The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-08-02


"A% count of the particularly heavy
rzxxznSszaazusuxw sea-trafiic in the vicinity but II
is chiefly due to Cape Cod. II
is this crooked finger of land that has beckoned
a thousand ships to their doom and which in the
hollows of its dunes holds many tragic story
Of lives snuffed out In desperate grapple with
wave and wind.
The night Of Tuesday March II, 1902
wild and stormstrewn. Running up along the
coast, the ocean-going tug Sweepstakes max
ing bad weather with her tow OF the two big
barges, Wadena and John G. Fitzpatrick For
hours the tripls-expansion engines Of the tug had
been churning her screw in the drift of the
heavy head and shortly before daylight her
captain discovered that she was making no head
way. He then decided to lie 80 and while feel
ing about for an anchorabe In the gloom the
barges ran aground on the edge OF Shovelful
Shoal, of the southern end OF Monomoy island
Massachusetts.
When daylight came the crew OF the Monomoy
life saving station boarded the barges but finding
It impossible TO float them on the food tide, took
their ashore.
II six days later that the disaster
Cured. Wreckers sent from Boston were at
work the barges. The tug Peter Smith
on the ground having replaced the Sweepstakes.
On the night OF the 10th the weather thlckened
and gale swept In from the sea
The night passed without incident sut early
the morning of the 18th Keeper Eldridge OF
the Monomoy station received telephone from
the captain OF the Smith asking him II every
thing all right on the Wadena. This alarmed
Eldridge, as he did not know any one had been
left on the barge all night He started at once
for the point Of the island. three miles away, to
look over the situation The Wadena lay half
n mile off shore from the point. She seemed to
be riding easily on the bar, but the distress was
flying from her rigging This a signal Ed
ridge could not ignore.
1t terrific pull through the breakers that
oil I'm tha bpalc tO tha hut
the nfe-savers accomplished 1t and put their boat
under the lee of the barge at about noon Keep
er Eldridge then directed the men to get into the
surfboat and told thm that he would take them
ashore The rail Of the big barge dozen
feet from the water and it here that the
trouble began
The men the barge lowered themselves over
side on a rope but Captain Olsen, very large
man, was halfway down. he lost his hold and fell
on the second thwart OF the lifeboat, breaking
it, and making It impossible for the rowers to
It. In addition, the boat crowded and
the wind, which had been momentarily increas
Ing, was tumbng huge combers into the wind
ward OF the barge 1t into this maestrom
of breakers that It necessary for the handi
capped crew OF the ifesaving station to pull
their overloaded boat, and they made swift
and able attempt to accomplish It. At the instant
the starboard oarsmen swinging the head OF
the life-boat to meet the sea- giant comber lifted
under the quarter and dashed barrel OF water
oversize That the signal for a panic among
the rescued that, before It subsidized. cost
twelve lives
The Portuguese wreckers in frenzy OF fear
stood up In the boat, rocking II TO and fro In
their endeavors to escape the momentary thrush
of water. and though the llfe-savers fought to
force them into the bottom OF the craft this
could not be done before the next shouidering
wave caught the bow OF the boat swung her
broadside and turned her over
Then ensued O desperate struggle for life.
hundred yards to leeward the breakers were
smashing themselves into white foam the bar.
There just chance in a million that the
boat could be righted before the sea carried her
into them. Once she reached them IL would be
all over. Hampered by the wreckers, the life
savers fought desperately in those few minutes
left before the combers should be reached Three
times they righted ne boat and strove herocally
TO bail her. but each time she again over
! turned They lighting the last tragic fight
when they were swept into the smothering foam
of the bar
AT that instant seven men, including all from
the Wadena, went TO face their maker. Five of
the hardest Of the lfe-savers still clung TO the
capszed boat They Keeper Eldridge and
| Surfmen Ellis Kendrick Foye and Rogers BY
superhuman effort Kendrick crawled 20 the bot.
| tom of the overturned craft, but the next
| swept him 20 join the seven who had gone a mo-
ment before. Foye the next. "Good-by.
boys he gasped smother OF foam took him.
That lett Ellis. Rogers and Eldridge the keeper.
and Eldridge was fast losing strength
In brief ull in the wash of the sea. Ellis
crawled to the bottom OF the boat. Below him,
foot away the keeper n friend since boy
hood AZ the risk of his own life. Ellis dropped
Into the water again. pushed Edridge up on the
fbottom With his last strength and again crawled
out himself. The next second n sea washed both
on and the keeper. after losing and fee1ining his