On May 8, 1897, the three-masted wooden clipper ship Francis was 111 days out from San Francisco, bound for New York City, when a fire broke out on board as it was just south of Beach Haven.

In desperation, the captain turned toward the beach and grounded the ship. The crew was saved by the local lifesavers but watched helplessly as the ship burned to the water line.

What makes the story of the Francis different from the hundreds of other Jersey Shore wrecks is what happened next – a story that…