This vessel rides in 96 feet of water, 9¾ miles south of the Fire Island Lighthouse.] Probably this is the most dangerous station on the whole seaboard, and if any heavy trouble is caused by the tempest, the _Diamond Shoal_ inevitably bears grim evidence of the conflict. The skill of the engineers is taxed sorely to devise ways and means of keeping the vessel in the position she is designed to occupy, but moorings and anchors must be of great weight and strength to stand up against a wind blowing eighty miles an hour, with the waves running “mountains high” and repeatedly sweeping the vessel from stem to stern. After every battle a careful look round has to be made to determine how far the vessel has shifted. Being steam-driven, this craft is not condemned to absolute helplessness when her moorings snap. The crew get her under control and keep her head pointed in the desired direction, so as to mitigate the battering of the wind and waves, and not moving more than is essential for safety. Subsequently the vessel crawls back to her position, the bearings are taken, and she is anchored firmly once more. One hurricane swept Cape Hatteras, and the lightship received its full energy. The boat strained and groaned at her chains. Suddenly they snapped. No steam could hold the boat against the assault. She was picked up, thrown about like an empty box, and carried inshore, luckily missing the ridges of sand. Had she plumped into one, it would have gripped her tightly while the waves pounded her to fragments. The crew were helpless and could only wonder what the end would be, as they saw the rugged coastline approach nearer and nearer. When they thought all was over and that their fate was sealed, a big incoming wave snatched the lightship, hurried her along on its bosom, and dropped her on the beach, practically uninjured, and safe from further attack. When the crew surveyed their position, they found themselves faced with a difficult proposition. The ship was safe and sound, but on the wrong side of the shoals, and the question was how to lift her over those greedy ridges. There was only one method. That was to dig a pit around her on the beach, let in the water so that she could float, and then to cut a wide deep trench out to sea so as to regain deep water. It was feasible, and was attempted. While the pond on the beach was being dug, a powerful dredger came up, and ploughed its way through the shoals from deep water to the stranded light-vessel. When the craft was once more afloat, the dredger carved its way back again, the light-vessel being taken through the narrow, shallow ditch thus provided, which was closed up by the running sand as the two boats crept slowly forward, until at last the shoals were negotiated. The ship was taken to headquarters, the relief-vessel, which is always kept ready for an emergency, having taken up her position on the station immediately the hurricane had blown itself out.