Captain Ellis came from a family of seafaring people. His father, Capt. Seth N. Ellis, was an old West Indies tradesman.
Captain Ellis went to sea with his father when but nine years of age. When fifteen years of age Captain Ellis joined the fleet of mackerel fishermen, remaining with the fleet until he went coasting. While a member of the crew of the three-masted schooner Enos B. Phillips, of Boston, Capt. T. Reuben Allen, of Harwich Port, master, the vessel was struck by a blizzard that made her a helpless wreck. With her jibboom, bowsprit, foremast, and maintop masts gone, all her head sails lost, and the cabin and forecastle wrecked, the schooner was blown across the gulf stream and out of the track of all shipping. After many days, during which the crew suffered terribly, Captain Allen finally triumphed and brought the vessel into port.
Captain Ellis has been master of sailing and steam vessels, and now carries a captain’s first-class steamboat license for the Atlantic coast. Captain Ellis was also a well-known mackerel fisherman, being a member of the crew of the first steam fishing vessel employed in mackerel fishery, the Novelty, of Boston. Later Captain Ellis engaged in boat fishing along the shores of the Cape near Chatham, continuing in that work until he joined the Monomoy crew of life savers.
MONOMOY STATION CREW.
The No. 1 surfman is Walter C. Bloomer. He was born in Chatham in 1867, and has been in the life-saving service for five years. Surfman Bloomer was a “Monomoy” fisherman, boatman, and wrecker before entering the service. When he joined the service he was assigned to the Brant Rock Station, where he remained three years, being transferred to this station. At this station, under the late Captain Eldredge, he saw much active service and proved himself a fearless and skilful surfman. On the occasion of the terrible Monomoy disaster, when his keeper and six of his comrades lost their lives, Surfman Bloomer was doing cook duty, and remained at the station. He married Velma Stevens, and is the father of two girls and two boys.
The No. 2 surfman is Thomas H. Kane. He was born in Manchester, N. H., in 1870, and has been in the life-saving service four years. Surfman Kane followed the sea from the time he was fifteen years of age until he entered the life-saving service. He was a “grand banker,” a mackerel fisherman, and had a wide and varied experience on the water. He was a member of the Rockport Life-Saving crew, and was with Captain Charles at the Orleans Station for one year. Surfman Kane joined the Monomoy Station, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of one of the crew who perished with Captain Eldredge at the Monomoy disaster.
He is an expert boatman, a brave and hardy surfman. He married Sarah Whellock, and is the father of a daughter and son.
The No. 3 surfman is Edwin A. Studley. He was born in North Harwich in 1864, and has been in the life-saving service for two years, one year at the Orleans Station and one year at this station. Surfman Studley followed the sea since he was a boy. For several years he was a member of the crew of the Pollock Rip Lightship, and later he joined the crew of the Shovelful Lightship. He was also a sailor in the coastwise trade, and engaged in boating and fishing along the Chatham shores for several years. He is an efficient boatman and a fearless life saver. He married Alice Phillips, and is the father of a son.
Standing: GEORGE CAHOON. WALTER F. WIXON.
Seated: THOMAS H. KANE. WALTER BLOOMER. CAPTAIN ELLIS. SURFMAN RESIGNED. EDWIN A. STUDLEY.