The Huron, built with funding authorized by the 42nd Congress, was a Federal gunship. Built after the Civil War in 1874 and commissioned in November 1875, the Huron was powered by both sail and steam, was 175 feet long, displaced 541 tons and carried four 9 inch guns. On November 23, 1877 she departed from Hampton Roads for the coast of Cuba on a scientific expedition. Her complement of 116 men and 15 Marines were all hand picked. She headed south out of the Chesapeake Bay and down the East Coast. As she passed by the Cape Henry Light around midnight, all aboard knew the predictions of bad weather had been correct. The sea grew rougher and the wind gained strength, forcing the ship leeward 10 degrees. Nevertheless, the Captain, Commander George P. Ryan, chose to continue onward while hugging the coast. That soon proved to be the wrong choice. By 1:00 A.M., with the winds now at gale force, the ship was hitting bottom on the sand bars off Nags Head. The striking of the hull on the sand, the wind, and the waves all conspired to doom the ship. Eight officers and seventy-five crew members perished which included her captain Commander Ryan. Only 34 of her crew survived. The large loss of life was due in part to the fact that no one who saw the repeated flares and rockets that signaled for rescue, could help. In terms of lives lost, the Huron was one of the worst wrecks off the North Carolina coast. Although the Life Saving Service had been started three years prior to the Huron running aground, due to massive under funding the Service only manned stations in North Carolina for three winter months beginning December 1; one week to late to be of help to the crew of the Huron. The outrage over the Huron tragedy prompted Congress to fund the Service year-round. The Life Saving Service eventually evolved into the modern U.S. Coast Guard