Dunbar John Davis was a Keeper in the United States Life-Saving Service

United States Life-Saving Service

The United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers...

. During his service he was the Keeper at the Cape Fear Station and was later transferred to the Oak Island

Oak Island, North Carolina

Oak Island, North Carolina is a seaside town located mostly on the barrier island of Oak Island , in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. A small part of the town extends onto the mainland north of the island's bridge. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census...

 Station in 1892. Davis is known for his numerous rescues at sea, but is most famous for his daring rescue during a hurricane in 1893. In August 1893 the infamous Sea Islands Hurricane hit the Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, and North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 coasts. By today's standards it would have been a Category 3 with sustained wind speeds of 120 miles per hour (53.6 m/s). However, the hurricane had an unusually low pressure at 931 mbar making it one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the East Coast of the United States

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

.

Davis, who was the Keeper of the Oak Island Station, gathered his few crewman and set off. Braving the storm and the treacherous waters of the Graveyard of the Atlantic

Graveyard of the Atlantic

Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname of two locations known for numerous shipwrecks: the treacherous waters in the Atlantic Ocean along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Virginia coastline south of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Henry; and around Sable Island, off the coast...

, he and his crew rescued all crewmembers aboard the four ships: Three Sisters, Kate Giffor, Wustrow, and Enchantress.

This seaman’s final resting place is the Old Morse Cemetery in a quiet corner of Southport

Southport, North Carolina

Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area...

. There, a row of simple granite tombstones marks the births and deaths of most of the Davis family. Standing the tallest, however, is that of Dunbar Davis. Numerous books tell of the many rescues Davis had over his career. There is even a song about his famous rescue called "The Long Day of Dunbar Davis" by the band Scearce & Ketner.

Books

Notable books that feature stories of Dunbar Davis:

• Bald Head: A History of Smith Island and Cape Fear
• "A Day in the Life of Dunbar Davis" from Graveyard of the Atlantic