Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-08-02

sea-traf1c In the vicinity, but II
is chiefly due to Cape Cod. 1t
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 storm-strewn. Running up along the
coast, the ocean-going tug Sweepstakes was max
ing bad weather with her tow Of the two big
barges, Wadena and John G. Fitzpatrick. For
hours the tripleexpansion 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 to and, while feel
ing about for an anchorabe in the gloom, the
barges ran aground on the edge of Shoveful
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
# impossible to float them on the flood tide. took
their crews ashore.
1t six days later that the disaster oc
CURED. Wreckers sent from Boston at
work the barges. The tug Peter Smith
on the ground having replaced the Sweepstakes
On the night of the 10th the weather thickened
and gale swept in from the sea.
The night passed without Incident, but early
on the morning of the 18th Keeper Eldridge of
the Monomoy station received telephone from
the captain of the Smith asking him II every
thing was all right on the Wadena. This alarmed
Eldridge. as he did not know any one had been
left the barge all night. He started at once
for the point Of the Island. three miles away. to
look the situation. The Wadena lay half
mile of shore from the point. She seemed to
be riding easily the bar. but the distress
flying from her rigging. This signal Ed
ridge could not ignore.
1t a terrific pull through the breakers that
rolled in the shoals to the Wadena. but
the lifesavers accomplished It and put their boat
under the lee of the barge at about noon. Keep
Eldrdge then directed the men to get into the
surfboat and told thm that he would take them
ahnrA Th, rail INft tha 10 harOa vyoc dnza
feet from the water and 1t was here that the
trouble began
The men on the barge lowered themselves over
side a rope but as Captain Olsen. very large
man, was halfway down. he lost his hold and fell
on the second thwart of the lfeboat breaking
It, and making It impossible for the rowers to
use IT. In addition, the boat crowded and
the wind which had been momentarily increas-
Ing tumbng huge combers into the wind
ward of the barge. 1t into this maelstrom
of breakers that 1t WAS necessary for the handi-
capped crew of the lfe-saving station to pull
their overloaded boat. and they made a swift
and able attempt to accomplish 1t. At the instant
the starboard oarsmen were swinging the head OF
the lifeboat to meet the giant comber lifted
under the quarter and dashed barrel of water
oversize. That was the signal for panic among
tho rescued men that. before 1t subsidized cost
twelve lives.
The Portuguese wreckers. in frenzy of fear.
stood up in the boat. rocking 1t to and fro in
their endeavors to escape the momentary thrush
of water, and though the life-savers fought to
force them into the bottom of the craft. this
could not be done before the next shouldering
wave caught the bow of the boat, swung her
broadsde and turned her
Then ensued a desperate struggle for life. A
hundred yards leeward the breakers were
smashing themselves into white foam on the bar.
There just one chance In million that the
boat could be righted before the carried her
into them. Once she reached them. 1t would be
all Hampered by the wreckers. the life
fought desperately in those few minutes
left before the combers should be reached Three
TO bail her, but each time she was again over
turned They were fighting the last tragic fight
when they 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
surfnen Ellis. Kendrick Foye and Rogers. By a
tom OF the overturned craft but the next
ment before. Foye was the. next. "Good-by.
boys" he gasped as q smother OF foam took him.
That left Ellis Rogers and Eldridge the keeper.
and Eldridge was fast losing strength.
In a brief lull in the wash of the sea- Ells
crawled to the bottom of the boat. Below him,
foot away, was the keeper. friend since boy
hood At the risk of his own life, Ellis dropped
into the water again. pushed Eldridge up on the
bottom with his last strength, and again crawled
out himself Tho next second washed both
of and the keeper. after losing and regaining his