Robert Fraser

Hobomock, the Evil One according to the local rock Indians, lives under the ledges off the shores of Cohasset and the area north of Scituate, Massachusetts. In his fury, he creates the wild northeast gales that churn the seas into a dreaded maelstrom. To placate him, Indians left gifts on the rocks. The tidal currents in the area cause the rocks to seemingly reach out and grab passing vessels, dragging them to their doom. In the past 350 years, at least a thousand ships, often with entire crews and their cargos, have been lost here.

As World War I wound down, the U.S. Navy established a planning committee of Capt. Tompkins, Cmdr. A.L. Bristol, Cmdr. R.S. Crenshaw to come up with "a safe and expeditious return of troops in the event of peace." In their five-page report, the committee proposed that Boston, New York, Chesapeake Bay Charleston be the major disembarkation ports. Delaware Bay was quickly added. It was believed that the Germans had laid various types of mines off America's east coast out to the 30 fathom line.