Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-03-20
DIED DOING THEIR DUTY.


Vial IIhs HloNcss "aith -
capsizing of a life-boat, yesterday,
seven ~life-savers, practically Ii en-
tire crew of the Monomoy station on
the south end of Cane Cod, met death
at their post of duty, and with them
into the sea, went five men from The
stranded barge Wadena, whom they
tried to bring in safety to the shore.
One man, Lemuel Ellis, through the
heroic work of Capt. Mayo, of anoth-
er stranded barge, the John c. fItz-
patrick, was rescued from the hot
tom of the upturned life-boat. Among
those lost was William ii. Mack. OF
Cleveland, o., who was on the barge
representing his company, the lou
telle Towing and transportation Co.,
of that city, while Capt. Marshal! N.
Eldredge, one of the oldest life-savers
on the coast, went down with his
men. All the life-savers came from
Chatham and Warwick.
The scene of the accident was in
the well-known Tide Rips off Monomoy
Point, which make down from Chat-
ham into Nantucket sound. Last
Thursday the barges Wadena and
John c. Fitzpatrick, on the way 10
Boston with cargoes of coal. strand
ed on the Shovelful shoal, about
three-quarters of a mile off Monomoy
point. Since then every effort had
been made to float the barges, and all
day Saturday and Sunday men from
Vineyard Haven were at work throw
ing coal overheard from both OF
them. Last night the tug Peter Smith,
which has been lying beside h
barges. ran alongside the Wadena
and told those on board that a storm
was coming on All the wreckers
were taken on board the tug with the
exception of the five men who met
their fate yesterday. Mr.. Mack, who
had come on from Cleveland, refused
to leave. and ordered the captain OF
the Smith to anchor cal by. Abou
| e1SHU ClOCh tHC "CdtiN S
very thick, the captain of the tug
decided to run into Hyannis. Upon
arrival there the captain tried I'M
vain to notify the Monomoy ~life-sav-
ers that there were five men left on
board the Wadena, which. being fur
Their out on the shoal, vas in a more
dangerous place than the Fitzpatrick.
Yesterday forenoon Capt. E~ldredge,
who had been watching the barges,
sighted signals of distress on the
Wadena. He got out his crew and
surfboat. The wind was blowing
nearly a gale from the southeast, so
preparations We're made to launch
the boat on the inside of the point,
where the water was smooth. The
crew had no difficulty in getting off,
but after rounding the point, it took
nearly an hour to reach the barge.
BY that time the tide had turned to
the eastward and a fierce crOss sea
had been kicked up. Capt. Eldredge
steered the life-boat under the lee
of the Wadena, and one after anoth-
er the five men dropped into the
boat.
With the wind astern it seemed
comparatively easy to gain the
smooth waters behind the point. The
seas were tossing and turning in the
rips, and Capt. Eldredge was o II
stantly looking for smooth spots.
When about half way in he thought
he discovered one oven what is
called a hole, and the boat was
sheered off for it. As she did so a
tremendous sea caught her under the
stern and she went over. throwing
all the men into the water. Being
used to the sea, all the l~ife-savers
clung to the boat, and managed to
pull the Wadena men along with
them. An attempt was made to
right the boat, but although all life
boats are supplied with cork gun
wales, they are heavy, and, being full
of water, the life-savers only man
aged to get her partially cleared
They had some hope, however, OF
reaching land, until another wave
again capsized the boat. Mr.. Mack
was the first to succumb, and one by
one the others dropped away until
there were only four left, and these
climbed on the bottom of the over
turned boat. All were fearfully ex-
hausted. The four men drifted dowr
in the direction of the Fitzpatrick
were Capt. Mayo of that craft caught
sight of them. With much daring
he dropped Il dory overheard, ther
jumping into it, started after the ex
hausted men. Before he reached the
life-boat three of the men had faller
into the sea. Ellis managed to holt
on and caught the rope which Capt
Mayo threw to him. He was dragged
aboard, and then Capt. Mayo, being
an expert surfman, pulled around in
TO the smooth water and landed the
only survivor of the 10 who started
from the barge. Ellis was too ex
hausted to give any accurate &C
count of his experiences for two OF
three hours after getting ashore, ant
last night, although recovering ply
sically from the ordeal, his mind wa
still perplexed. Two men still re
main on board the barge Fitzpat
!, rick, but the storm has subsidized, ant
they are in little danger. Both barge'
may yet be saved.
L"T.Hl