The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-03-21

HteSi So'S'S 'S'' -
Their Lifeboat Capsizes and All But
One of Its Occupants Go to the Bot
tom-Survvor CIings to Overturned
Boat Until Nearly Exhausted When
He Is Rescued.
Chatham, Mass, March 18.-Seven
Ifesavers, practically the entire crew
OF the Monomy station on the south
end of Cape Cod, met death at their
post OF duty and with them into the
sea which capsized the lifeboat 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 Cap
tain Elmer Mayo, of another stranded
barge, the John G. Fitzpatrick, was res
cued from the bottom of the upturned
lifeboat. Captain Marshall N. ED.
redge, one of the oldest lifesavers on
the coast, went down with his men.
All the lifesavers came from Chatham
and Harwich. The names Of those
lost are as follows:
Lifesavers-Marshal N. Eldredge
keeper, South Chatham; Edgar Small
Harwich; Elijah Kendrick, Harwich ;
Osborne Chase, Harwich; Arthur Rog
ers, North Harwich; Isaac Thomas
Foye, South Chatham; Valentine Nick
erson, Harwich.
From the Bacge-William H. Mack
Cleveland; Captain Christian Olsen
Boston; Robert MolanuX, Boston
Walter A. Zeved, Cottage City; Man
uel Enos, Cottage City.
Last Thursday the barges Wadena
and John G. Fitzpatrick, on their way
to Boston with cargoes of coal, strand
ed on the Shovelful Shoal about three
quarters of a mile off Monomoy Point
Since then every effort has been made
to float the barges and men from Vine
yard Haven have been at work throw
ing coal overheard from both Of them
During the night the tug Peter c
Smith, which has been lying beside
| the barges, ran alongside the Walden;
and told those on board that storm
was coming on. All the wreckers were
| taken on board the tug with the ex
| ception of six men. During the fore
noon Captain Eldredge of the lifesav
ers, who had been watching the barge'
very closely, sighted signals of distress
on the Wadena. He got out his crew
and surf boat. The crew had no diff
ficulty in getting off, but after round
| ing the point it took nearly an hou
| to reach the barge. By that time tn
| tide had turned to the eastward and
| ho1 Ii
Lifeboat Is Capsized.
Captain Eldredge steered the life
| boat under the lee of the Wadena, an'
one after another the six men dropped
into the boat With the wind asterl
it seemed comparatively easy to gail
| the smooth waters behind the point
The seas were tossing and turning an
Captain Eldredge was constantly look
ing for smooth spots. When abou
half way in he thought he discovers
| one over what is called a hole, an
the boat was sheered off for it. AS sh
| did so a tremendous sea caught her III
! der the stern and she went over
| throwing all the men into the water
Being used to the sea, all the lifesaver
chung to the boat and managed to pull
| the Wadena men along with them. Al
attempt was made to right the boa
but although all lifeboats are supple,
with cork gunwales they are yer,
| heavy and, being full of water, tn
lifesavers only managed to get he
partially cleared. They had som
| hope, however, of reaching land, unit
another wave again capsized the boat
| Mr.. Mack was the first to succumb
and one by one the others droppeC
away until there were only four left
and these climbed on the bottom of tn
overturned boat All were fearful.
! exhausted. The four men drifte,
down in the direction of the Fitzpat
rick, where Captain Mayo of that craft
caught sight of them. With much dal
! ing he dropped dory overheard, the
jumping into it, started after the ez
hausted men. Before he reached tn
-, lifeboat, three of them had fallen int
! sea. Ellis managed to hold on an
caught the rope which Captain May
! threw to him. He was dragged aboart
and then Captain Mayo, being an eS
pert surfman, pulled around the poin
/ into the smooth water and landed tn
| only survivor of the Is who starte(
from the barge. Ellis was too exhaust
ed to give an accurate account of hi
experiences for two or three hours
after getting ashore, although recov
ering physically from the ordeal, nj:
mind is still perplexed. Two mel
still remain on board the barge Fitz
| patrick, but the storm has suosldet
! and they are in little danger.
Severe Fighting In Colombia.