In those days, the tragic shipwreck of the "Dictator" (and the resulting loss of life) was not an unusual event for the local citizenry in this northernmost area of the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The treacherous waters in the area extend south along the North Carolina coast and had claimed many hundreds of vessels. However, as an impromptu memorial was erected shortly thereafter, the story of the "Dictator" and the souls aboard her would become part of both local tradition and legend in coastal Princess Anne County and Virginia Beach.