The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-22
ALONG SEA And SHORE.
Comment on the Drowning of
Willfanger Last Sunday.
Captain Williams Of the Frederick Billings
Rescues Woman From the Bay - The
New Lightship-A New Pilot.Boat.

A topic of conversation along the front
among steamboat men and sailors gener-
ally yesterday was the drowning of young
Willfanger from the steamer San Rafael on
Sunday afternoon. The manner in which
Captain Mckenzie was scored by people
who were greatly excited and who had not
the slightest idea of the difficulty of stop
ping steamer that is running at the speed
the San Rafael was going at and who
claimed that the man could have been saved
bad the boat been stopped and the lifeboat
lowered in reasonable time, was freely COM
mented upon.
At least two parties were on board the
steamer who are competent to speak on the
matter. men who do not belong to the yes
sci. They are CAPTAIN Ike Smith of the
tug Redmond. whose account of the acct
dent was published in Yesterdays CALL,
and Captain Wilson Of the ferry steamer
Piedmont, who was in the wheeihouSe OF
the San Rafael at the time the man went
overheard. The accident was also witnessed
by Captain Percy of the ship Standard, and
several others, and all say that Captain Nc
kenZie stopped the steamer and got the
lifeb0at out in very quick time. Had there
been any possible chance To save the un-
fortunate man by means al boat he would
certainly have been rescued, as boat from
the schooner Laura MadSen was at the spot
where the man disappeared IN less than
minute after he fell The crew of the Mad
sen. being on deck. saw the man fall anu AT
once jumped into their boat. which was
lying alongside the schooner, bat although
they had not more than seventy yards to
row the imam went down before they could
reach him.
RESCUED A WOMAN.
Captain Willmms Of the ship Frederick
Billings and his wife spent the evening If
last Saturday on board the A. G. Ropes at
L0mbaTd-Street wharf. While returning to
his ship about 80 o'clock Gtnight. and y hen
near the FisherDan's wharf, Captain VIII
| liam6 heard cries for help coming from some
! one in the water. He at once plunged into
The bay and in few moments reached one
| OF the piles holding woman in one Of his
| arms. The shouts of the captain aud Mrs.
! Williams for help were heard 10y Richard
| Cousins, engineer of the steamer Governor
! Perkins, VINO ran to the spot with a rope,
| which he threw to the captain. This was
! fastened around the woman's waist by Cap
! tain Williams ana the woman hauled upon
the wharf As soon as she was safe the
! captain climbed up by means CT the rope
| and had a chance % observe the woman
! whose life he had saved. She was well
! dressed and not more than 80 years OF age.
! She stated that she had fallen in by ace dent,
! while walking along the edge of the wharf.
She refused TO give either her name or res
/ idence when first questioned, but subse-
| Quently said her name was Rose Wesley
and that she lived on Vallejo street. Size
refused further assistance ana walked away
! Ia the direction of the ferries.
THE NEW LIGHTsHIP.
The new ightship being built at the
| Union Iron Works for the Columbia River
| bar viii be launched on Saturday next. a
/ large number OF Invitations for the eere-
! mony are cut. ana IL is expected that many
! persons viii attend the launch. The vessel
! viii be ready for sea when she slides into
the water, and will leave for the Columbia
/ River Oh April / in tow Of the tug FEARLESS.
The new pilot-bOat now being built TO
take the place Of tie Caleb Curtis is nearly
ready Tor launching. While fully as large
rs tie America, she is built on fiaer lines,
and Is expected to prove faster sailer.
/ HE new flyer viii be chTstened the Bonita.
The rails for The belt road ale now being
landed from tie ships Frederick Billings
and a. q. Ropes, and are being distributed.
| Tie track viii be laid as far south as Mar
/ ket street as soon as possible ana the rest
OF the rails viii be used IN extending the
I road north along The seawail 10 Powell
street.
COMING BACK.
The United States steamer Nipsic left
this port on March in tow OF the Mohican,
! ana cached her destination at Port Orchard
On Puget Sound safely. The crew that " eni
up in the vessel VIII arrive b re to-day on
the steamer Umatiila. The NIpsic will be
| used as a sIOreShip at the new nayy-yard.
1t Is now generally conceded that the barks
Minnyhive and Morecambe Bay have been
lost at sea. Tie former is DOW out 237 days
/ from Swansea for this port with cargo Of
anthracite coal, and the latter is out 10;
DAYS from Rio de JaneirO in ballast foI
Portland. Il IN were British vessels, and
the name Of each captain is Johnston.
The arrivals in port Yesterday were the
steamers Protection from Fort Bragg ana
1he Navarro from Navarro. The British
ship Auehencairn arrived from Cardiff il
the good time Of ia days with a cargo o.
coal for fl. NJ. NewbaI * Co. The BARK,
Highland Light from Nanaimo and The
Gatherer also came in coal laden, and Tn,
sch0Oners Aida. Mary Dele0. Gem aud For
tuna arrived from coast ports.
WENT TO SEA.
The departures were the steamers Eurek;
for Wilmington, Point Iona for berdeen
and San Bento for Tacoma The shil
Cromarty shire sailed for Port Townsen,
and the barkentine Planter for Honolulu.
The moves yesterday were the Oceans
| Vance TO Fremont street, Portland I
Howard ?, Majestic 10 Harrison street
Bleugfell TO the stream. Big BunauZa to Bca
street and Highland Light 10 Mission :
To-day the Meroneth goes TO Martinez
the Alden Besse to the Refinery. St Pau
to the Union Iron Works and the CombeI
mere aud ARK wright tow to sea.
The United States lighthouse inspector
have replaced the whisting buoy with blac
and white perpendicular stripes that shifte
from its place near Point Arguello. Cal.
British iron ship Fascadale. 1879 tons
wheat to United Kingdom, Hayre or Ant
werp; los. "a.
Norwegian bark Mynt, 1850 TONS now o.
the Sound, lumber from Blakeley TO Santos
10 5s-ehaIteTed prlOr 10 arrival.