The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-03-18
TWELVE DROWNED.
Life Grew and Sailors Went
Down Together.
ONLY one ESCAPED TO TELL TALE.
Heroic Effort tO Rescue Crew Of q
Stranded large on MnAsachu-
setts Coast Results In
Disaster.

! HVrule HcHGuT NHV" VI -
| Stranded barge ON Massachu-
setts Coast Results In
! Disaster.
CHATHAM, Mass. March 1S.-Sev-
Ell brave life savers. practically the en-
tire crew of the Monomoy station, OH
the south end Of Cape Cod, met death
! yesterday Mt their pos, of duty, and
with them into the treacherous sea
which capsized the lfebOat went 1--WE
men from the stranded barge Wadena,
whom they vainy tried to bring in safe
| ty to the shore. One man, Lemuel El-
| lis, through the heroic work Of Captain
| Elmer Mayo OF another stranded
barge, the John G. Fitzpatrick, was
rescued from the bottom Of the up
turned lifeboat.
Among those lost was William IL.
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. Eldrcdgc. one of the oldest
/ life savers on tie coast, went down
with his men. All the life savers came
from Chatham and Hnrwich. There is
! no government pension for those whose
| husbands and fathers are lost III the
! life saving service, so the lot OF the
| families who are left is a hard one.
| The scene of the accident was in the
F.; well known tide rips off Monomoy
point, which make down from Chat
ham into Nantucket sound.
; Last Thursday the barges Wadena
and John e. Fitzpatrick. o', tho way up
! to Boston with cargoes Of coal. strand
cd on the Shovelful shoal. about three
quarters of Il mile off AIonomoy point.
Since then every effort has been made
to tioat the bargcs. and all day Satllr-
day and Sunday men from Vineyard
/ Haven were III work throwing coal
overheard from both of them. Sunday
night the tug Peter G. Smith, which
! had been lying beside the bargcs. ran
alongside the Wade and told those
on IoarL tlat s,o was coming on.
/ All 1hc wrcrkers were taken on board
the tug with the exception of the five
men who met their fate. Mr.. Mack.
Z. who had come Oh from Cleveland, re-
fused TO leave and ordered the captain
of tho Smith to anchor near by.
/ The following forenoon captain FL
dre,lgr. who had been watching the
barges very closely. sighted signals OF
distress on the Wadcna He got out
his crew and slrfboat The wind was
! blowing nearly Il gale from til" SOUTH
east, so preparations were made to
launch the boat ON tn" inside OF the
point. where the water was smooth.
I The crew had no difficulty in getting
off. hut after rounding the point II took
nrorIy an hour to reach the barge by
that time the tide had turned TO the
| eastward. and Il fierce cross sea had
been picked up.
| CaDtain lHldretlge stecrcd the life
boat under the Ice Of the Wa'l"na. and
| one after ano, her the five men dropped
/ into the boat. With the wind aStern it
: seemed comparatively easy - gain til"
smooth waters behind the point. The
seas were tossing and turning in the
rips, and Captain Eldrcdgo was COLI
stantly locking iOr smooth spots.
| When about half way in. he thought
! he discovered one over what is called Il
+, hole, and the boat was slmer'd off for
il. 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 se:l, all
the life savers clnla to the boat and
managed TO pull The WaGcna men
along with them.
An attempt WAS made to right the
boat but. although all lifrb0"ts are
supplied with cork @unwalrS. they
were heavy. and, being full Of water,
the life savers only managed to get hcr
partially cleared. They had some hope.
however. Of reaching land Until anoth-
er wave again caps%ed the boat. Mr..
Mack was III" trst to Snccumh. and
one by one they dropped away until
there were only four lett. and these
climlt d on the bottom Of the oyertuil-
ed boa,. MI were frlrfslly exhausted.
The four nlrl Grif"d down in the di-
lccliou Of the TitZpatlirk, where Cap
tain Mayo Of illni craft caught sight of
them. With great daring l,e '.iopped Il
dury over the board and. iulnpiug into
it, started afiGr lhr exhausted men.
Before he reached Tie liithOHi three of
them had falirn into th" sc:l. Ellis
managed 10 held on and caught tn"
rope which tnp;i, Mayo threw to
him, and he WAS dragged aboard
The disaster is ono OF he worst that
eyer happened to Il life saving crew on
Cane Goa.