Apparatus Drill and Mirlo Rescue at Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station

By Larry Grubbs on May 07, 2018

Comprising two stations and five outbuildings, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station (pronounced chi-ka-ma-COM-i-co) is the most complete site of all remaining life-saving stations in North Carolina and one of the most complete sites in the nation. The museum and historic site stands in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island, part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

As a Historical Association, Chicamacomico works to restore, preserve, protect, educate and interpret the deep history of the brave men who served the U.S. Life-Saving Service, along with the buildings and artifacts connected to that story. With the 100th Anniversary of the Mirlo Rescue approaching on August 16, 2018, Chicamacomico Historic Site is preparing a centennial commemoration on-site.

Accounts of the Mirlo Rescue differ on details such as how many launch attempts John Allen Midgett and his crew made, and whether they rowed or used the motor. Those variations come from multiple sources: newspaper reports built from earlier accounts, Cape Hatteras National Seashore studies of Chicamacomico Station, interviews with surfmen aboard the Number 1046 surfboat that day, stories handed down by residents of the local community, the log book of Chicamacomico Keeper John Allen Midgett, and the Die Kriegestagebucher Von U-117, the official German war diary from Kapitanleutenant Droscher’s submarine. The original logs stand as powerful records on their own. Storytellers, meanwhile, help convey the terrifying ordeal lived by John Allen Midgett, his courageous surfmen, and the Mirlo victims. Larry Grubbs, Apparatus Drill Keeper, explains the historically accurate Beach Apparatus Drill reenactment included with the event.

The all-civilian, all-volunteer Beach Apparatus Drill Team has resumed its work after a 17 year hiatus, bringing the historically accurate Beach Apparatus Drill reenactment back to Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station in Rodanthe, NC. At one of the earliest US LifeSaving Service Stations built along the North Carolina coast, Thursday afternoons once again reflect the early and mid 19th century through the Beach Apparatus Drill, performed in accordance with the 1871 regulations as set forth by Chief of the Revenue Marine Division of the US Treasury, Sumner I. Kimball.

The season begins in late May with preparations for the rigging, beach cart, wreck pole, and simulated ship’s mast, the structure across which the shot line is fired and the lifesaving equipment is secured. In 2017, the team received support from The Board of Directors for theatrical logistics and for the insurance policy allowing them to fire the Lyle gun, a 19th century line-throwing device and the central feature of the Chicamacomico drill. New members contributed 239 total hours of training so the drill could be carried out safely and effectively. Within the group of 12, every participant must understand the duties of each other participant well enough to step in if needed. Training covers Lyle gun safety, crowd control, knots, rigging, and public speaking. The time and dedication these men bring to the work is worthy of recognition.

The 2017 season concluded with eleven public performances, including the first-ever training and performance by Junior Leadership Program students from Camden High School. Visitors have the chance in the upcoming 2018 season to step back into the 19th century and see early-American lifesaving heroes represented in action. The planned schedule is to begin Thursday, May 31, 2018 and continue weekly through Thursday, September 6, 2018, weather permitting.

About Larry Grubbs

Larry Grubbs is a Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Board Member and Apparatus Drill Keeper.

The source page includes a credited note from the drill team. It thanks the Board of Directors of Chicamacomico Historical Association for enabling the drill, the US Coast Guard for sustaining the tradition during years when a civilian crew was not practical, and the families and team members whose commitment helped return the Beach Apparatus Drill to the local community connected to the lifesavers who once used the beach cart and oar to rescue strangers.