The surfmen of the U.S. Lifesaving Service and Coast Guard were known for putting their lives on the line every day during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They came from all walks of life, and all ages were represented, officially and unofficially. One of the Lifesavers who served in an "unofficial" capacity was none other than Eastham's Bernard "Bernie" Collins, the son of the Nauset Station's No. 1 surfman, Lewis Collins. He often accompanied his father to the seasi

Long before the Cape Cod Canal made life so much easier for mariners, ships had to make their way around the outer bars of the peninsula. On many occasions, these ships ran aground, costing thousands of lives. That casualty total might have been even higher had it not been for the rescue efforts of the U.S. Lifesaving Service (1872-1915) and the U.S. Coast Guard at 13 stations along the outer beach. The tools of their trade were referred to as “beach apparatus.” Among the ite

Perhaps you’re wondering why that ship’s steering wheel pictured above is missing a spoke. Would you believe it was because the first mate’s hand was frozen to it and the spoke had to be sawed off to free him? That was the case during the early morning hours of Feb. 17, 1914, when the Italian bark Castagna ran aground off the coast of South Wellfleet, just south of the Marconi Wireless Station. The stormy and icy conditions claimed five lives. It could have been much worse. T