The tragedy of Monomoy Beach

by Clarkson P. Bearse

CHAPTER VIII

Aboard the “Fitzpatrick” that morning the Captain and the man of mystery were down in the cabin, talking and smoking. The man of mystery seemed to be nervous and fidgety, something unusual for him. He would walk the floor, then sit down, then he would walk again. At last he went up on deck and looked around, as he did he saw an object floating in the rips. He took the spyglasses and looked to make sure. Then he said to the captain who was standing near, “In those rips is a boat bottom up and clinging to the bottom is a man. Launch my dory.” The captain said, “No. Your dory wouldn’t live in those rushing rips.” He was a sailor, not a surfman and didn’t understand the possibilities of a thirteen foot dory when handled by an expert. He looked around. The man of mystery had gone. He ran across the deck to his dory jumped up on the rail and said to some of the crew standing around, “Lower away.” They “lowered away” until the dory hit the water. He unhooked the tackles, shipped his oars and started out in the direction of the object. Going in the direction of the object took him almost in the trough of the sea. As he went under the lee of the “Fitzpatrick” he took the whole force of those seas. He looked up and there was a sea forming and hissing, ready to break. He turned, took in the bow, and went over safely. Off again in the direction of the object, another sea rising and breaking, he turned, took it on the bow, and goes over safely. And so on and on closer and closer, slowly but surely. In the meantime, Ellis, on the bottom of the boat, was taking awful punishment. The seas were breaking and pounding down upon him with tremendous force. They would wash him off this side, he would crawl back, they would wash him off the other side, he would crawl right back. With dogged determination, physical stamina and perserverance, he clung to the bottom of that boat like a spider to a wall. He went up on the crest of another sea and looked for the dory. This time the man of mystery had worked the dory way up to the windward. He didn’t intend to lose that man on the bottom of the boat. This time he came running down on the crest of a sea. When you are running on a crest of a sea like that it is suicide to try to stop or try to turn this way or that. Let the sea have her, but keep her steady. For remember that every sea at last spends itself. So this time he came running down on the crest of a sea and went right by within four or five feet. It was an anxious minute for Ellis. But, as he went by, Ellis recognized him, it was Elmer Mayo of Chatham, an expert surfman, one of the very best. The sea at last spent itself and in the lull that followed, Mayo backed right back up to the boat. Ellis grabbed hold of the gunwale, hauled himself over, slid to the bottom of the dory, and they started for shore. Another fight, another struggle with the seas, seas that were running and breaking mountain high, seas that lifted them like a cork to their foamy crest. Seas, running seas that took them in their grasp and carried them ahead like frightened deer until they fell back into the trough of another. Ahead of them the surf was still pounding, and breaking and roaring upon the shore. At last they arrived at the surf. Mayo looked along for an opening, but those seas were still running in from an expanse of three thousand miles, still breaking and roaring upon the strand in an unbroken line. What a position, what a spot—two human beings being in an open dory in those rushing, raging seas. They jockeyed for position waiting for the right sea—the third sea. When seas are running like that, there are always two large ones and then a smaller one. The third sea is always smaller than the two which precede it. God made it so and surfmen since time immemorial have taken advantage of the third sea. So Mayo was jockeying for position waiting for the third sea. At last it came hissing, foaming and roaring. They were in proper position. With a roar, it broke directly under their stem and taking them in its grasp carried them ahead up, up onto the beach. Mayo jumped out and held the dory. The sea receded. Seth Linwood Ellis stepped out onto the cold sand, barefooted. Nothing on but his underclothes. There he stood, Seth Linwood Ellis the lone survivor of the Monomoy Disaster. He told me many times that he grew to manhood an absolute teetotaler, never using tobacco in any form. With those temperate habits and an outdoor life, he built up a physical constitution which produced for him a physical superiority that won for him that day the battle with the seas, when all others perished. He then and there became noted the country over as the lone survivor of the Monomoy Disaster. In time he was promoted captain of the old Monomoy Lifesaving Station, and sometime later the United States Congress recognized his victory over the sea and presented him with a Congressional Medal.

So it is—those men who were lost and the one who was saved are simply samples of the men who, in former days, were the backbones and stability of Cape Cod—Cape Cod which has always played an honorable part in the history of the state of Massachusetts. When Massachusetts derived her sustenance from the ocean, Cape Cod produced her quota of the men who went down to the sea in ships. At one time she was the very womb: the very cradle of fishermen and sailors, the best the world produced. She gave to the sea her best blood, the energy of her youth, and the counsel of her old. The salt waves of the sea have been the shroud, and the surges of the sea the funeral knell of many of her brave men. But now all is changed. In the bays, the harbors, and the inlets where once the ships, the brigs, the barks, the schooners, and the sloops swung proudly at anchor, the waves now ripple in silence and sadness.

Thus ends the chapter of the “Tragedy of Monomoy Beach, or the Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

FINIS

For God And Country

The story of The Monomoy Disaster must impress all readers with the sturdy character of the men who went down to the sea in ships in former days, when Cape Cod was a haven of sea Captains and rugged men of the sea.

As we dedicate this book to these men of steel we present as a closing tribute, the defenders of American freedom and liberty of the present day. The following men and women of Chatham and Harwich are now serving the colors in the various branches of the armed forces and the Honor Roll is complete as of August 1, 1943. We salute each and every one and may God grant them a safe return.

CHATHAM HONOR ROLL

Allison, Clarence E.
Allison, Ralph J.
Allison, Robert F.
Atwood, Wallace G.
Baker, Cyrus F.
Baker, Edward M.
Baker, Winsor C.
Bassett, Benjamin H.
Bassett, Herbert E.
Bassett, Ivan E.
Bassett, Ralph M., Jr.
Bassett, R. Stanwood
Bearse, Frederick H.
Bladen, Charles K.
Bladen, J. Lawrence
Bladen, Walter C.
Bloomer, Harvey W.
Brent, Arthur T.
Brown, Elinor
Brown, Robert H.
Brown, Robert Scott[1]
Buck, Robert C.
Buck, William E.
Buckley, Daniel L.
Buckley, Robert W.
Coombs, Kimball H.
Corrigan, Thomas J.
Courtnell, Paul W. A.
Cowan, John M.
Crosbie, James K.
Dean, Robert J.
deBettencourt, Nelson
Deer, Wendell H.
Devlin, Frederick A. 3rd
Doane, Oscar W., Jr.
Doane, Wilmer B.
Dubis, Oliver
Durkee, Alfred L.
Edwards, Melville B.
Eldredge, Eleanore F.
Eldredge, Harold C.
Eldredge, Harrison R.
Eldredge, Kenneth F.
Eldredge, Leo
Eldredge, Lester F.
Eldredge, Sullie N.
Eldridge, John A.
Eldridge, Richard A.
Eldridge, Robert E.
Eldridge, Shirley A.
Eldridge, Wilbur S.
Eldridge, Willard A.
Ennis, Gresham, Jr.
Ennis, Thomas
Enos, Lawrence F.
Erb, Harry N.
Farrenkoph, Leo G.
Farris, Robert C.
Farris, William H.
Fiebelkorn, Otto A.
Fiebelkorn, Walter C.
Forgeron, Harry
Freedman, Samuel S.
Freethy, Everett W.
Gilbert, William J.
Gilchrist, Norman S.
Gleason, Ralph F.
Glendon, Richard J., Jr.
Gleason, James F.
Goodspeed, Prince E.
Gould, Alton L.
Gould, Chester G.
Griffin, Wayne A.
Guild, Margaret E.
Gustavus, George T.
Gustavus, Roy
Hallett, George F.
Hammond, Francis E.
Harding, Edmund F.
Harding, Everett G.
Harding, George K.
Harding, Maurice H.
Healy, James M.
Healy, Joseph A.
Henderson, Irving C.
Herron, Andrew G.
Herron, George R.
Hewit, Helen G.
Hewit, Norton M.
Hewit, Rodham
Hibbard, George K.
Hogg, Theodore B. Jr.
Hopkins, Edward Walter
Hopkins, Henry P.
Hopkins, Hilliard E., Jr.
Horne, Charles W.
Horne, Donald S.
Horn, John B.
Howes, David Elmer
Howes, Edward G.
Hutchings, Earl
James, Howard W.
James, Roland W.
Jerauld, James W.
Johnson, Robert E.
Johnson, Russell M.
Jones, Robert H.
Karr, Paul W.
Kelley, John W.
Kelley, Joseph C., Jr.
Kelsey, Richard C.
Kendrick, Leo E.
Kidder, Edwin H.
Krenn, Adolph J., Jr.
Lake, George E. Jr.
Lane, Charles A., Jr.
Larkin, Elroy M.
LeFave, Stanley J.
Long, Herbert L.
Lorraine, William R.
Love, Eugene V.
Love, Merrill F. V.
Love, Walter V.
Loveland, Theodore S.
MacLean, George S.
Madsen, Eric
Marquit, George E.
Martel, Leo V.
Masaschi, Frank
Matheson, Robert C.
Matteson, Robert N. S.
McDonald, Harold J.
McGinn, John J., Jr.
Meyer, Russell A.
Newcomb, Alvin E.
Nickerson, David K.
Nickerson, Edmund J.
Nickerson, Harold L.
Nickerson, John H.
Nickerson, Joseph A., Jr.
Nickerson, Joseph W.
Nickerson, Lyman W.
Nickerson, Philip G.
Nickerson, Ralph H.
Nickerson, Raymon W.
Nickerson, Weston, Jr.
Nickerson, Willard H., Jr.
Northup, Tharold C.
O’Brien, James A.
Oliver, Nathaniel W.
Peterson, Magnus B.
Pierce, Warren A.
Reynolds, Richard P.
Raymond, Richard A.
Ragan, Ross O.
Robbins, Victor E.
Roberts, Paul B.
Robinson, Forrest D.
Rogers, Donald C.
Rogers, Eli F., Jr.
Rogers, George V.
Rogers, William H.
Rollins, Benjamin F.
Rollins, Franklin D.
Ruggles, Stanley E., Jr.
Saley, Earl D.
Sampson, Elmer B., Jr.
Satcher, Samuel L., Jr.
Sears, Cletus C.
Sears, William B.
Shaw, Lincoln G.
Sherwood, Leslie F., Jr.
Sibley, Henry B.
Simmons, Harold N.
Slavin, Richard W.
Slavin, Thomas, Jr.
Small, Robert F.
Snow, Edwin H.
Speight, John LeRoy
Speight, Joseph C.
Speight, LeRoy C.
Speight, Robert W.
Steadman, Robert C.
Strickland, Lloyd A.
Swan, Robert C.
Sylva, Edward
Sylva, Edward S.
Sylva, Richard R.
Taylor, Edwin W.
Thurston, George C.
Tripp, Edwin E.
Tucker, Edward A.
Tucker, William G.
Turner, Walter W.
Valliere, J. Leon
Wight, Frederick S.
Worthing, Louis B.
Wright, Alvin H.
Young, Albert F.
Young, Orick D.
Young, Donald R.
Young, Walter C.
Weinz, William E.
Wheldon, Frederick E.
Whilly, Arthur G.
Wholly, Arthur T.
In Merchant Marine
Buckley, John E.
Dill, Reuben T. H.
Dudley, Walter E.
Hammond, Walter I.
Kendrick, Lewis B.
Lewis, Norman
Lewis, Raymond W.
Matteson, Kenneth N.
Sherman, J. Walter
Speight, Carl W.
Swenney, Chester

HARWICH HONOR ROLL

Allen, Guy
Almedia, J. Peter
Almeida, Januario
Antone, Charles
Appleton, Phillip
Armstrong, Robert
Arsenault, Oscar
Baker, Channing N., Jr.
Baker, Joseph
Barber, Sydney
Barrett, Bradford L., Jr.
Barrett, Donald
Barrows, Frank
Bassett, Allen
Bassett, Arthur H. L.
Bassett, Benjamin
Bassett, Donald
Bassett, Howard
Bassett, Wallace
Bates, Bernard
Bates, Donald
Bates, Robert
Bee, Norwood
Borden, Perry A., Jr.
Borden, Robert
Bradford, Herbert
Buck, Dudley, Jr.
Buck, Lawrence, Jr.
Cahoon, Arthur S., Jr.
Cahoon Joseph A., Jr.
Cahoon Orville
Cahoon, Oscar
Cashen, Ralph H., Jr.
Cashen, Ralph W., Jr.
Cashen, Warner B.
Celano, Joe
Chase, Albert K., Jr.
Chase, Courtney
Chase, Earl
Chase, Ray
Chase, Richard
Chase, Roscoe, Jr.
Chipman, Edward
Chipman, Harold
Clark, Franklin
Coulson, Arthur
Coulson, Wallace
Crabe, Raymond
Crabe, Thomas
Crabe, William
Crowell, Fred
Crowell, Frederick W., Jr.
Cummings, Ernest
Cummings, J. David, Jr.
Cummings, Robert
Cunningham, William
Curtis, Robert
DaLuze, Walter
Davis, David
DeMello, Peter
Dickerson, William
Doane, Arthur P., Jr.
Doane, Edwin
Doane, George
Doane, Linwood
Downey, William F.
Doyle, William
Duffie, Harold
Dugan, David
Egan, Thomas
Ellis, Arthur, Jr.
Ellis, Calvin
Ellis, Charles
Ellis, Edward
Ellis, Everett H.
Ellis, John A.
Ellis, LeRoy
Ellis, Malcolm
Ellis, Robert
Eldredge, Alvin
Eldredge, Frederick S.
Eldredge, Harold F.
Eldredge, Maurice M.
Eldredge, Walter A.
Eldredge, Watson B., Jr.[2]
Eldredge, Webster U., Jr.
Farham, Eric
Farr, Frances
Farr, Maurice G.
Fennell, Daniel
Fernandes, Joseph
Fernandez, John Stanley
Fiebelkorn, Otto
Fletcher, Russell
Fosdick, Fred
Fosdick, Oliver
Frost, Leo
Galvin, Edwin
Galvin, Joseph
Gardner, Emerson
Gardner, Irving
Goldman, Morris
Gomes, Henry I.
Gomes, Jesse
Gomes, Leslie
Gonsalves, Frank
Gonsalves, Fred
Grant, Edwin K., Sr.
Grant, George L.
Grayson, Raymond
Hall, Alan
Hall, Albert J.
Hall, Charles A.
Hall, Donald Eugene
Hall, Marcus B.
Hall, Emulous, E., Jr.
Hall, Priscilla
Hall, Roland
Hall, William Russell
Hartig, Charles Stewart
Hill, Priscilla Hall
Homer, Lorin L.
Hopkins, Hillard, Jr.
Hunt, Warren
Hunter, Lawrence A.
Hunter, Francis T.
Ingraham, David
Johnson, Richard
Joy, Gerald F.
Joy, Stanley R.
Kanis, Harry
Keen, William
Kendrick, Edward A.
Kershaw, William, 3rd
Lake, Ernest C.
Larkin, Daniel J., Jr.
Larkin, Francis B.
Larkin, James R.
Larkin, Marguerite
Lawley, Barbara
Lawley, George, Jr.
Lee, Derek A.
Lee, George
Lee, Humphrey A.
Lee, LeRoy
Lee, Rigby A.
Lee, William D.
Lombard, Charles J.
Lombard, Frank
Lombard, Joseph, Jr.
Long, Ralph
MacIntosh, Malcolm
Matthews, Kendrick
McBreen, Andrew
McCommick, Harry
McKenney, Dana
McKenney, Leland
McKinney, William
McRae, Wallace
Megathlin, Robert H.
Miller, William A.
Moody, Sidney B.
Nichols, Carmi
Nichols, Charles
Nichols, Francis
Nickerson, Clifton L.
Nickerson, David
Nickerson, Edmund
Nickerson, Hugh
Nickerson, Joseph, Jr.
Nickerson, Raymon
Nye, Roswell, Jr.
Nunes, Anthony S.
Nunes, Howard J.
Nunes, John
Nunes, John J., Jr.
Nunes, Norman
Oles, Eugene
Orton, Edwin H.
Orton, William R., Jr.
Ostby, G. Norman, Jr.
Paine, Robert[3]
Palm, Howard
Palm, Leo J.
Pena, Eugene
Pena, Louis
Pena, Manuel C.
Pena, Rufus
Perry, Joseph C., Jr.
Peters, Clarence C.
Pratt, Charles S.
Radway, Albert
Ramsey, Curtis
Raneo, John
Raneo, Wallace
Redding, Jay D.
Reynolds, Minot
Reynolds, Thelma
Robbins, Lawrence F.
Robinson, Wayne
Roderick, Bernard
Roderick, Edmund
Roderick, Edwin
Roderick, John P.
Roderick, Lester
Roderick, Moses P.
Rogers, Palmer A.
Rose, Henry
Rose, John, Jr.
Rose, Joseph
Rose, Nathaniel
Rose, Paul J.
Rose, Raymond
Rose, Raymond M.
Rose, Snow
Ryder, Almond, Jr.
Ryder, Mervin E.
Ryder, Roland
Sabin, Donald
Sabin, Howard
Saley, Ralph
Schlosser, Alois A.
Scott, Quinton
Siebenmann, Marshall, Jr.
Silva, John I.
Sisson, Randolph A.
Small, Earl L.
Small, Lawrence E.
Small, Robert
Small, Rodman
Sorenson, Carl
Speakman, Horace B.
Speakman, Ray
Stalker, Donald
Stetson, Russell W., Jr.
Storer, Orville
St. Our, Fred
Straughn, Norman
Symmes, Richard M.
Symmes, William A.
Taylor, John J.
Thayer, John
Thayer, Robert
Thompson, Biddle, Jr.
Thompson, Edric S.
Turney, James G.
Vagenas, William
White, John A.
Whitehead, Walter, Jr.
Whiteley, Robert A.
Whiteley, Walter Vernon
Whittemore, Earl
Williams, John Roger
Williams, William
Willson, Harold, Jr.
Winston, Eugene H., Jr.
Winston, Robert
Young, Donald
Youngren, Leo

[1] missing in action

[2] dead

[3] missing in action

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Transcribers Notes: Typographical errors have been silently corrected. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=.