Valentine Doane Nickerson

A signal event in the history of this station involved the wreck of the coal barge Wadena on the night of March 17, 1902. The barge struck on Shovelful Shoal during a northeast gale and heavy seas during the night of March 11. The crew of the life-saving station removed the crew and it remained there for several days while the cargo was offloaded into lighters off and on as weather permitted. On the night of March 16, the weather became so threatening that all but five of the crew were removed. By the next morning, the patrol from the station observed a distress signal on the barge. Keeper Eldridge launched the surf-boat and proceeded to the barge through the very heavy and treacherous seas associated with the shoals. The five crew were successfully removed. During the process of turning the boat around to return to the beach, the surf-boat took a wave over the side. The survivors panicked and interrupted the work of the surfmen. The surf-boat rolled over. Two successful efforts to right the boat resulted in being rolled over again; the cold water and rough seas took their toll. The one survivor, Surfman Seth L. Ellis, was awarded a gold life-saving medal for his actions. Some felt that getting the surf—boat underway was needless, since the five men on the barge were relatively safe. Replied Keeper Eldridge: "We must go-there is a distress flag in the rigging." In connection with this disaster, Mr. Elmer F. Mayo, of Chatham, Massachusetts, was also awarded a gold-life-saving medal for rescuing, at great personal hazard, Surfman Ellis. Source: www.uscg.mil/history/STATIONS/MONOMOY.html, August 2008.

In 1902, Captain Marshall N. Eldredge and surfmen of the Life-Saving Service at Monomoy attempted to rescue the crew of the coal barge Wadena during a terrible storm off Monomoy Point. Despite the conditions, Eldredge said to his men "we must go, there is a distress flag in the rigging." During the rescue attempt, the surf boat also fell victim to the storm. Only surfman Seth L. Ellis survived. There is a memorial at Chatham Light to Captain Eldredge and the six surfmen who perished. Source: www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/MassLgts/Monomoy/Monomoy.htm, August 2008.

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