Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-18
TWELVE DROWNED.
Life Crew and Sailors Went
 Down Together.
ONLY ONE ESCAPED TO TELL TALE.
Heroic Effort to Rescue Crew of a Stranded Barge on Massachu- setts Coast Results In
 Disaster.


 setts Coast Results In
 Disaster.
 CHATHAM, Mass, March lS.-Sev- en brave life savers, practically the en- tire crew of the Monomoy station, on the south end of Cape Cod, met death yesterday at their post of duty, and with them into the treacherous sea which capsized the Hfeboat went five men from the stranded barge Wadena, whom they vainy tried to bring in safe ty' to the shore One man, Lemuel FL lis, through the heroic work of Captain Elmer Mayo of another stranded barge. the John c. Fitzpatrick, was rescued from the bottom of the up- turned lifeboat.
 Among those lost was William H. Mack of Cleveland, O., who was on the barge, representing his company, the Boutell Towing and Transportation company of that city, while Captain Marshall N. Eldredge, one of the oldest life savers on the coast, went down with his men. All the life savers came from Chatham and Harwich. There IS no government pension for those whose husbands and fathers are lost in the life saving service, so the lot of the families who are left is hard one.
 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 up to Boston with cargoes of coal, strand ed on the Shovelful shoal, about three quarters of d mile off Monomoy point. Since then every effort has been made to float the bagges, and all day Satur- day and Sunday men from Vineyard Haven were at work throwing coal overheard from both of them. Sunday night the tug Peter c. Smith, which had been lying beside the barges, ran alongside the Wadena and told those on board that a storm was coming on. All the wrecEers were taken on board the tug with the exception of the five men who met their fate. MT. Mack, who had come on from Cleveland, re- fused to leave and ordered the captain of the Smith to anchor near by.
 The following forenoon Captain FL dredge, who had been watching the barges very closely, sighted signals or distress on tho Wadena. He got out his crew and surfboat. The wind was blowing nearly a gale from the south east, so preparations were made 10 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 fierce cross sea had been picked up.
 Captain Eldredge steered the life boat under the lee of the Wadena, and one after another 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 Captain Eldredge was coE- stantly looking for smooth spots.
 When about half way in, he thought he discovered one over what is called q 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 life 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 lifeboats are supplied with cork gunwales, they i were heavy, and, being full of water the life savers only managed to get heI partially cleared. They had some hope however, of reaching land until anoth CT wave again capsiZed the boat. Mir Mack was the first to succumb, and one by one they dropped away until there were only four left, and these climbed on the bottom of the overturn ed boat. All were fearfully exhausted I The four men drifted down in the di rection of the Fitzpatrick, where Cap tain Mayo of that craft caught sight o1 them With great daring he dropped Z dory over the board and, jumping int it, started after the exhausted men Before he reached the lifeboat three o, them had fallen into the sea. Ellil managed to hold on and caught tn, rope which Captain Mayo threw t him, and he was dragged aboard.
 The disaster is one of the worst tha ever happened to life saving crew o1 Cape Cod.