The morning call., 1890-05-05
THREE MEN DROWNED
They Sink Together in Sight of
Their Companions.
Recklessness Causes a Sad Accident in Which
Yawl Capsizes-Four Hours on the
Keel in Raccoon Straits.

A party Of six young men left this city early
yesterday morning for sail on The bay In
tending to have a merry time, but only three
Of them returned alive
1he others sank beneath the waves before
their companions eyes. and their bodies now lie
at the bottom or are drifting at the currents
mercy.
The accident was particularly sad one, inas-
uch as the drowned men were quite young and
lived with their families in town, and all were in
innate friends out on day of pleasure, which
had been arranged for some time past.
THE UNFORTUNATE ONES.
The unfortunate ones were Martin Ryan,
fluit-peddler, 25 years of age; William Cosgrove,
a boy OF II years, who lived with his parents at
Francisco ana Stockton streets. and whose
father recently kept sailors clearinghouse on
North Beach; Con Downey, "a years of age. who
worked az the slaughter houses near Fort Mason
and came here from Liverpool some years ago.
THEY WERE SAVED.
The men who escaped after drifting about
clinging TO the keel of the boat for four hours
are William Sullivan, the boatman at North
Beach, fsmiarly known as " Yankee Sullivan;
William Boyd, man about "a ye ars OF age, who
was engaged with Ryan I'm the fruit business;
Thomas Costello, aud the young man who works
on the Government reservation al Fort Maso n.
The party, wishing 10 enjoy themselves thor
oughly. hired yawl and had Sullivan TO sail the
boat They were 100 loo con, cSnfden! ,t OF rnelr safety
The result OF their own foolBhness.
AT first 1t was decided TO take Whitehall
boat, but the party was increased in number and
the other craft with common gait sail substi-
tuted.
THE START.
AT z 80 o'clock I'm the morning they sailed
from Meiggs Wharf 10 FlmOre-Street Wharf,
which they reached before O'Clock and took on
board some beer and lunch and also fishing
tackle. Leaving this place they sailed TO the lee
side OF Angel Island, and cast anchor of Point
Blunt Then they landed and fshed OF the
rocks, but finding that fish could be caught,
of the became tmpatieQt and
gested that sail be taken around the island.
Ryan added;
got here We will sail home"
Sullivan who had charge Of the party & re-
lesion or visit the fort In reply seme one said:
A FATAL CHANGE.
''Well, go over the straits" and with these
words Sullivan took hold Of the rudder and
pointed The boats stern from Point Blunt. Soon
| lhe yawl went bounding over the billows, spin
ming along buoyanlly In front of fresh breeze,
with the strong current seethng around II and
throwing choppy seas ON the gunwales. On they
went sailing ana singing over the treacherous
straits. drinking odd toasts in keeping with the
exhilerating experience they were then enjoying.
''THEIR OWN FAULT"
"It was the boys own fault" said Yankee
| Sullivan to a CALL reporter last night, in his
home Ins daring SGaIman Si as had but little
none the worse for the terrible ordeal of few
hours before. Only he was excited and felt the
| loss OF the young men whom he had seen sink,
one by one. before his eyes willie unable to help
| them.
"It was all their own fault" he repeated, "and
| II they had not been so reckless the accident
| would never have occurred. They all went for
| ward III the boat while was at tile helm, and
so ts sie would ' not answer We her rudder nor come
| about when l tried to jlDe her. Seeing
that we should have to tack to get
| where she could be handled we 'weared ship TO
| take new tack. In doing so the sail caught
in swinging from one side to the other.
| ms
| "Of course she leaned over and the water be
| gan coming in, not to any alarming extent, how
ever but i iTighiensd the boys and they lost
side, thinking 10 balance her, but In going to the
leeward side they caused her to turn over.
was sharp breeze blowing al the time.
' She capsized In Raccoon Straits, opposite the
Chinese fishing camp, too far from either shore TO
| thing Of swimming In such water
| STRUGGLE IN THE WATER.
| "The boys all came up at first. and two of
them grabbed me. | shook them of and called
me. then caught young Cosgrove. who was the
boy OF the crowd and lifted him up on the boat,
| and helped tile others TO catch on the ropes. We
| all held on for ten minutes to the boat but the
seas turned her clean over twice. each time
shaking us Off Then she turned up on her
| beam-ends with the big seas, and the sail under
! her would fill With wind and keep her tossing
, about so furiously that 1t was impossible TO
II got my knife and began cutting the sail
| away to keep her steady, aud between this and
| picking up the others had all l could do. This
| work went on for a little more than ten minutes,
when l saw them weakening one by one. l
called out to them 10 hold out until had the sail
| and mast cut away, and then they would be safe
| until picked up.
| SANK TO RISE NO MORE.
| "But l turned once ana saw Con D0wney fall
| from the stern and his head 60 spinning around
In ring. sinking gradually, and then disappear.
| He never came to the top again.
| "Ryan was completely exhausted, but desper-
ate in his grip on life. I'll never forget his visit
| ful look toward the shore as he was shaken of
| by a big wave and grabbed again at the boat,
| but could not catch anything. He sank with his
| eyes looking up to the skies above him.
| II thought that little Cosgrove would be able to
| keep on the bow but all OF sudden saw him
slip of and pass under the boat. They were all
| praying dev0utly and loudly, like men realizing
that they were soon 10 die, and they all sank
with prayer.
FOUR LONG HOURS.
"Thls was about half past o'clock In the after
| noon By the time had the sail cut away the
boat was steadier and we sat on her keel for foul
long hours until picked up by an Italian fisher
man five miles 10 the leeward OF the straits, neal
| the Berkeley shore. We were hoarse from shout
| Ing, and tried to attract boats and vessels. bu
they did not see us. One Chinese junk, whicf
| Fm sure saw US, would not come 10 our assist
;nce.
ave were taken to Vallejo street Wharf by tn,
fisherman, and never felt more grateful thar
when once again on firm ground"