The 2006 exhibition takes a fresh look at this rich nautical history with a special focus on those who responded to the wrecks and mishaps: the “surfmen” of the US Life-Saving Station on Fishers Island and the “hard hat” divers of the private salvage companies that plied our waters. Approximately 100 people have died in recorded shipwrecks and accidents on or near Fishers Island, with almost half of that figure perishing during the tragic wreck of the steamer Atlantic in 1846. The exact human toll is quite difficult to calculate. In the 350 years since European settlement, dozens-upon-dozens of stranded sloops, brigs, schooners, steamers, yachts and power boats have been “beaten to pieces” by the sea and reduced to piles of timber or scraps of metal on our rocky shores. Many stricken vessels have escaped destruction by floating off with the tide-or by being dragged off in later years by rescue steamers and tugs-but others have not been so lucky. Ships have hit on all sides and points of Fishers Island, but the western tip at Race Point and the eastern tip (ocean side) have historically been the most dangerous spots. Fierce tides, fickle weather, irregular depths, and numerous outcroppings provide ample opportunities for disaster. Our location astride the treacherous waters of the Race-the deep water channel that runs between the Island and neighboring Great Gull-makes us a prime wreck and stranding site. Since that time countless vessels have been cast upon our shores by the elements, human error, or a combination of both. The first recorded shipwreck on Fishers Island occurred on Race Point in 1669.
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