miles southeast of Fire Island inlet on July 19, 1918. This ship was an armored cruiser used for World War I. It set sail from New Hampshire, but along the way there was “a massive explosion that ripped a hold through her port side below the waterline” (Bleyer). The explosion was credited to the German submarine because it “laid mines in the areas the cruiser was lost” (Field). Luckily only six crew members drowned along with the ship and over a 1000 people survived. These are couple of shipwrecks after the reconstruction of the lighthouse on Fire Island.
By 1826, the first Fire Island lighthouse was built at the end of the island. It was 74 feet tall and the light shined out for 10 miles into the sea, so ships can avoid crashing onto the shore. Also, in 1848 the U.S Life-Saving Service was established across Long Island and New Jersey shores to help recover cargo and rescue people during a wreck. But, on July 15, 1850, a bark known as the “Elizabeth” was wrecked off the coast of Fire Island. The vessel left from Italy on May 17, 1850 “carrying cargo, five passengers and a crew of 14.”(Field) The Captain miscalculated their speed, which led them to be driven onto the coast of Long Island. Soon the vessel hit the bar five miles east of the Fire Island light and this led the ship to flood (Field). Eight people were drowned that morning including Margaret Fuller, a literary editor of NY Tribune and a feminist. This wreck was highly publicized because Margaret was a renowned writer and woman activist. This led to an uproar by the people, for a new and improved lighthouse. In 1852, the U.S. Lighthouse Service recommended for a new lighthouse, and so the Congress initiated a new one to be built. The new improved lighthouse that stands to this day is 168 feet tall.
After the second lighthouse was constructed, the number of shipwrecks decreased dramatically and with the help of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, as well. Couple a shipwrecks that happened after 1852, were SS Oregon (1886), Hylton Castle (1886), Louis V. Place (1895), Kenosha (1909), USS San Diego (1918) and Le Papillon (2011). The largest ship on Long Island, SS Oregon was “sunk off Fire Island after a collision in 1886” (Bleyer). This ship sailed from Liverpool, England for 7 ½ days and everything was going fine until another ship, Charles R. Morse crashed into the Oregon and created three large holes in the ship during the night. Thankfully everyone worked together accordingly and everyone was saved on the Oregon, but not on the Morse. On February 8, 1895, Louis V. Place was wrecked off Fire Island. She sailed from Virginia on February 4, but along the way the weather got bad and the ship’s parts were all frozen. Nothing can be done but to wait it out, but the vessel “pounded the bar with the seas breaking over the decks” (Field). The Lone Hill Lifesaving Station saw the wreck, but they were also helping another ship, John B. Manning, that was a mile east from the Louis V. Place. By the time they were helping sailors on Louis it was too late, most of them have died from hypothermia and only two were saved that day, but they died later on. This shipwreck was the most famous one off of Long Island. The USS San Diego was wrecked ten miles southeast of Fire Island inlet on July 19, 1918. This ship was an armored cruiser used for World War I. It set sail from New Hampshire, but along the way there was “a massive explosion that ripped a hold through her port side below the waterline” (Bleyer). The explosion was credited to the German submarine because it “laid mines in the areas the cruiser was lost” (Field). Luckily only six crew members drowned along with the ship and over a 1000 people survived. These are couple of shipwrecks after the reconstruction of the lighthouse on Fire Island.