Harry C. Claiborne (January 1859 - 1918) was an American lighthouse keeper.[1]

Biography

He was born in January 1859 in New Orleans.[2] He began his career as assistant keeper of the Southwest Pass Light in Louisiana in 1887.[3] In 1889 he was made head keeper of the Pass a l'Outre Light. In 1895 he was transferred to the Bolivar Point Light near Galveston, Texas. He was on duty when the Galveston Hurricane hit the station on September 8, 1900.[1] 125 people eventually took refuge inside the light tower, including Claiborne's family and that of the assistant keeper; Claiborne oversaw their care until further help was forthcoming.[1][4] In 1915, he again cared for 50 hurricane refugees who took shelter in the tower.

Claiborne died on duty at the Bolivar Point station in 1918.

Legacy

A United States Coast Guard coastal buoy tender, USCGC Harry Claiborne, WLM-561, based in Galveston, Texas, is named after him.[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Coast Guard names ship after hero of Galveston hurricanes Lighthouse keeper's efforts saved 125 people in 1900 and 50 more in 1915". The New York Times. April 2, 2000. Retrieved 2010-10-19. A century after his efforts saved some 125 people from perishing in the nation's deadliest natural disaster, the heroics of Bolivar Point lighthouse keeper Harry Claiborne during the great 1900 Galveston hurricane were remembered when the Coast Guard commissioned a new ship bearing his name Friday. ... After supervising the rebuilding of the lighthouse Mr. Claiborne repeated his ... Again Harry Claiborne gave everything he had to help the local residents of ...
  2. ↑ Harry Claiborne in the 1900 US census in Galveston, Texas
  3. 1 2 Robicheau, Leanne M. (25 December 1999). "Rockland welcomes Coast Guard crew Christmas party to brighten long voyage". Bangor Daily News.
  4. ↑ Reports of the Department of commerce and labor 1904-1912: Report of the secretary of commerce and labor and reports of bureaus. United States Department of Commerce and Labor. 1905. p. 231.


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