The morning call., 1891-08-13
DOWN TO HIS DEATH.
Pascal ScafOni Drowned OFF the
North Heads.
Gallant Attempt at Rescue by Boatmen Crow
ley and Pennie-Calling Out the
Fort Point Life-Boat.

drowning accident occurred off the
North Head, at the entrance to San Fran
cisco harbor, about o'clock yesterday
afternoon. by which fisherman named
Pascal Scafoni lost his life.
The unfortunate man left Fisherman's
Wharf early last Monday morning and pro-
ceeded to Bolinas Bay on a fishing trip.
What success he met with will never be
known, as his boat capsized while returning
to the harbor and in a very few minutes
Scafoni sank beneath the waves.
The poor fellow was alone in the boat
when the sad accident occurred and so far
as known only four persons witnessed the
accident. These were Mr. Stafford, keeper
of the signal station at Lime Point his wife
and two boatmen, Dave Crowley and George
Penne, both we'll known along the water
front.
The first news of the accident reached the
Merchants Exchange in the shape of a tele-
phone message from Point Lobos stating
that fishing boat had capSized and that
Dave Crowley had picked Up the craft and
was towing 1t in. A CALL reporter was at
Melggs Wharf when the boat containing the
DoAtmen reached the city and from them
learned all that is known of the sad affair,
STORY OF THE DROWNING.
We were out at the station on the look
out for ships" s1id Crowley as he tried to
wiring the water out of his hair, land were
talking to MIR. Stafford and his wife, when
our attention was called to fishing boat
that was heading into the harbor There
was heavy sea on at the time and the boat
which contained only one man, was making
very bad weather of it. The sea at times
seemed to 60 clear over her and hid all but
the sail from sight. After watching her Tor
few minutes my attention was drawn to
something else, and | thought no more of
ha tntl 10 Iaf,, e
erman has hauled down his sail ? looked,
but the boat had disappeared. Taking my
glass, after short search, | saw the boat
bottom up and the man clinging to her bot
tom.
1.-The boat has capsized ? I shouted to
Stafford, and Pennie and myself ran to our
boat. which hung in the davits. while Stat
ford ran to The engine and blew the danger
signal TO call cut the life-saving crew az
Fort Point AS soon as possible we had our
boat in the water and started iOr the over
turned craft.
HAD DISAPPEARED.
Several times our boat was verv nearly
capsized by the heavy sea, but we hung on
to the sail and soon got out to where we
thought the boat was. l then stood on the
seat, and 10 ray surprise could see nothing
OF her. For over an hour We pulled around
but could md no trace of the boat and a.
last gave up the search and started for the
city. 1t was blowing half a gale OF wind
and our boat flew through the water at a
great rate, and as the tide was on the food
it did not take Us long to get over the
ground.
''All at once we caught sight of the fishing
boat. which had been carried in by the
strong wiDd and tide, and we Immediately
ran alongside Of her, but the man had dis
appeared. The heavy ballast had shifted
after the boat upset and slipped aft TO the
stern, and the boat was floating end up
with only about foot of her bow out of
water. The sea was going clean over her,
and no man could have held on for more
than few minutes.
I'VE got rope fast to the bow and started
to tow her in, but could make but little
Roadway. The mast and sails were still in
the boat, but no doubt everything else
except the ballast had been washed out of
her.
''Of the fort we met the llfe-boat and crew
and turned The overturned fishing boat over
to them and they took it ashore to the sta
ton"
IDENTIFIED BY HIS COUSIN.
Furnished with description of the boat
The CALL man was soon at Fisherman's
Wharf, but it was some time before any one
could be found to identify the boat Sew
eral of the fishermen disclaimed all knowl-
edge OF such boat, and laughed at the story
that boat had upset at all.
at last in saloon on Vallejo street.
known as Fisherman's Home, which Is fire.
qucIitSu ny lLdiIhu ESleTinen, man was
found who identified the boat from the de-
scription and with tears in his eyes stated
that the drowned man was his cousin. He
also stated that Pascal Scafoni had only been
in this country two years. He was native
OF Italy and 81 years old. He was a single
man and lived with his cousin at Il y Vallejo
street.
The boat in which he was drowned is re-
garded by the fishermen as very unIucky
one as the former owner of her lost his life
Dy being washed out OF her some time ago,
and this is the third time that the boat has
upset with Scafoni