The morning call., 1891-12-11
IN SIGHT OF SHORE.
Two Fishermen Perish Near the
Life.Saying Station.
No Efforts Made to Save thu Men Until Their
Boat swamped-Their Death Witnessed
From the Cliff House.

Inc llte-saYlng station at tn6 ocean Deach
had an occasion yesterday to make a record
for itself, but circumstances were against
1t, and two men were drowned about half
mile IF shore. A number of people at the
Cliff House witnessed the drowning, but,
strange TO say. the catastrophe was not
known to any of the men at the life saving
station until it was all over.
1t was about 1880 o'clock when Charles
Borley, who is employed at the water motor
works at the Cliff House. looked from his
house on Point Lobos Hill, when he OBJ
served two men in boat, seemingly in dis
tress. The sea was running very high at
the time. At first he thought they
were two hotel-runners. but on look
ing through 8 glass he saw
observed that they had lost their rudder
and that one of their oars was gone. The
sea rose over them as the boat drfted
toward the south and each wave seemed to
render the condition of the men more des-
perate. Borley stated that both men when
they realized their condition appeared to
give up all hope of taking care of
themselves and to await aid from
the shore, as the life-saVing station was
but a short distance off. Borley SAID he
would have notified The life-saving station
Immediately, but he thought they had Oh
served the same thing as he did. When he
saw the condition OF the two men becoming
desperate with each increasing wave he
ran from Point lobos Hill over Adolph
Sutru's grounds along a trail TO the
station, which Is almost a mile away, and
notified the captain Of the case. BOrley
said when he reached the station ne could
see nothing of the men or the boat, but
claimed that what he had seen could have
the boat had large mast and was only
half-mile of. if a lookout had
been kept. When he started for the
lie-Saving station. he said the boat was
swapping. a man named McAllster, who
works with Burey eOrrOborated most of
his statemen 5. Borey stated that
when he ran to the life-saviug station, if
the boat had Swamped, and tho men had
clung to it, there would have been ample
time 10 save them.
Captain Schmidt, who is acting captain
al the lIfe-Saylng station, when queStOne
in regard 70 the drowning and the failure of
his men to noticed the case. Stated that
Martin Swanson was on duty at the lookout
or Point Lohos HillaBd that Albert Hanson
was stationed on the beach. About 10
O'CLOCK Charles BOrey came running down
and stated that he saw a boat with two men
in it and that the boat was swapping. IL
telephoued," said Captain Schmidt, ITO the
lookout on the hill, and he replied that he
did not see anything at the time.
Albert Hanson also reported that he did
not see any boat l told Swanson to go and
see the Signal Station man, and both
answered that they saw nothing. OF
course as we saw nothing we could launch
no boat"
Captain Schmidt was asked why it was
that PEOPLE at the CT # House and Mr..
Bolley saw the men drowning within sight
OF shore and his lookout men could see
nothing. He replied that his patrolman Cd
Point Lobos Hill was not supposed to be
there all the time but was supposed to ma
H. oil wi fhar
bad kept good lookout or not.
Borley was only fifty feet away from
the hill when he saw the accident,
and he could not explain why it was Swan
son did not see it. II Swanson had raised
a flag OF distress when Bailey saw the two
men battling for their lives, he Captain
Schmidt would have put out q boat imme-
diately.
When he was notified it was too late as
nothing could be seen on the ocean in the
shape OF a boat in distress. He acsnowl-
edged that boat with mast could be well
observed from tho station half mile off,
but claimed that it must have been four
miles off, although he did not see 1t himself.
do you know whether some one was at
the lookout Or.nOt?" was asked.
81 do not" was replied. ~ can only tell
whether he was there at the full hour,
and that will only be shown by the
Indicator, when he would wind the
key-post." Captain Schmidt thought that
IL eulbe Que Hdu raised signal
Of distress when Borley saw the men, he
could have saved them. Captain Schmidt
Is very brave man, and showed his colors
when the L izabeth was wrecked. He will
not place any blame as yet on his men until
he investigates the case.
AS II was the two men were drowned, and
their death was witnessed by a number OF
people, although the Signal Service men had
no knowledge of what was taking place.
Considerable feeling was expressed by
people at the Cliff House at the way the
two men perIshed so near the shore, and the
llfe-saving station came in for great deal
of anmadversiOn. 1t was thought wonder
fully strange that so many casually glanc-
Ing at the ocean should have witnessed the
fate OF the men, while the paid employees of
the Government had no knowledge of what
was taking place until it was all over.
man named William Cook. who keeps
store near the end of the Ocean Beach
road. stated that he saw flag of distress
raised over the Point Lubos Hill Station,
but this Is denied by the life-saving men at
the boat station.
Up to late hour at night no one was re-
ported missing from Fisherman's Wharf.
IL was rumOred also that the supposed vie
tins were not fishermen, but young men
who started out on fishing excursion and
were carried out to sea by the tide.
Adolph Sutro, when seen last night,
stated that never in his experience has the
sea ran SO high as yesterday morning.