Capt. Elmer F. Mayo, “The Hero of Monomoy,” was born in Chatham, and
is forty years of age. From boyhood he has been a boatman, fisherman,
anchor dragger, a substitute at the life-saving stations on Cape Cod,
and wrecker along the shores near Monomoy, and is well accustomed to
the perils and rigors incident to work of that kind.
Among the boatmen and wreckers along the Chatham and Monomoy shores he
has always been regarded as an A No. 1 boatman, skilled in the art and
science of handling boats in the surf, and absolutely fearless. His
father was the first keeper of the Chatham Station.
Upon the discovery of gold in the Klondike region a few years ago, Mayo
joined a party of prospectors, and went to the Copper River country. He
remained there but a short time, returning to Cape Cod and resuming his
former occupation.
At the time of the Monomoy disaster, he was on board the barge
_Fitzpatrick_, near by the stranded barge _Wadena_, in company with
Captain Mallows of Chatham, and the captain of the barge.
The _Fitzpatrick_ had stranded at the time the _Wadena_ went on the
shoals, and Mayo and Mallows were aboard arranging to float the craft.
They had remained on board the _Fitzpatrick_ over night, the same as
those on board the _Wadena_, so as to be on hand early in the morning
to begin the work.
There was a small fourteen-foot dory alongside the _Fitzpatrick_, and
the night before the fatal disaster, the wind freshening up, Mayo
hauled the dory aboard, made some thole pins, and got a pair of oars
ready for use should bad weather oblige them to go ashore.
[Illustration: CAPT. ELMER F. MAYO, THE HERO OF MONOMOY, AND SURFMAN
ELLIS, WHOM HE RESCUED.