Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-03-22
TWELVE MEN DROWNED
Seven Life Savers and Five Sea-
men Perish in Angry Sea.
MET DEATH AT PosT OF DUTY
Lfebost capsized While Resculno
ssamen From strsnded Barge, and
Only One Man Was saved-captain
Went Down With His Men.

Wsnt DOWN With His Men.
Chatham, Mass, March IS.-Seyer
lie savers. practically the entire crew
Oh the Monomoy station, on the soush
end OF Cape Cod, met death yesterda,
at their post OF duty, and with them
into the sea, which capsizsd the life
BOAT. 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 Captain Elmer Mayo, OF another
stranded barge. the John C. Fitzpat
rick, was rescued from the bottom OF
the upturned lifeboat. Among those
lost was William H. Mack, of Cleye.
land, o., who was on the barge repre-.
sentins his company, the Boutell
rowing and Transportation company
OF that city. while Captain Mars a
N. Eldredge. one Of the Oldest Il e
savers on the coast, went down wi h
his men. All the lie savers ca. g
from Chatham and Harwich.
Last Thursday the barges wadeua
and John G. Fitzpatrick, on the wav
TO Boston with cargoes of coal. strand
ed on the Shovelful Shoal, about three
quarters OF mile OF Monomov Point
Since then every effort has been made
10 noat the barges, and all day Satur-
day and Sunday men from Vineyard
Haven were at work THROWING coal
overheard from both of them Sun.
day night the tug Peter c. Smith ran
alongside the Wadena and told those
on board that storm was coming on.
All the wreckers were taken on board
the tug with the exception OF the I've
men who met their fate YESTERDAY.
Mr.. Mack, who had come on from
Cleveland, refused to leave.
Yesterday forenoon Captain Ell
dredge, who had been watching the
oarEes very closely, sighted signals
OF distress on the Wsdena. The crew
had no difficulty in getting of. but Il
took nearly an hour to reach the
barge. by that time the tide had
turned to the eastward and 4 fierce
cross sea had been kicked up. Captain
Eldredge stcered the li'eboat under
the lee OF the Wadena, and one after
another the FIVE men dropped into the
boat. With the wind astern II seemed
comparatively easy to gain the smooth
waters behind the point. The seas
were tossing and turning in the rims
and Captain Eldredgc was constantly
looking for smooth spots. When about
half way in he thought he discovered
one over what is called n hole. and
the boat was steered off for IL. As
she did so a tremendous sea caupbt
her under the stern. and she went
over. throwing all the men into the
water. Being used to the sea, all
the life savers chung TO the boat and
managed TO pull the wadena man
along with them.
An attempt was made to riyht the
boat, but although lifeboats are SIM
piled with cork gunwales, they are
very heavy, and being full Of water.
the life-savers only managed 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 overturned boat. All were fear
fully exhausted. The four men drift.
ed down in the direction of the Fitz.
patrick. where Captain Mayo, OF that
craft, caught sight of them. With
much daring, he dropped dory over.
board, and, jumping into 1t, started
after the exhausted men. Before he
reached the lifeboat three of them had
fallen into the sea. Ellis managed
to hold on and caught the rope which
Captain Mayo threw to him. He was
dragged aboard, and then Captain
Mayo, being an expert surfman. pulled
around the point into the smooth wa
ter and landed the only survivor OF
the Is who started from the barge.