The No. 4 surfman is George C. Cahoon. He was born in Harwich in 1872,
and has been in the life-saving service but a year. When he entered
the service he was assigned to the Race Point Station, under Capt.
“Sam” Fisher, and was transferred here this year. Surfman Cahoon was
a fisherman and boatman along the shores of Cape Cod from the time he
was a boy until he entered the service. He is an able boatman and has
already shown himself to be an efficient life saver. He married Emma
Jones, and is the father of a daughter.
The No. 5 surfman is Walter F. Wixon. He was born in South Chatham in
1866, and is serving his first year in the life-saving service. Having
been a boatman and fisherman along the shores “back of the Cape” for a
number of years, he is skilled in handling a boat, and has a thorough
knowledge of the rips and shoals that line the shore there. He married
Minnie E. Chase.
The No. 6 surfman is Thomas W. Bearse. He was born in West Harwich in
1863, and is serving his first season as a life saver. Surfman Bearse
was a boatman and fisherman along the Chatham shores before he entered
the service, and was well prepared for the work he has been called upon
to perform as a surfman. He married Annie Cahoon, and is the father of
two boys.
The No. 7 surfman is Frank Thomas. He was born in Provincetown in 1874,
and entered the life-saving service Dec. 1, 1902. Surfman Thomas went
to the Grand Banks when he was but eleven years of age. He followed the
sea from that time until he entered the service, engaging principally
in dory fishing off Cape Cod. He is an expert boatman and gives promise
of becoming an able life saver. He married Rosie Gracie, and is the
father of two daughters.
The No. 8 surfman is Marcus N. Smith. He was born in West Chatham in
1865, and has been in the life-saving service one year. He followed the
sea and was a boatman and fisherman along the shores of Cape Cod from
the time he was a boy until he joined the service. He first served at
the Muskeget Station, Nantucket, joining this station as the winter man
Dec. 1, 1902. He has proved his efficiency as a life saver, and is a
valuable addition to the crew at this station.
Owing to the great amount of work which the crew of this station was
called upon to perform, and the long patrol that the surfmen were
obliged to go over before the Monomoy Point Station was built, eight
surfmen were employed at this station, and they are still retained.
It is the only station on Cape Cod where that number of surfmen are
employed.