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| People of Brunswick County Compiled by Natasha Miles Brunswick County, North Carolina  |
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State Port Pilot 23 October 1935 Captain Tommie St George has Served for Many Years as Pilot The Fact that He is 67 Years of Age Does Not Keep Captain Tommie from Taking His Regular Turn on Duty Licensed Pilot Since He Was 22 Has Had Many Thrilling Experiences And Three Narrow Escapes From Death; Recalls A Few Early Hardships Captain Tommie St George, the second oldest member of the Cape Fear Pilots Association, doesn't let the fact that he is 67-years-of-age keep him from taking his regular turn boarding incoming vessels. Captain Tommie, as he is affectionately known, grew up in Southport. He was filled with a natural love for the sea and even as a boy spent most of his time on the water. He began his pilot's apprenticeship when he was 17-years-of-age and received his pilot's license when he was 22. He has served ever since in this work, save for a few years spent in the Coast Guard service. Captain Tommie has seen great changes take place in the pilot business. For many years incoming vessels were met outside the bar with rowboats. Later these were replaced by sailing boats and these in turn were supplanted by the speedy power boats which are now in use. During the years he has been a pilot Captain Tommie has seen the shipping vessels change from sailing schooners to modern steamships. Three harrowing experiences stand out in the memory of this veteran pilot, for on that many occasions he has been face to face with death at sea. The first occurred a year before he began his term as a pilots apprentice. He was with his brother, C B St George, and S D Newton, when they started out to the Norwegian barkentine Gerbonen to put Captain Walker Newton aboard. At the bar the boat was capsized by the heavy sea and the four passengers clung to the bottom until Captain Tom Harper came with the dredge Woodbury to their rescue. Captain Newton was taken aboard the barkentine from the dredge. The second close call for Captain Tommie occurred shortly after he became licensed pilot. He together with Julius We? and B F Newton, were outside at 1:00 o'clock in the morning to put Captain Calender Newton aboard the schooner City of Philadelphia. The schooner was met 12 miles from the bar and the pilot sailboat Gracie and boarding skiff was lowered to carry Captain Newton to the vessel. The heavy sea washed the light boat into the path of a schooner and the skiff was rolled over. Again Captain Tommie was forced to cling for dear life to the boat bottom until he was located and picked up by others aboard the Gracie three quarters of an hour later. The third major accident from which he escaped occurred about eight years ago when the Juno ran aground on the Beaufort bar and sank with all members of the crew. Engineer Jim Copeland was drowned and others on board, including Captain J I Davis, another member of the Cape Fear Pilots Association, hung on to floating debris until they were picked up by members of the Coast Guard. Captain Tommie is an inveterate pipe smoker and he insists that he must have a cup of steaming black coffee to start him off right in the morning. |
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