REHOBOTH BEACH HISTORY OF MOSQUOTOES

REHOBORTH BEACH HISTORY 1882 THRU 1897

WHEN MOSQUOTOES PLAYED, FRISKED AND FROLOICKED

Rehoboth Sunday Star, Daily Gazette , August 20, 1882:

Since our last news a week ago the trials and trouble has been mosquitoes, taking

the breeze from mother ocean in piece. The sound of the hum of the peasky insect

early every morning, throughout the day, the stinginging of it's bites, was the last note

which lulled a weary one to rest.

Hundered of guests left on this account . “Smothers” , beach bond fires and netting

were common everywhere. “Hope” kept many here and that hope came yesterday mornning

troughout the day when a ocean breeze came and the mosquitoes left.

Abstract:: Wilmington Daily Gazette, Monday, August 21, 1982:

1918 GERMAN U-BOATS RAID ATLANTIC COAST. MAY TO JUNE.

HISTORY OF CAPE HENLOPEN AND BEYOND

GERMAN U-BOATS RAID ATLANTIC COAST

MAY THROUGH JUNE 1918

Tuesday, 4 June, 1918: Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Northwestern, United Press Summery.

Ships sunk by German U-Boats last coastal raid;

WINNECONNE, a 1869 ton

steam freighter owned by American Trans-Atlantic- Company of New York with

crew of 28, off Cape May 26 May; The HERBERT L PRATT, 6000 ton, steamer tanker,

Atlantic Refinery , 38 crew members, Tampico to Philadelphia, by torpedo yesterday,

5 miles south of Overfalls off Cape Henlopen, lost one crew member; TEXEL, 3210

ton, owned by a Dutch Company, flying flag of The United States, with crew of 38, from

West Indies to an American Port with a $2,000,000 cargo of sugar, Sunday, off New York

Harbor, crew landed Atlantic City early today; a 1791 ton schooner, EDWARD H. COLE,

owned by Crowell & Thurlow Boston, with crew of 11, from Norfolk to Portland, ME.,

50 miles off Barnegat, Sunday afternoon, crew landed at New York yesterday ; the

JACOB M. HASKEL, 1778 ton schooner, of Crowell & Thurlow, Boston, crew of 10,

Boston to Norfolk, fifty miles off Barnegat, Sunday afternoon by shell fire; ISABEL

B. WILLEY, 611 ton schooner, of Atlas Company, crew of 8, Perth Amboy, to

Newport News, 26 May, between Cape Henlopen and Cape Charles; HATTIE W. DUNN,

365 ton schooner, Dunn & Elliott, Thomaston, ME., crew of 6, Cape Henlopen and

Cape Charles, 25 May;

EDNA, 325 ton schooner, C. A. Small, Machlas, ME., Philadelphia to Havanah, sunk off of Winterquarter Lightship, between Cape Henlopen and Cape Charles, 25 May;

HAUPPAUGE, 1339 ton, schooner, with crew of 10, no records. Ships lost, believed to have been sunk;

CAROLINA, 5093 ton, passenger and freight steamer, of New York and Porto Rica Steamship Company, 220 passengers and crew of 120, Porto Rica to New York, sent wireless she was being shelled 150 miles of f Sandy Hook at 7 pm Sunday.

No details for SAMUEL W. HATHAWAY , 1038 ton

schooner, of Crowwell & Thurlow, Boston, with a crew of nine.

Abstract: Oshkosh Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Tuesday, 4 June, 1918 : TO:

HISTORY OF CAPE HENLOPEN AND BEYOND AT CAPE GAZETTE.

WRECK OF THE SCHOONER SARAH B. LAWRENCE

HISTORY OF SEAWRECKS

SARAH B LAWRENCE

Delaware Breakwater, Delaware 10 February 1910 :

A 60 mph terrific gale wind has the four masted schooner Sarah B. Lawrence, out of Newport News, for Boston, with a cargo of coal, aground on the Hen and Chicken Shoal

of Cape Henlopen and is being pounded to pieces by the wild surf.

The crew of nine men and the captains wife were taken from her just as she broke in

half by Cape Henlopen Life Savers and landed at Lewes.

The government wireless system was put in action and calls were made from Sandy

Hook to Norfolk for cutter assistance. The Cape Henlopen Life Savers needed the help of a Breakwater tug to get their launch to the schooner for the rescue which was sinking as they

reached the her. The crew and lady were huddled on the fore house of the sunken vessel.

Ropes and life preservers were brought into use. The rescue took several hours to effect

and the survivors were made comfortable it the tug then landed at Lewes.

Abstract: Washington. D.C. Evening Star, Wednesday, 10 February, 1909.

HERBRT L PRATT, OIL TANKER SUNK BY GERMAN U-BOAT 1918

HISTORY OF SHIPWRECKS

AMERICAN TANKER STEAMER HERBERT L. PRATT

MEXICO TO PHILADLEPHIA WITH OIL.

Abstract: Tuesday, 4 June 1918, Washington D. C. Evening Star

Philadelphia, PA., June 4, 1918:

The American Tanker Steamer Herbert L. Pratt, Mexico for Philadelphia with a cargo

of oil was sunk by a German U-boat, off Cape Henlopen and lays in the mouth of Delaware Bay. The British tanker Arco was also fired upon by the sub, but being light,

made her escape and was past Reedy Island last night by 10 pm.

Within 20 minutes of the Pratt sinking U.S. Naval vessels gave chase to the sub a short

time later fores upon an undersea object but thee is no report of the outcome of the occurrence.

The Pratt crew was landed at Cape Henlopen' s Fourth Naval Station and cared for that night.

The Pratt is four miles south by southeast of the Cape Henlopen Light House, her stern can be seen out of the water and she appears she can be raised .

1913 NEW LEWES FIRE ENGINE

HISTORY OF LEWES FIRE COMPANY

THE NEW 1913 AMERICAN LAFRANCE FIRE ENGINE IS PURCHASED.

At the garage of William Walsh on this December evening much excitement was noticed as a new American LaFrance Fire Engine was delivered. The gasoline driven fire

engine had been purchased by the Lewes Fire Department for $4750.00 from a company in

Elmira, New York . The 1913 Wilmington Evening News made note that the vehicle was

of the newest design and will reach the speed of 40 mph. It carried 7 men, had at least a 1000

feet of water hose, two 40 gallon chemical cylinders, two 3 gallon extinguisher, a twenty

foot extension ladder,

Big excitement was had when being unloaded when it caught fire which was extinguished quickly.

The new fire wagon was driven about the area to be shown off and let residents know the Lewes Fire Department was ready to fight fires.

In 1886 Ebe Lynch organized and was chief of the Lewes Fire company, housed at

the corner of Third and Chestnut Streets, then the Town Hall. They had 100 feet of water hose,

a set of ladders and a horse drawn chemical wagon with gleaming copper chemical tanks

The 30 gallon tank was filled with water and sodium bicarbonate so that when a small tank

of sulfuric acid was added it produced carbon dioxide to send the water to the fire.

Abstract: Delaware Diary by Michael Morgan in Delaware Beaches Delaware Coast Press, Wednesday 12 June 2019.

STEAMER AMERICA WRECKED OFF SPAIN COAST.

HISTORY OF SHIPWRECKS

NEW & OLD

THE STEAMER AMERICA WRECKED

Castellon, Spain, 10 February 1909 :

The Steamer America has been wrecked off the coast of Castellon Province,

sixty of her crew and passengers were saved.

The Steamer America was well known in Brooklyn until 1904 when she made her last voyage to Brooklyn from Marseilles as one of the Fabre Line Steamers. On this

voyage she had over 1000 Italian immigrant’s aboard, broke down and drifted a fornight

then pocked up and towed by the Italian Freight Steamer Dinnemora to the Bermudas,

hence, from the Bermudas to Brooklyn with the Italian immigrants by Luckenback Tugs.

In 1881 she was launched as the Britannia by the Royland shipbuilding yards at Liverpool. She was an iron, single screw , schooner rigged vessel, with three decks and lots of steerage with a small number of passenger cabins. 328 feet long, 40 foot wide, depth of hold of 23.4 feet . Her owner was Compagnie Francaise de Navagigation a Vapeurs and she ran the Marseilles to Brooklyn service of the Ferbe Line with a sister ship, Neustria, presumed lost at sea since she left Brooklyn last October and has not been heard of.

Since being retired by the Brooklyn run, America has traded with Spanish and

Portuguese ports with limited passengers and freight service.

Abstracts: Wednesday, 10 February, 1909, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York.

1935 FIRST FISHNG REEF

ARTIFICIAL FISHING REEF 1ST BUILT 1935

Friday 4 February, 1966, Charles H. Vaughan, reading from the booklet, “Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines” makes the claim that the first artificial fishing

reef was begun off the southern tip of New Jersey.

Long Island anglers lay claim their reef of 1950 was first.

Long before artificial reefs, fishermen found the most consistent catches are made

in the vicinity of old ship wrecks well situated on the bottoms.

Early spring 1935, Cape May - Wildwood Partyboat Association's president, Robert Pierpoint, already aware that South Jersey fishing is better than other northern points of

Cape Henlopen, but feels a fish preserve will create a rest and feeding place and have a

positive effect for South Jersey's fishing

The U.S. War Department granted a fishing ground, four square miles, 1935 for the

planting of old boats, autos, railroad ties, old Christmas trees , medal tanks, drums, and debris for shell fish to cling to and form vast colonies of aquatic life. The first vessel was

a 183 foot sand barge sunk in September 1935, folowed by three other wrecks.

Stormy weather and ice delayed work last fall. It takes almost three months for a

breeding ground to develop.

When complete there will be a resting and feeding ground for millions of fish and

recently a fishing preserve was started off Atlantic City. We get no information of the Long Island project.

Abstract: Friday, 4 February, 1966, Philadelphia Inquirer.