NCPI Workmark
Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.

They Watched \"The Crissie Wright\" Go Down

Record #:
10784
Author(s):
Abstract:
The family of Abner Guthrie, of present-day Emerald Isle, was an accidental witness to one of the most infamous shipwrecks on the coast of North Carolina. On January 11, 1886, the CRISSIE WRIGHT ran aground just off of Shackleford Banks near Moore's Landing. As the men struggled to repair a damaged rudder while waiting for high tide to float them free of the sandbar, a fierce northeast gale blew in, dropping the temperature from near 70 degrees to below freezing in less than an hour. The crew, already soaked from working on the rudder, scrambled on board and sought what refuge they could find, some wrapping themselves in the mainsail and lashing themselves to one another. As the night went on and the conditions worsened, the men became unconscious and fell into the icy water one by one as horrified and frustrated would-be rescuers watched from the beach. Finally, at 4:30 the next afternoon, the weather broke and rescuers were able to reach the battered ship, but by then, only one survivor remained.
Source:
The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 36 Issue 11, Nov 1968, p12-14, il