The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-08-02

As "a - & Island and New Jersey not ex-
WM copied This is partly
t count of the particularly heavy
~ sea-trafic in the vicinity, but It
Is chiefly. due to Cape Cod. It
Is this crooked finger of land that has beckoned
q thousand ships to their doom and which in the
hoIows 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 was
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 triple expansion engines OF the tug had
been churning her screw in the drift of the
heavy head sea 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 the edge Of Shoveful
Shoai on 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 crews ashore.
IT. was six days later that the disaster
CURED Wreckers sent from Boston were at
work on the barges. The tug Peter Smith was
on the ground having replaced the Sweepstakes.
On the night OF the 18th 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
3 the Monomoy station received a telephone from
the captain Of the Smith asking him Il every
thing was 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
aOok over the situation. The Wadena lay half
q mile on shore from the point. She seemed to
be riding easily on the bar, but the distress was
flying from her rigging. This was signal Ed
ridge could not ignore
It was terrific pull through the breakers that
rolled in the shoals to the Wadena, but
the life-savers accomplished it and put their boat
under the lee Of the barge at about noon. Keep
er Eldridge then directed the men to get into the
eurfboat and told thin that he would take them
ashore The rail Of the big barge was dozen
feet from gthe water and it was here that the
trouble began. M
The men on the barge lowered themselves over
aide on rope, but as 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 1t impossible for the rOwers to
use it. In addition. the boat was crowded and
the wind, which had been momentarily increas-
ing, was tumbling huge combers into the wind
ward of the barge 1t was into this maelstrom
Of breakers that it was necessary for the handi-
capped crew Of the life-saying station to pull
their overloaded boat. and they made a swift
and able attempt to accomplish it. At the instant
the starboard oarsmen were swinging the head of
the lifeboat to meet the sea, giant comber lifted
under the quarter and dashed barrel Of water
oversize. That was the signal for panic among
the rescued men that, before It subsided. cost
twelve lives.
stood up In the boat, rocking 1t to and fro In
their endeavors to escape the momentary thrush
Of water and though the lifesavers fought to
4 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
broadside and turned her over.
Then ensued desperate struggle for life. A
hundred yards to leeward the breakers were
smashing themselves into white foam the bar
There was just one chance in million that the
boat could be righted before the sea carried her
into them Once she reached them it 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 the boat and strove heroically
10 bail her but each time she was again, over
turned They were lighting the last tragic fight
wren they were swept into the smothering foam
Of the bar.
Az that instant seven men, including all from
the Wadena. went to face their maker. Five of
the hardest OF the lfe-savers still chung to the
capsized boat They Keeper Eldridge and
Surfmen Ellis. Kendrick Foye and Rogers. BY a
saperhuman effort Kendrick erawled to the bot
tom Of the overturned craft. but the next sea
swept him to Join the seven who had gone mo
ment before Foye was the next "Good-by.
boys he gasped q smother of foam took him.
That left Ellis. Rogers and Eldridge the keeper.
and Eldridge was fast losing strength
In brief lull in the wash of the sea. Ellis
craNled to the bottom OF the boat. Below him. a
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 the
bottom with bis last strength. and again crawled
out himself. The next second sea washed both
"a and me keeper. after losing and regaining hia