The SS Monroe and Braxton Haskins- Rest in Peace

In July 2021 we were contacted by Donna Haskins Medford.  Donna was doing some Genealogy research and connected her Cousin Braxton Haskins to the wreck of the SS Monroe.

Braxton’s obituary from 1914

The following is a 2021 newspaper article from the Pamlico News, Based on Oriental North Carolina:

If you walk through any cemetery you will see many gravestones and markers. Many only give a birth and death date, but some lead you to ask the question, “I wonder what’s the story behind the monument”. While researching some family genealogical history, Mrs. Donna Haskins Medford of New Bern discovered one such monument in the cemetery located on Silverbrook Road in Oriental and alerted us to it. The stone was placed in memorial to Mr. Braxton Haskins. Mr. Haskins grew up in Oriental and was the son of a postmaster for the town in the early 1900’s, Mr. Claude Haskins. Like many young men who grew up in Pamlico County, it can be assumed that Braxton chose the water as a way to make a living and through the course of events, he and his childhood friend, Oscar Perkins became employed with the Old Dominion Steamship Company. It was while doing this job, that Mr. Haskins lost his life. His obituary states that he was “one of Oriental’s best and truest young men”. It goes on to say that “His death cast a gloom over our whole town.” The memorial stone itself stands out first because of its size and most notably its resemblance of a tree trunk. This grave marker was provided by the Woodmen of the World organization (WOW). WOW is a national fraternal benefit society founded in Omaha, Nebraska by Joseph Cullen Root in 1890. One of the basic concepts of WOW was to make affordable life insurance available to its members. A part of this life insurance was providing a grave marker for its policy holders. These stones were provided free of charge to members from 1890 until 1900, and then until the mid-1920’s, for a $100 rider on the policy. After that they were discontinued due to high cost and because many cemeteries began limiting the size of their grave stones. Mr. Haskins’ stone has the WOW symbol inscribed near the top with the Latin phrase “Dum Tacet Clamet,” meaning, “Though silent, he speaks”. As well as his birth date of Aug. 2, 1891, Mr. Haskins marker also has the inscription “Drowned JANY 31, 1914”. This is where the story becomes a tragedy. The 22-year-old Haskins was a crewman on the passenger steamship SS Monroe which was operated by the Old Dominion Steamship Company and had a regular overnight route between Norfolk, Virginia and New York City. Mr. Haskins was the third assistant engineer on the 366-foot vessel. The Monroe left Norfolk around 7PM on January 30th and in heavy fog was struck by the southbound steamship SS Nantucket around 2AM about 50 miles off the Virginia capes. The Monroe rolled on its side and sank in 10 to 12 minutes after being struck. The Nantucket was able to rescue 85 survivors out of the icy water, but 41 people (19 passengers and 22 crew) lost their lives that winters night, among them, Braxton Haskins. Oscar Perkins, also a crewman on the ship, survived and was picked up by the Nantucket. Just a little of the story behind the monument.

Memorial to Braxton Haskins, Oriental NC

After googling the SS Monroe, Donna made a connection to the RV Explorer team.  Through our yearly adventures to Chincoteague, the SS Monroe is a Chincoteague “Classic” wreck.  A wreck we have been diving on the RV Explorer since the early 2000’s ( and I had been diving since the 1980’s)   The Monroe is shallow, only 90’, often has excellent visibility, covered in hard white coral and is alive with more flounder than you can count.  Over the years many artifacts have been recovered including portholes, telegraph, cases of cotton lyle stockings and steam whistles.

Image and Side Scan of the SS Monroe courtesy of Ben Roberts

Rusty Cassway, Bill Tattersall & Dana Mason after recovering the stern Telegraph of SS Monroe on the Mister Ike in 1997.

The following description of the SS Monroe is courtesy of Ben Roberts of Eastern Search & Survey.

SS MONROE is a 345’-long passenger-freighter that sank off Chincoteague, Virginia in yet another tragic collision.

The predawn darkness of January 30, 1914 found MONROE creeping slowly northward through a dense fog. She was carrying 140 passengers bound from Norfolk to New York while another steamer, the NANTUCKET, was heading in the opposite direction nearby, bound from Boston to Norfolk. MONROE stopped her engines after hearing NANTUCKET’s steam whistle, but nevertheless NANTUCKET’s bow soon plunged deep into MONROE’s starboard side, causing MONROE to sink in just 12 minutes. Captain Osmyn Berry of the NANTUCKET was eventually found guilty of negligence and had his license revoked for his role in the crash that left 41 people dead.

Engine of the SS Monroe and diver Brian Sullivan

The “ghostly” stern of the SS Monroe

22 year old Braxton Haskins, 3rd assistant engineer, was one of the 41 dead in the marine accident.  Drowned on a cold winters night in 1914.  Never a chance to say goodbye to family and lost at sea forever.   

Because of Donna’s emotional connection to her late cousin, she wanted to let Braxton know that he was not forgotten. Donna mailed us several items and asked if we could take these items to the shipwreck, leave them on the wreck and let Braxton know he is NOT forgotten.

As part of the package Donna Haskins wrote the following note to put inside the capsule,  “I found your grave a few years ago.  I wish you were in it, but you are not forgotten.  I will whisper your name every day.  I Love You.  Donna Haskins Medford”

The items included a gold charm of a heart and mother holding a child, a stone with a compass painted on it, a news article  and Braxton Haskins obituary.  Ross Baxter carefully placed all these items in a galvanized steel pipe and sealed the ends with pipe caps.

Donna’s gifts to Braxton sealed in a galvanized pipe.

In July 2021 John Copeland and I took “package” down to the wreck of the SS Monroe.

The “package” on the wreck in the engine area.

A few words were whispered silently whispered and the gifts were hidden on the shipwreck in the engine area.

After this task was completed, we reported back to Donna.   Donna wrote back, ” Yes!!!!!!!!   Ya’ll made my dream come true.  From every Haskins ever.  Thank you so much.

It was our honor to help Donna fulfill her dream.  We sent Donna some brass oilers from the SS Monroe.  These oilers were part of the engine.  As a 3rd assistant engineer on the SS Monroe, it is likely that Braxton’s hands had touched these oilers as part of his job.

Donna holds 2 engine oilers 108 years after her cousin may have touched them.

The circle is complete.

Rest in Peace Braxton!!

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