Station Quogue, New York

Station Quogue, New York

Coast Guard Station #74

Remarks:

Quogue station was built in 1849 "one-half mile south of the village."  The next mention of the station is in 1912, when it was reported that the station was rebuilt to replace decayed and antiquated buildings.  In 1937, this station appeared on the list of inactive stations.  In 1939, it is carried with the listing "temporarily re- commissioned."  By then, the position was "on Hampton Beach, six and one-half miles west-southwest of Shinnecock Light."

Keepers:

The first keeper was John Foster who was appointed in 1853 but it is not known for how long he served. Even less is known of Henry Gardner who followed him. Mahlon Phillips was appointed on November 9, 1872 and served until he was removed on December 22, 1877. Then came Silas E. Jessup (appointed December 22, 1877, he served until his resignation September 5, 1891), Charles H. Herman (September 3, 1891 until his resignation due to physical reasons November 6, 1907), Albert D. Jackson (November 1, 1907 until his reassignment to Potunk station August 1, 1917), William A. Goldbeck (August 1, 1917 until his reassignment to Potunk station August 16, 1919) and William F. Halsey (December 1, 1919 until his reassignment to the Fire Island station on November 26, 1930).

Gold life-saving medals were conferred upon Surfmen W. F. Halsey, Jr. and Frank D. Warner of this station in recognition of gallant conduct in saving life at the wreck of the schooner Augustus Hunt on January 22, 1904. The schooner struck some 600 yards offshore on a dark and foggy night. The beach patrol found her soon thereafter and the crew hastened to the scene with surf— boat and beach apparatus. Attempts to get a line to her were unsuccessful and attempts to get the surf—boat through the wreckage were fruitless as well. Those of the schooners crew who were in the rigging were lost when the rigging went over the side. Five remained on the jib boom, and three of them were lost when the boom carried away. The two remaining were adrift on and in the wreckage and were saved when the the surfmen swam to them.

Two members of the crew, William F. Halsey, Jr., and Frank D. Warner, earned the Gold Lifesaving medal for a rescue that took place on 22 January 1904:

W.F. Halsey, Jr.
Frank D. Warner

Awarded 22 January 1904

During the dark and foggy night of 21 Jaunary 1904, the sea was running high. At 11:45 PM the schooner Augustus Hunt struck some 600 yards from shore, midway between the Quogue and Potunk (NY) life-saving stations. About 45 minutes later, a surfman on patrol discovered the casualty and hastened to the Quogue Station. The lifesavers promptly ran to the scene, transporting the surfboat and beach apparatus. After several unsuccessful shots were fired from the Lyle gun, the lifesaving crew then launched the surfboat. They were, however, unable to force it through the drifting wreckage. At 7:00 AM the schooner’s masts fell and several of the crew, who had taken to the rigging, were lost. There were, however, five who still clung to the jib boom. The boom was finally carried away with the loss of three more men. The remaining two men were discovered drifting toward the shore upon some wreckage. A fortunate shot from the Lyle gun carried a line to the hands of one of them. He made it fast and the lifesavers began to haul the wreckage slowly toward the beach.

One of the shipwrecked men, however, took the shot line under his arm and began to pick his way over the rough field of floating debris. He had not proceeded far when a heavy sea knocked him down. He would have perished but for Surfman Halsey. He took a line about his waist and plunged into the breakers. He fought his way to the helpless man and dragged him close to the beach, whereupon other life savers hauled both men to shore. The man remaining upon the wreckage then grasped the shot line and started for shore, but was soon swept beneath the breakers and rendered helpless. Surfman Warner, without even taking a line, rushed into the surf, made his way to the perishing sailor, and brought him to land.

In forwarding these medals the Department, in both cases, made use of the following language:

Your conduct was most highly courageous and commendable. You voluntarily jeopardized your life by assuming an undertaking of extreme peril, where no keeper would have ordered you to go, and in so doing performed an act that could have been dictated only by an extraordinary sense of duty and humanity. The danger of losing your own life would seem to have been as great, if not greater, than the probability of saving the imperiled sailor.

In recognition of their gallant at the wreck of the schooner Augustus Hunt on 22 January 1904, Surfmen W. F. Halsey, Jr. and Frank D. Warner of the Quogue (NY) Life-Saving Station each received the Gold Lifesaving Medal.

Sources:

Station History File, CG Historian’s Office

Dennis L. Noble & Michael S. Raynes.  “Register of the Stations and Keepers of the U.S. Life-Saving Service.”  Unpublished manuscript, compiled circa 1977, CG Historian’s Office collection.

Ralph Shanks, Wick York & Lisa Woo Shanks.  The U.S. Life-Saving Service: Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard.  Petaluma, CA: Costaño Books, 1996.

U.S. Treasury Department: Coast Guard.  Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers and Cadets and Ships and Stations of the United States Coast Guard, July 1, 1941.  Washington, DC: USGPO, 1941.