The Monomoy Point Station is located near the extreme end of Monomoy
Island, about nine miles from Chatham lights, which bear about
north-northeast. Monomoy Island is a long, narrow strip of beach at
the elbow of Cape Cod. The dreaded Shovelful and Handkerchief shoals
stretch out under the waters of Nantucket Sound along the eastern and
southern shores of the island, and in the vicinity countless vessels
have met their doom and many lives have been lost. Owing to the great
number of disasters that occurred off the southern end of Monomoy, the
present life-saving station was built. At the time that this station
was erected it was intended that the old Monomoy Station should be
abandoned and the crew transferred to this station.
After the appalling calamity, “The Monomoy Disaster” on March 17, 1902,
when Captain Eldredge and six of his crew of life savers lost their
lives, the department decided to continue the old Monomoy Station.
The station is one of the most modern buildings of its kind, with large
and airy rooms for the crew and a big boat room for the surf-boats,
beach carts, and other apparatus.
[Illustration: MONOMOY POINT STATION.]
The patrol north from this station is about one and one-half miles, the
surfmen meeting and exchanging checks with the surfmen from the Old
Monomoy Station. The south patrol along the beach on the end of Monomoy
is also about one and one-half miles, the surfman on that patrol
carrying a time clock to record their performance of duty.
At the Monomoy Point Station there are three surf-boats. One of these
boats is a self-bailer, the only one on Cape Cod. There are also two
beach carts with apparatus, and one life-car. Six surfmen with Keeper
Kelley go in the self-bailer at the time of shipwreck. A horse owned
by the government, called “Susan,” is kept at the station to assist
in hauling the apparatus to scenes of disaster. There are also two
other horses owned by the surfmen kept there. Cats are the pets of the
surfmen, a half dozen making their home at the station.