The morning call., 1893-05-04
FELL OVERHEARD.
Lawrence Larsen Drowned
at Sea.
$500 Dropped From the Steamer
Sunol-Claus SpreckeIs Causes the
Australia to Beat the Record.

There were fifty fishermen for the Alaska
canueries on the bark Merom when she
left section 1 of the seawall yesterday after
noon, but only forty-nine of them Will, if
good luck is with them, reach their destina-
tiou. for just as the Merom was crossing
the b-r after having been towed there by
the tug Rescue, one of the fishers, named
Lawrence Larsen, fell overheard and was
drowned.
There is an old superstition among sailors
that if a crowd goes down to see a ship sail
away something is going TO happen of an
unusual nature. In the case of the Merom
the suspicion was not without foundation.
Fully 800 people gathered on the wharf to
see her get away. Fishermen's wives and
daughters were there, with perhaps a
sprinklHg Of sweethearts too, for several
pretty girls with red eyes sand futteTlhg
handkerchiefs waved good-by to the de
parting voyageTs.
. The Rescue had not got an eighth of
mile from the Merom when 1t was observe d
that there was some excitement on board
the bark. Men were seen running for
ward and aft, throwing sticks Of lumber
over board from the vessels deckload.
= The tug put back, but all that could be
found among the debris, which strewed the
surface OF the water near where the vessel
lay TO with half-spread canvas, was a mans
hat.
. The tugboat's captain learned That Lar
sen had fallen over the stern, but no one
seemed 10 know how the accident had oc-
Cured.
Withsut any further explanation the bark
sailed on her course. and. after fruitless
search for the missing body. the Rescue re-
turned 10 this city.
Larsen was SO years Of age and a. native
of Sweden, Prior TO his signing to 90 north
as fisherman he lived at "A Howard; street.
nj, .t,ora h
known as big Larry"
The proprietor of the place stated that
the deceased had no family here. He did
not know from where Larsen came, but be-
lieves that be resided in this city about six
months. Larsen was sailor by Occupa-
ton.
Claus Spreckels is now known to- be a
man that is very easily chaffed. and as a
result Of this weakness the steamship Aus
tralia, which arrived yesterday from Homo
lulu. the same vessel on WHICH Mr..
SDreckels sailed for the islands some weeks
ago, broke the record ON the down trip for
quickness OF passage between this port and
Honolulu.
The passengers of she Australia joked
Mr.. Spreckels about the slowness of his
steamers, which nettled the sugar king.
He quietly slipped away to the chief en-
gneer and whispered word or two in his
ear. "All right, sir, said the chief, and in
few moments black columns. OF smoke
and her big screw churned the water with
increased revolutions.
The vessel fairly raced, and in the short
space of . days IA hours and 40 minutes
completed her trip from this city to the
islands. the fastest time ever made on that
route,
Mr.. Spreckels was avenged. The Aus
tralia brought up los cabin passengers, an
unusually large number for this season of
the year Among these were Paymaster
al
Hon. G. l.. Macarthur of the United States
Senate, and Mr.. Paul Neumann. Mr.. Neu-
mann came down the gangplank like a
conqgering hero and received an ovation
from his friends gathered to meet him. lie
gotinto a hack and was driven away before
any one.eould find out whether Hawaii had
decided to come into the Union.
The australia came in very early in the
moaning, but II was nearly noon before all
Of her passengers bad left her.
The steamer Mariposa was signaled on
the 10Th OF April 789 miles out The Aus
tralia experienced the most favorable
weather throughout the passage.
twenty-five hundred dollars in silver
bTIcks hes at the bottom Of the bay at jack
son No. /.
Tie steamer Sunol brought number of
bars OF silver bullion from Selby's Smelling
Works to this city yesterday, and met with
a misfortune with two of them. While uu-
load1ng the: treasure, which was piled on a
StDdll lbuI Ilteleu lIuck ana pulled the
gangpIank ia the wharf, the rope attached
to the pole of the truck slipped. causing the
conveyance TO run backward and strike the
steamers rail with sufficient force to jar two
Of the bricks into the water.
Messrs. Piper. &den & Co, owners Of the
Sdnol. have employed two divers to look for
thelOst treasure, which is valued at $500.
: The supposition is that the bricks have
sunk to some distance IN the mud at the
bottom of the bay, and some difficulty will
be experienced in locating them.
-. "A seaman named Victor was injured on
:: the schooner Hekla yesterday morning by
failing down. the hatchway. He was re-
moved to the Receiving Hospital. His hurts
are not serious.
The president of the Board OF Harbor
Commissioners will make trip south in a
,few days 10 investigate the results of the
various processes of pile-preserying tried
ih'the different southern harbors. Before
driving any piles for the new ferry-house
number of experiments VIII be made 70