The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-03-21
life SAVERS DROVNF
They We're Attempting to Re
a Stranded Crew.
Five of the Latter Found
Graves Near Cape Cod,
Them Being Villa
Mack, Cleveland.

Chatham, Mass, March 4
life-savers, practically tt attire crew
OF. the Monomoy station, on the south
end of Cape Cod, met death Monday
at their post of duty and with them
into the sea which capsized the life
boat went five men from the stranded
barge Wadena whom they tried to
bring in safely to the shore. One man,
Lemuel Ellis, through. the heroic work
of Capt. Elmer Mayo, of another
stranded barge, the John G. FitZpat-
rick, was rescued from the bottom of
the upturned life boat. Among those
lost was William H. Mack, o. Cleve-
land, o., who was on the barge repre-
senting his company, the Boutelle
Towing and Transportation Co., Of
that city, while Capt. Marshall N. Ell
dredge, one of the oldest life savers
on the coast, went down with his men.
All the life savers came from Chatham
and Harwich.
Last Thursday the barges Wadena
and John c. Fitzpatrick, on the 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. Sunday night the
tug Peter c. Smith, which has been
lying beside the barges, ran alongside
the Wadena and told those on board
that stQTm was coming on. All the
wreckers- we're taken on board the tug
with the exception of the five men who
met their6 fate Monday. Mr.. Mack,
who had come on from Cleveland, re-
fused to leave. About o'clock the
weather growing very thick, the cap
tain of the tug decided to run into
Hyannis. Upon arrival there the cap.
tain tried in vain to Tssify the Mono
mOy life savers that Snere were five
men left on board the Wadena. Mon.
day forenoon Capt. Eldredge, who
had been watching The barges very
closely, sighted signals of distress on
the Wadena. He got out his crew and
surf boat.
The wind was blowing nearly a gale
from the southeast. The crew had
no difficulty in getting of, 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 a fierce cross sea had been kicked
up. Capt. Eldredge steered the life
boat under the lee the Wadena, and
one after another the five men drop
ped into the boat. With the wind
astern it seemed comparatively easy
to gain the smooth waters behind the
point When about half way in he
thought he discovered a smooth spot
over what is called a hole, and the
BOAT was sheered off for it. AS she
did so a tremendous sea caught her
ytnder the stern and she went over,
throwing all the men into the water.
Being used to the sea all the life saw
ers chung to the boat and managed to
pull the Wadena men along with
them. An attempt was made to right
the boat, but 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 overturn-
ed boat. The four men drifted down
in the direction of the Fitzpatrick,
where Capt. Mayo, of that craft, caught
sight of them. With much daring he
dropped a dory overheard and then,
jumping into it, started after the ex-
hausted men. Before he reached the
life boar three of them had fallen into
the sea. Ellis managed to hold on and
caught the rope which Capt. Mayo
threw to him. He was dragged aboard
and then Capt. Mayo, being an expert
surfman, pulled around the Point into
the smooth water and landed the only
survivor Of the 13 who started from
the barge. Ellis was too exhausted to
give any accurate account of his ex-
perience for two or three hours after
getting ashore.