14143. (carving set) William Wallace Cook (1851-1923), Keeper, Peaked Hill Bars Life- Saving Station, Provincetown, Mass. c.1909.
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14143. (carving set) William Wallace Cook (1851-1923), Keeper, Peaked Hill Bars Life- Saving Station, Provincetown, Mass. c.1909.
14143. (carving set) William Wallace Cook (1851-1923), Keeper, Peaked Hill Bars Life- Saving Station, Provincetown, Mass. c.1909. This is an antique bone handle carving set, engraved from Keeper William W. Cook of Peaked Hill Bars Life- Saving Station, Provincetown, Mass. The set consists of three matching pieces and one additional piece, the largest being 15” in length. The large knife is beautifully engraved “William W. Cook July 24, 1909. Keeper of Peaked Hill Bars U.S. Life Saving Station Provincetown Mass.”One of the most dangerous stretches of coastline in the United States is Peaked Hill Bars. Known as the graveyard of the Atlantic, Samuel Champlain named it in his journal as “Mallebarre” in 1602. From the 64 gun British frigate Somerset in 1778, to the JASON, the last full rigged ship to go aground in 1873, hundreds of ships have been lost there spilling men’s lives and ships cargoes onto its shores. Peaked Hill Bars Lifesaving Station was located two and one half miles east of Provincetown was another of the nine original stations built in 1872. William Wallace Cook was born in Provincetown in 1852 and joined King Hiram’s Lodge November 3, 1879. As a boy he joined the fleet of Provincetown whaling vessels that cruised on the north and south Atlantic grounds becoming thoroughly familiar with boat handling. He attributed his great success in the Lifesaving service to using a twenty one foot steering oar when going to a wreck in a surfboat, similar to the kind used by him in his whaling days. Cook was married to Annie Young Snow of Provincetown and they had an adopted daughter. Cook was a great favorite of the Provincetown writers who arrived during the 1920’s, particularly Mary Heaton Vorse O’Brien. She relates of bringing a lobster, a particular favorite of Captain Cook’s to the station at Peaked Hill Bars and his stories of wrecks and rescues. After serving as a surfman at Peaked Hill Bars Station for fourteen years, William W. Cook was appointed as Keeper on January 14, 1897 and served until he retired on November 3, 1915 at age 64. He passed away in 1923. He is shown seated at center in this 1901 photo (from Dalton. The Life Savers of Cape Cod). Completely intact, some rust and soiling. Rare wonderful Cape Cod life-saving antique from a Cape Cod estate. (VG). $525.