Princeton by the Sea

I took the most exhilarating hike north of Pillar Point and the radar station, better known to us locals as the “Golf Ball.” The morning was early and the parking lot that leads to the trail to Mavericks was nearly empty. It was foggy but not cold, and the sun wan anxious to poke his/her head out of the gauze.

Here are some of the people I met and the sights I enjoyed. Later I went to visit my friends who work in Princeton, at the Harbor Bookstore and the Mezza Luna Cafe, a place you cannot miss. 

First, here’’s the trail I was following up the hillside.  Actually, first there’s the view from the trail, then the trail.

Just as I started my walk I saw this very nice man on a bicycle….I say very nice, because he agreed to pose for me, a complete stranger.

I took a long walk up the trail that’s been smoothed out for bicyclists, and has endless ocean views. When I returned to the small parking lot, I met another bicyclist, and we struck up a conversation about birds. (I am bird-ignorant but I learned from her

that I should keep an eye out for Blue Herons and that the Crows I saw might have actually been Ravens. Hard to tell the difference because the Crows and Ravens resemble one another. She also once saw a bird that resembles a turkey near where we were standing: sorry I forgot the correct name. 

Then I continued my tour of Princeton, visiting my favorite places: the Harbor Book Store, and Carol, the delightful owner,

who does not only arrange the words and post cards and artwork she sells beautifully, but is a watercolorist herself.

The most fun place is the Mezza Luna Cafe, which cannot avoid future fame. The people who work there are lovable and you will not leave the Cafe in any other mood except a happy one. It’s unlike any other place I know.

Story from John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,

 Here are some of the articles I’ve got about

the Ocean Shore Railroad’s accident problems.

This first is from the December 16, 1905 issue

of the “Call.” Do you know where Baldwin’s was?

This is a poor safety record in this stretch, even

for the time. But, the work was dangerous and in

some matters unprecedented. Enjoy. John

 TWO EMPLOYEES OF OCEAN

SHORE ROAD  BADLY HURT

. SANTA  CRUZ.. Dec 15.— “Venando J.

Esplanola lost his leg this morning as a

result of. a premature, blast on the Ocean

Shore Railroad tunnel at Baldwin’s, up

the coast. Frank Murphy, an employee of

the same company at Laguna, fell four-

teen  feet down an embankment  and

struck on an adze. He was badly cut.”

   A year later there is a worse one. It seems

strange the hiring agency didn’t ask for

“next-of-kin” contact information given the

dangerous work. This apparently was just a

few months after Mr. Johnson’s blast accident

that allegedly caused his insanity.   This is

from the Feb. 23, 1907 issue of the “Call.”

   “The police of this city have been asked

to locate the wife of C H. Bennett,

foreman for the Ocean  Shore Railroad

of  Half moon Bay, who met death as the

result of a blast last Sunday evening.

Bennett secured his position through a

local’ employment agency, and a letter

received.yesterday by that firm asking,

for the address of the deceased wife was

turned over to the police.” 

  And then, just days after poor Mr.

Johnson faced an insanity trial, this fatal

accident happened. This was in the

July 6, 1907 issue of the “Call.”

LABORER KILLED IN TUNNEL

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO.

July’ 5.—”Word has reached here of  the

death of Hans Swanson, a laborer in the

employ of the Ocean Shore railroad. He

was crushed in one of the tunnels of the

San Mateo county  division of the  road.  

A huge boulder broke a support directly

above the unfortunate  workman.

Swanson lived 12 hours. He leaves a

brother in  Philadelphia, and a sister in

Sweden.”

Story from John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,

    Newspapers from 1880 to 1910, the piece below could have been the second biggest story about happenings on the stage road from San Mateo to Half Moon bay; just behind the stage hold-up story with its large drawings. I’m going to see if I can find any other mention of Spring Valley Water Works’ carp removal program. After years of shooting sea lions or turning them in very smelly lamp oil, only rounding up “laze-about” sea lions, and putting them to work, may have been considered “progressive.”  Enjoy. John

SEE THE SEA LION;

SIGN THE PLEDGE

Nomadic Spring Valley Fish Ex-

ecutioner Drives Mountaineers “Dry”

Roving Mammal Wanders From

Reservoir and Pays Visit to

Roadside Saloon

SAN MATEO. Nov. 27.— Every moun-

taineer in the vicinity of Rand*s saloon,

a roadside resort on the stage road

leading from San Mateo to Half Moon

Bay, has taken a pledge to abstain

from all alcoholic liquor for some time

to come, this unusual and wholesale

action being caused by the appearance

of a sea lion in the doorway of the.

resort a week ago when the merri-

ment was at its height.

Sundry and various believers in the

cup that cheers, had seen snakes at

different times, but the appearance of

the sea lion put forward their usual

New Year’s resolution by a month.

Some time ago the Spring Valley

water company placed a number of sea

lions in their lakes back of San Mateo

for the purpose of reducing the num-

ber of carp that have infested them

of late years.

The king of all these lions finally

became tired of the kind of water in

the corporation’s lakes and started

overland for the Pacific. Following the

stage road, the sea lion became thor-

oughly disgusted with the dustiness of

the route and stopped at Rand’s in

accordance with the custom of all trav-

elers for the last 40 years for refresh-

ment. After an unusual commotion

caused by its appearance, the sea lion

was finally captured and returned willy

nilly to the company’s lakes to under

go the water treatment once more.

Story from John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,

  This is the story of an intercontinental serial killer at the end of the 1800’s, who some say had an English royal family connection behind his many names and crimes, a connection that was protected even after his execution. Its relevance to the Coastside is through the Farallone Islands, but also the growing-more-remote possibility of live pigeons having anything to do with the naming of Pigeon Point. If carrier pigeons were used to relay messages about ship passings at Pigeon Point, before the wreck of the Carrier Pigeon, I can find no record of it. It is possible, as the usage of carrier pigeons, to carry messages, is thousands of years old, often used in warfare, or to relay expeditions’ progress, or even as part of a prescription delivery service more recently. But, other then this story, I can find no other Coastside connection in the 1800s. 

   The excitement of the public, or at least the newsmen, that engendered this complex usage of carrier pigeons to announce Butler’s arrival reminded me of the “Slow Speed White Bronco Chase,” mania that gripped the news media.

   The arrival and trial are well-covered in “The Call” issues from early 1897. Those can be brought up by a “Frank Butler” search at the “Chronicling America website. Just five months later, the July 17th, 1897 issue of “The Daily Alta,” had a small article that says:

BUTLER IS EXECUTED

On the Scaffold He Confesses

Having Committed Three Murders 

Sydney N.S. W. July 16—Frank Butler was hanged here yesterday for the muder of Captain Lee Weller, Shortly before the execution Butler confessed that he had not only killed Weller, but murdered two other men Preston and Burgess in a similar manner. He also confessed other crimes. 

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 1897.

HOMING PIGEONS TO ASSIST

IN THE CAPTURE OF BUTLER

The Coming of the Murderer to Be Heralded by

Doves.

NOVEL USE FOR HOMERS

Speed of Birds Will Be Pitted

Against the Craft of a

Monster.

WILL FLY FROM FARALLON.

As Soon as the Swanhilda Is Sighted

the News Will Be Winged to This Ciiy.

This morning there will start for sea on

the pilot-boat Lady Mine, otherwise

known as the bar boat, a cote of doves, or

homing pigeons, their destination being

the Farallone Islands. Their mission is

unique— for they have a mission— one of

importance, and of singular and timely

interest. They are sent out to do some-

thing unparalleled in history.

   Journeying toward San Francisco on

the four-masted ship Swanhilda, Frank

Butler is, supposedly, approaching a crisis

in his life. Reputed to be the most atro-

cious of all modern murderers, public an-

ticipation has by him been put on edge,

and there is much anxiety to learn as

early as possible of the first ap-

pearance of the Swanhilda. Strangely

enough, and beyond all probable chance

of failure, the gentlest of all animate

things, a dove, will bring in the earliest

news of the coming of the most ferocious

murderer. It is for this purpose that the

homing pigeons will to-day go out on the

Lady Mine, which will make a trip to the

Farallones for the sole purpose of carry-

ing them.

   Mixed in with the generally grewsome

(sic)flavor which attends this exciting man

hunt on the high sea is something of ro-

mance in the combination of methods of

communication for tbe purpose in hand

when considered in the light of the pecu-

liar circumstances attending.

Foremost among the birds to be carried

to the Farallones as message bearer is

Daisy, which is supposed after many tests

of speed to be with very little doubt the

most rapid homing pigeon on the Pacific

Coast. It has won laurels by flying from

Fresno and all intermediate points and

from Oroville and all intermediate points

to the lofts of A. Carlisle in Berkeley.

Strong of wing and remarkably sagacious,

Daisy was selected to bring the first mes-

sage ever sent from tbe Farallones to San

Francisco by wing power. Consequently

Daisy knows the way and has proved it’s

great reliability.

   Now when the Swanhilda comes boom-

ing along the first place from which she

will be seen is the Farallones. High above

the surface of the surrounding ocean rises

the lighthouse, the base of which is be-

tween 300 and 400 feet above the sea level.

At the lighthouse there is a powerful tele-

scope, with which objects coming to the

horizon line can be made out clearly.

The Swanhilda is of a peculiar rig. The

nautical eye could easily distinguish her

among other sailing ships. The descrip-

tion of her has been sent forward to the

Farallones, so that she cannot well be

mistaken for any other vessel whenever

she may loom into view.

   From the lighthouse a telephone line

leads down to the houses in which the

lighthouse-keepers and their families live

and the line is also connected with the

schoolhouse in which Daisy Annette

Doud, who recently went to the Farallones,

officiates as schoolteacher. So when the

observer at the lighthouse sees the Swan-

hilda, which in all probability will be

earlier tban any other person near the

California coast line, he wil! be able to

signal the fact instantaneously to Miss

Doud, who, already practiced in the flying

of pigeons, will hold herself alert to dis-

patch Daisy in a few seconds to this City.

The dovecote recently established by

A. Carlisle at the Farallones for the benefit

of shipping and the weather bureau is

only a few steps from Farallones school

house. In this dovecote the fifty pigeons

to be taken out on the Lady Mine to-day

will be placed before to-night. The sec-

ond that Miss Doud hears the message

over the telephone from the lighthouse

she will run to the dovecote, and in five

minutes from tbe time that the Swanhilda

is sighted, she will have dispatched the in-

teresting news by Daisy.

The distance from the Farallones to

Berkeley is forty-five miles. ___Daisy knows

every foot of the way and has flown it. If

the west wind blows Daisy will be in

Berkeley in a very little more than an

hour after the Swanhilda is first seen.

This time is reasonably fixed from recent

tests taken as examples. Daisy has flown

over the course, with a northeast wind

blowing at the rate of twenty miles per

hour, in one hour and twenty-five min

utes. Therefore, under ordinary circum

stances, Daisy will be in her cote within

the time mentioned.

There will be no mistake about the

arrival of Daisy in Berkeley and no delay

in making known the arrival. On the

cote to which Daisy will fly there is a bell

which the pigeon must ring when it enters

the cote. This is an electric bell, so that

wben it is rung a signal will be im-

mediately rung in Mr. Carlisle’s house.

Every one in that house will be on the

alert. Upon the ringing in of this signal

the message will be taken from the cham-

pion messenger and the facts in it will be

immediately telephoned to Mr. Carlisle at

his place of .business on Montgomery

street in this City. Mr. Carlisle will.

therefore be in the enviable position of

knowing first of any one in San Francisco

that the Swanhilda has actually been

sighted.

In fact the pigeon, Daisy, ought to be the

means of receiving the news here hours

before it can come by any other means or

route. Supposing that the Swanhilda is

first sighted at 10 a. m. the time schedule

would be something like this:

10:00i/2 — Miss Doud notified.

10:02 — Message written.

10:05 — ” Daisy” flies for home.

11:05— ” Daisy” Reaches Berkeley.

11:05 1/2— Telephone Rings for Sunset.

11:10 (at latest)— News Reaches Mr.

Carlisle.

Total time, 1 hour 9 minutes.

The message which will be brought by

the homer Daisy will be inclosed in a

watertight aluminum cylinder, weighing

only eight grains, which’ will not impede

the speed of the messenger. Miss Doud

has a supply of these cylinders convenient

for use, and also the paper prepared es

pecially for the reception of messages.

To make sure that everything shall be

arranged perfectly, T. D. Yarrington, an

expert with pigeons, will go out with the

birds on the Lady Mine to-day. Mr. Yar

rington goes under the directions of Mr.

Carlisle. He will give the birds to Miss

Doud, pointing out Daisy to her, that the

champion may be selected to make the

flight.

   Mr. Carlisle said last night that this

opportunity to get into prompt communi

cation with the Farallones on this interest

ing occasion has been afforded through

the courtesy of the Pilot Commissioners,

especially Captain Charles Mayo and Cap

tain Barker, the efficient secretary of the

commission. Through them the pilot

boat was provided especially to carry out

tbe homers. Mr. Beemer, the principal

ligbtkeeper at the Farallones, will un

doubtedly co-operate.

The birds, other than Daisy, will for the

most part be used for bringing in mes-

sages from the Farallones concerning ships

and weather for the use of the commer-

cial community and Weather Bureau.

Several birds may be used to send in news

from the Swanhilda describing her  prog-

ress. This is probably the first time on

earth that a dove has been employed in

helping to bring to justice a fugitive mur-

derer.

Captain Merry, secretary of the Cham

ber of Commerce, who has largely helped

to establish the pigeon line at the Faral-

lones, is much interested in this exploit.

LOCAL BOOK, Bootlegger’s Cove SIGNED by Author Rob Tillitz

ON

THUR July 16th, SULLIVAN’S, La Honda,

5-8 PM

*

SAT July 18th, HARBOR VILLAGE BOOKS, Princeton,

12-3 PM

*

SUN July 19th PESCADERO COUNTRY STORE,

12-3 PM

BUY THIS BOOK AT ONE OF THESE EVENTS AND GET IT SIGNED BY HOMETOWN AUTHOR ROB TILLITZ. HE WROTE THIS MOVIE-OPTIONED NOVEL DEPICTING COMMERCIAL FISHING AND SMUGGLING IN THIS AREA. BOOTLEGGER’S COVE IS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF PIGEON POINT.

Story from John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.neet)

Hi June,

Here is some background information on the Life-saving Service, some photos of lifesaving efforts, official and otherwise. Enjoy. John

The United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers. It began in 1848 and ultimately merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard in 1915.

The stations of the Service fell into three categories: lifesaving, lifeboat, and houses of refuge. Lifesaving stations were manned by full-time crews during the period when wrecks were most likely. On the East Coast, this was usually from November to April, and was called the “active season.” By 1900, the active season was year-round. Most stations were in isolated areas and crewmen had to perform open beach launchings. That is, they were required to launch their boats from the beach into the surf.

 Before 1900, there were very few recreational boaters and most assistance cases came from ships engaged in commerce.

Nearly all lifeboat stations were located at or near port cities. Here, deep water, combined with piers and other waterfront structures, allowed launching heavy lifeboats directly into the water by marine railways on inclined ramps.

On January 28, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the “Act to Create the Coast Guard,” merging the Life-Saving Service with the Revenue Cutter Service to create theUnited States Coast Guard. By the time the act was signed there was a network of more than 270 stations covering the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of MexicoCoasts, and the Great Lakes.

http://www.lifesavingservice.org/   Website has history, pictures, etc. including  this poem Monty Python could have used in their “Manly Men,” skits.

Perhaps this poem by Joe Lincoln sums up a Life-Saver:
He’s a rigger, rower, swimmer, sailor, undertaker,
And he’s good at every one of ‘em the same,
And he risks his life for others in the quicksands and the breakers.
And a thousand wives and mothers bless his name.
He’s an angel dressed in oilskins, he’s a saint in a “sou’wester,
“He’s as plucky as they make, or ever can.
He’s a hero born and bred, but it hasn’t swelled his head,
And he’s jest the U.S. Government’s hired man.

Story from John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Story by John Vonderlin
Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,
This article from the September 27th,
1903 issue of “The Call,” highlights how
dangerous our coast was for ships, even
after lighthouses were built and an early
version of the Coast Guard was created.
With all the dangers they faced, no won-
der these folks believed in Sea Serpents,
as my next posting will detail.
Enjoy. John

DECEIVED by the dense fog that
has lain low over the ocean along
the coast for the last two days,
the British four-masted bark
Gifford, seventy-five days out
from Newcastle, New South Wales, with
a cargo of coal for this port, went ashore
on Mussel Rock on Friday evening at 6
O’clock and is now lying at the mercy
of th« wind and waves, a wreck. The
entire crew of the bark saved their lives
after a battle with the waves.
The first news that the Gifford was
ashore was made known yesterday morn-
Ing at 8 o’clock, when she was sighted
by the lookout of the South Side Life-
Saving Station five miles north of the
wreck. The alarm was at once given and
in a short space of time the lifeboats
from, the South Side, Golden Gate and
Fort Point stations were launched and
proceeded to the scene of the disaster.
Telephone messages were sent to the
Merchants Exchange and to the offices
of the tugboat companies and two hours
after the news of the wreck was made
known the tugs Sea Rover, Relief, Sea
King and Defiance were pitching and tos-
sing close to the ill-fated bark.
STRUCK IN DENSE FOG.
At the time the Glfford went ashore
the fog was so dense that it was impos-
sible for those on board to see a ship’s
length ahead. Men on the masthead and
forward on the bark could not detect the
noise of the breakers owing to the thun-
der of the sea, and though the captain
of the vessel, David Michie, knew that
he was in the vicinity of the Golden Gate,
he did not know that he was south of
the haven of safety and in the twinkling
of an eye, the valuable bark and her cargo
were lost to the use of man. The Gif-
ford ran with a crash upon the sharp
rocks that lie twelve miles south of the
Cliff House.
All hands were on deck at the time of
the disaster. First Officer Harry Lav-
erick was on watch when the bark went
ashore. At 6 o’clock in the evening the
watches were changed, and owing to the
dense fog Captain Michie decided to take
in the sail and put his vessel about, fear-
ing that he might be too close to the
coast for safety.
While the sailors were aloft taking in
sail the first officer threw the sounding
lead and discovered that he was in shal-
low water. His warning cry to Captain
Michie came too late. The Glfford piled
on Mussel Rock and her forward and
middle compartments were pierced by the
sharp pinnacles.
ROCKETS FIRED FOR HELP.
The order was at once given to man
the bark’s lifeboats and prepare to launch
them. Good order was maintained, and
after finding that the vessel was not
taking much water in the wells, Captain
Michie decided to keep his men aboard
and signal for for assistance.
Through the dark watches of the night
the spray-drenched crew of the Gifford
clung heroically to their vessel. Rockets
were sent up at frequent intervals for
two hours after the vessel struck. .
Flares were burned from 9 p. m. until
midnight, but no answer came from the
shore. Captain Michie and his crew claim
that while the fog was very dense pre-
vious to the disaster, the mist cleared
away shortly after the vessel struck and
all through the night they could see a
white fixed light some miles up the beach.
If the fog cleared as Captain Michie and
his men claim it did,it seems incredible
that the lookout of the South Side Life
Saving Station did not notice the rockets
and flares from the wrecked vessel. As
in the case of the steamship Rio de Jan
eiro no help from the life saving men
reached the unfortunate mariners until
some hours after the disaster took place.
The bravery of the life saving crews on
this coast is not to be questioned for an
instant, but the lookout system seems to
be woefully at fault. If the Gifford had
been a passenger ship laden with many
human lives, another tale of awful loss
would have been added to the list of dis-
asters on this coast.
WALKED MILES FOR AID.
At 7 o’clock yesterday morning Captain
Michie ordered that two of his life boats
be launched and a landing made on the
shore. The boats had a terrible struggle
with the waves and the sailors were
drenched to the skin by the waves dash-
ing over the boats.
When a landing was finally made Sec-
ond Officer Ernest Clarke, with sailors
Lewis Berloner and carpenter E. Math-
ews, climbed the steep bluff and made
across the range in the direction of
Colma. Their mission was to summon
assistance and also to get water for the
crew, as the barrels in the vessel’s life
boats were filled with salt water and not
with the fresh liquid as demanded by law.
Captain Michie denied last evening that
the barrels were filled with salt water,
but the fact remained that the only water
the stranded sailors had to drink on the
beach was the scant supply carried by
some of the crew for miles across the hills
to the scene of the wreck.
At 8 o’clock yesterday the lookout of
the South Side Life-saving Station dis-
cerned the Gifford through bis marine
glass and gave the alarm. When the four
tugs and the three life boats arrived at
the scene of the wreck all the crew were
ashore with the exeception of Captain
Michie, First Officer Harry Laverick and
two of the sailors.
TUGS FAIL AT RESCUE.
The life boats went alongside the
stricken vessel while the tugs lay some
distance off. The Gifford was lying
broadside on to the heavy waves that
dashed with terrific force on the sides
of the vessel. Each successive wave
seemed to drive the unfortunate bark
closer to the shore and lessen her
chance of being saved by the tugs.
It was decided that an attempt should
be made at high tide to pull the Gifford
from her position on the rocks. The tugs
were assisted by the life saving crews in
making hawsers fast to the stranded ves
sel. The tide was at its highest at 3
o’clock yesterday afternoon and half an
hour before that time the tugs steamed
with every pound of steam in their boilers,
trying, to pull the Gifford from Mussel
Rock. The hawsers broke like strings
and again the life boats tossed and
tumbled in the heavy surf and carried
the lines from the tugs to the Gifford.
Another attempt was made to pull the
Glfford from the rocks exactly at high
tide, but it failed. The rocks held their
prey with tenacious hold and the work
of the tuffs was of no avail. A second
time the hawsers parted and it was then
seen that the Gifford was doomed to de-
struction. The tugs steamed for the har-
bor and the life boats went to work to
bring Captain Michie and his comrades
from the doomed vessel to the shore, to-
gether with their belongings.
Twice the life boats, in charge of Cap-
tain Varney and Captain Grunbeck, made
the perilous trip from the Gifford to the
shore. When the Gifford struck she was
about two hundred yards from the beach,
but the constant pounding of the waves
for twenty-four hours had placed her last
evening one hundred yards nearer shore.
When Captain Michie of the Glfford
came ashore last evening from his
wrecked vessel he made the following
statement:
“We left Newcastle, New South Wales,
seventy-five days ago, on Friday. We
did not sight land, with the exception of
a small island, until we got off the coast
of California. On Thursday morning
last we could discern the coast through
the haze. I took my bearings by thesun
on Thursday noon and shortly after that
the foe settled down on us and it was
thick until after we went ashore. I as-
sumed that we were some distance from
the Golden Gate, but we could not see
any lights and did not hear any of the
fog whistles. After we struck we sent
up rockets and burned flares, but we re-
ceived no answer from the shore. The
fog cleared after we struck and we could
see a fixed white light some distance
north of us. I deny that the barrels on
our lifeboats were filled with salt water.
It may be that salt water got Into the
barrels when the boats came ashore. I
do not care to make any further state
ment until I have seen our local agents,
J. J. Moore & Co
Captain Michie proceeded to the South
Side Life-saving station and at that point
the crew of the station put him aboard
an Italian fishing boat bound for the
harbor. At a late hour last night word
was received from the South Side Life
saving station that the entire crew of the
Gifford was still on the beach near the
wreck and that they would remain there
all night and would be brought into the
city to-day. Captain Michie could not
be located last night, though it was
known that he was landed at Meiggs
wharf by the Italian fishermen on whose
boat he came into the harbor.
FIRST MATE’S STATEMENT
First Officer Harry Laveflck, who was
in charge of the watch when the Gif-
ford struck, made the following state-
ment when he came ashore last evening:
“The fog was so dense yesterday that
we could not see 100 feet ahead. We were
steering northeast by east just before we
struck. We heard a fog whistle at 3
o’clock in the afternoon, and we were not
sure what whistle it was. We could not
see any lights on shore when it got dark.
From our dead reckoning and the bear-
ings we secured on Thursday by the sun
we thought we were heading directly for
the Golden Gate.’ I was taking a sound-
Ing Just as the vessel struck.”
The British ship General Gordon, from
Newcastle, N. S. W., also had a narrow
escape from going on the rocks the same
time the Glfford did. The two vessels
were in sight of each other since Tues-
day last, and at the time the Glfford
struck the General Gordon was about a
quarter of a mile away from her. The
General Gordon secured Pilot Hayes
shortly before dusk, and when the pilot
climbed aboard the vessel was close in
shore in the .vicinity of Mussel Rock. Pilot
Hayes was obliged to steer a northwest
course from Mussel Rock in order to get
his bearings on the lightship, thence into
the Golden Gate. Neither Pilot Hayes
nor the crew of the General Gordon
sighted the land on Friday night, though
they could hear, the noise of the surf
breaking on the shore.
WRECKED VESSEL’S HISTORY.
The wrecked bark Glfford was built at
Greenock, Scotland, eleven years ago.
She was of 2113 net tonnage and con-
structed of steel, and was rated 100 Al
at Lloyd’s. She left Cardiff, Wales, a
year ago with a cargo of coal for Monte
video, South America. Thence she pro-
ceeded to Rio Blanco, South America, in
ballast, and from that point carried a
cargo of wheat to Sydney, Australia. She
was then ordered to Newcastle, N. S. W.,
and left that port on July 12 last for San
Francisco with 3500 tons of coal conslgned
to J. J. Moore & Co. of this city.”
The Gifford was 281 feet 6 Inches in
length. 42 feet beam and 24 feet 6 inches
deep. She was owned by Andrew Weir
of Glasgow, Scotland, and was valued at
about $90,000. The value of her cargo of
coal is estimated at about $18,000.
The crew of the Gifford numbered twen-
ty-seven men all told. In addition to her
captain and three jmates she carried six
teen hands forward, four petty officers
and three apprentices.

Story by John Vonderlin
Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,
Remember I mentioned how little help
you could expect if you got in trouble on
the ocean a hundred years ago? Here’s a
story about two guys experience in 1909
that helped me form that belief.
Enjoy. John

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
THURSDAY JULY15 th, 1909
DORY CARRIES MEN ON
PERILOUS SEAS
Three Mariners at Granada After
42 Hours in Open Boat
Leave Two Disabled Craft to
Be Wrecked Off Halfmoon Bay

Safely landing through the surf at
Mira Mar beach near Granada, Half
moon bay, after a perilous 42 hours in
a dory, Captain R. H. Lawton, 2865 Oc-
tavia street, this city, and T. C. Preston
of Santa Cruz, engineer of the ex-
cursion launch, J. C. Elliott, with J. P.
Conwell, sailor, of the two masted
gasolene (sic)schooner Spray, ended their
desperate adventures just after mid-
night yesterday morning. The small
boat, in which they had spent two days
and two nights without provisions or
water grounded in good shape on the
sands.
At the same time, approximately,
the two disabled and derelict vessels,
the Elliott and the Spray, grounded at
points below Halfmoon bay, the Spray
off San Gregorlo and the Elliott at
Long Bridge.
The three mariners, after their tor-
turing experience in the open boat,
showed little effects of the exposure,
and after they had been given food
and a chance to sleep came on to San
Francisco yesterday afternoon over the
Ocean Shore. The two crafts were left
in the hands of the salvage men.
Lawton and Preston were on the
launch Elliott, which was coming north
from San Pedro, towing the Spray.
Conwell was at the wheel of the tow.
When off San Gregorio the engine of
the Elliott became disabled and the
launch and its helpless crew were at
the pitiless caprice of a strong wind
and a flowing tide. The men saw that
they were helpless on the heavy
launches. Before Dawn Monday morn-
ing they tried to attract the attention
of passing vessels by burning signals
on the deck of the Elliott. They set
fire to the bedding of the vessel, and
part of the fore rail caught fire from
the signal lights. About dawn they
sighted an Italian fishing smack, but
no help was offered.
All the time the launch and its cum-
bersome tow were drifting toward the
reefs and rocks, and the men saw their
only chance was to get of in their
dory.
They were in this small boat two
full days and a night and a half.
After dark on Tuesday night their
boat drifted inside the reef at Half
moon bay, but there were no crafts
in the inner bay able to give relief.
Watch fires were lighted on the beach
and under their red glare the men
steered their frail little dory toward
the shore, through the pounding surf
and onto the sands where they landed
alive, but on the verge of collapse.

Story from John Vonderlin
Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Princeton by the Sea Growing

“One of the most flourishing of the suburban resorts along the Ocean Shore line is Princeton by the Sea, and George L. Dealey & Co. report that they have made sales amounting to $69. 800.

“This property is situated on the line of the new Ocean Shore railroad, being a land locked marine tract. The company recently sold 38 lots aggregating $22,500 being the entire block bounded by Ocean boulevard, Princeton avenue, Vassar street and Columbia street. This bock has been sold to several prominent men of this city, the parties purchasing being Charles M. Fisher, Judge George Cabaniss, Judge Frank Murasky, Joseph O’Donnell, Neil T. Duffy, Jacob Meyer and C. Zacarini.

“The block across the street bounded by Princeton avenue, Harvard avenue, Columbia and Vassar streets has also been sold for $39,000, the parties purchasing being Senator Edward I. Wolfe, Dr. Hugh Lagan, Fred Bent, Senator Richard Welch, Dr. Joseph Hildreth, J.C. Welch and others.

“Dealey reports that several contracts for attractive buildings have already been let. The Ocean Shore railroad is now running several trains daily over its road and every day now means improvements in service, the company having just received two additional locomotives and several coaches from the east. According to the reports from ….”