The Butte inter mountain., 1902-03-18
BRAVE MEN GO TO THEIR DEATH
IN THE SURF.
ON SOUTH END or CAPE COD
Great Waves Turned Over Life Savers
Boats and Only Ono of Them
Succeeds in Returning
to Land.
(By Associated Press.)

oapsizing of a lfeboat yesterday, seven
lifesavers, practically the entire crew
of Cape Cod, met death at their post
of duty. and with them into the sea
went five men from the stranded barge
Wardent whom they tried to bring safely
to the shore.
one man, Lemuel Ellis, through the
heroic work of capt Elmer Mayo of an
other stranded barge, the John G. Fitz-
patrick, was rescued from the bottom Of
the upturned lifeboat.
Among those lost was william II.
Mack of Cleveland, who was on the
barge representing his company. the
Boutelle Loading and Transportation
company of that city.
Capt. Marshall n. Eldridge, 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:
Life Savers Lost.
MARSHALL N. ELDRIDGE. keeper,
South Chatham.
EDGAR SMALL, Harwich.
ELIJAH HENDRICKS, Harwlch.
OSBORN CHASE, Harwich.
ARTHUR ROGERS, North Harwich.
ISAAC THOMAS FOYE, South Chat
ham.
VALENTINE NTCKERSON. Harwich.
WILLIAM II. MACK, Cleveland.
CAPT. CHRISTIAN OLSEN. Boston.
ROBERT MOLINEUX. Boston stew
ard OF the tug Pe ter Smith.
WAITER A. SEVED. Cottage city.
MANUEL ENoS. Cottage city
Coapa 80 ,o;,lo,,t
The scene Of the accident was In the
well-known tide rips off Monofoye Point.
Last Thursday the barges Wardena ana
John c. Fitzpatrick. on the way to Bos-
ton, with cargoes of coal. stranded about
three quarters of Il mile off Monomoye
Point.
Since then every effort has been made
to float the barges. and all day Saturday
and Sunday men from Vineyard Haven
were at work throwing coal overheard
from both of them.
Last night the tug Peter Smith, which
had been lying beside the barges, ran
alongside the Wardena and told those on
board that storm was coming on All
the workers 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 near
by.
About 8 o'clock, the weather growing
very thick, the captain of the tug ran
into Hyannis. Upon arrival there the
captain tried in vain to notify the Mono
moye lifesavers that there were five
men left on board the Wardena, which.
being further out on the shoal, was in a
more dangerous place than the Fitzpat-
rick.
Yesterday Captain Eldridge, who
had been watching the barges, sighted
signals of distress on the Wardena He
got out his crew and surfboat. The
wind was blowing nearly a gale and
preparations We're made to launch the
boat inside of the point where the water
was smooth.
The crew had no difficulty i'm 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 free cross-sea had been
kicked up.
Captain Eldridge steered the lfeboat
under the lee of the Wardena and one
after another of the five men dropped
into the boat. The boat was tossing and
turning in the rips and Captain Eldridge
was constantly looking for smooth spots
When about half way in he thought
he discovered one over what he called q
hole, and the boat was steered off
for 1t.
Thrown Into Water.
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 lifesayers
clung to the boat and managed to pul
the Wardena's men along with them. Al
attempt was made to right the boat. bu
although all lifeboats are supplied will
cork gunwales, they are heavy and, beine
full of water, the lfesavers only man
aged to get her partly cleared.
They had some hope, however, o
| reaching land, when another wave agaii
| capsized the boat. Mr.. Mack was tn,
| first to succumb, and one by one tn,
OF ers dropped away until there wer
| only four left, and these climbed on th
the bottom of the overturned boat.
All were exhausted. The four mel
dropped down in the direction of tn
| Fitzpatrick, where Captain Mayo of tha
craft caught sight of them.
| with much daring he dropped a dor,
| overheard, then jumping into it started
after the exhausted men. Before h
reached the lfeboat three of the me,
| had fallen into the sea. Ellis manage,
to hold on and caught the rope whic
| Captain Mayo threw to him.
/ He was dragged aboard and then Cap
| tain Mayo, being an expert surfmar
| pulled around the point into the smoot
water and landed the only survivor c
the 13 who started from the barge