The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-02
SEEING A MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
1t Loomed Up Large Under the
Ships Very Bow.
ALL HANDS SHORTENED SAIL.
Last of the Crew of the Gosf0rd
Arrive-Cruise of the Iris
and Marine Notes.

Wednesday night there was excitement
on board the ship America. Captain Hard
ing and his crew thought that the vessel
was doomed and that she would be piled
up on an unknow n rock which rose mystic
riouSly out OF the sea.
1t was very thick outside the heads and
the America was drifting about waiting
for an opportunity to come into port.
Farallon light could not be seen, nor did
the Point Lobos light shine through the
mist.
Suddenly the lookout shouted land
aheadw and what appeared to be an
island loomed up on the port bow.
The ship was veered off little. but the
island kept getting nearer and nearer.
About it the waves dashed and the fright
ened watch above decks imagined they
could almost hear the roar of breakers.
The rattle of blocks and order for all
hands to shorten sail brought the watch
below on deck. some in their nightc!othes.
and when they saw the great black rock
under the Americas very bow general
rush was made for the boats.
In the meanwhile sail had been short
ened and every effort made to sheer off,
but without avail, as the rock seemed de-
termined TO punch hole in the Americas
SIDE In spite OF her crew.
But quiet was quickly restored on the
ship when it was found that the supposed
land was nothing but dead whale bloated
to an enormous size and as Odoriferous as
some OF the city sewers.
The wind changed. and with it came
whitfs from the carcass that caused the
Americas men TO crowd on all canvas and
make their escape.
The pilot boat Lady Mine sighted tho
same defunct leviathan during the pro-
ceeding day and gave chase, thinking it
was derelict
Luckily. the Lady Mine is swift craft,
and on discovering her mistake she came
about like racer for the America cup
and stood away on an off-shOre tack.
The sl0op IRIS sails to-day for the Suisun
marshes in command of E. P. Peterson,
for weeks duck hunting expedition.
Mate Mcdonald and the remainder of
the ship Gosford. which was destroyed by
fire near Point Conce pcion. came to this
city on the Coiona yesterday.
Thursday night the tug Monarch re-
turned from the scene e the wreck.
The Gosford cannot be saved in the
opinion of her chief officer. Mcdonald.
Healey. Tibbits & Co. secured the con-
tract for repairing portion of Vallejo
street wharf from the Harbor Commits
pile.
Mcmahon g. Sons secure, the contract
for Broadway wharf 2. biddiD. CIT s.
pile.
No one was working on the City
York yesterday. The tugboat com5a
had received no orders to tow pontoons
The Princess Louise King sailed on
Gallilee for Tahiti yesterday morn Z.
She drove down in a hack and locked kler-
self in her stateroom. and positively re-
fused to see any one or be interviewed.
A report from ST. Paul IslaSd states that
the schooner Albert and Walter was lost
on the rocks near the island on October 81.
She Is owned in SAT Francisco. Loss,
$4,000; fully insured.
The following vessels cleared yesterday:
British ships Falls of Foyers and Walden
Abbey, for Queenstown.
The steamer Keweenaw sailed for
Panama and way ports.