The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-18
The Townsend Rams the
Steamer Homer.
VERY PECULIAR ACCIDENT.
The Vessels Came Together Off
the Seawall.
VERY PECULIAR ACCIDENT.
THE SCHOONER MADE TWO HITS.
Carrying Away About Fifty Feet of
the Steamers Rail and Crust-
ing Her Planking. s. .

The saying that lightning never strikes
twice in the same place is not proven to be
true one by the experience OF the schooner
James Townsend, Captain Jensen master.
The Townsend has been in collision
twice in a period of thirty days and still
floats, ready for another bump or two
Captain Jensen says he thought he had
been struck by lightning or typhoen
when he collided his vessel with the bark
Alexander Mcneil on the oath Of last July.
The Townsend carried away her head
gear and cut the Mcneil down to the wa
ter's edge. ,
At few minutes past o'clock yester-
day afternoon. just abreast of section B of
the seawall, the Townsend +rammed the
coasting steamer Homer twice on the star
board quarter, smashing the planking and
stripping away in all about fifty feet OF
decktaiL
The collision was very peculiar one,
the. Townsend being. on account OF her
position between wind and. tide, obliged
10 strike the Homer a second time. there
being no other course to pursue. Before
the second blow was struck there was a
lively race for a short distance. the Homer
trying 10 avoid the Townsend, which was
too swift of hull, however. to be distapced.
Captain Jensen was beating with his
vessel down the bay. The Homer was
coming up from the heads. The schooner
missed her stays off section B; then Cap
tain Denny of the Homer tried TO pass
outside of her. he had to change his
course quickly, for he had shaped IL so as.
to keep IN close to the seawaH. -:
Captain Jensen wore his vessel around
and kept her before the wind, thinking
she could not go as fast as the Homer.
The tide and the impetus that she had
cd no foo mr. of nTl tn
the Townsend's bow. TIE latter could
not come about nor steer toward the land.
as she was by this time almost on top of
POwell-street wharf. She hit the Homer
on the starboard quarter, crushed in three
plankS and carried away about twenty
five feet of mainrail.
II was several minutes before she had
drifted clear, but there was no recourse
but to steer her so as to keep her head
TO ward the steamers hull. -~'
Captain Denny saw the awkward and
queer position that he was In and quickly
noted that his only chance for avoiding
another shock was to urge the Homer
ahead at full speed. This be did, but the
schooner made as good time as the
steamer, and before the latter could slip
out of the way she was struck again on
the starboard side much more fOrcibly than
at first.
Thirty feet of railing was swept clear of
the deck by the TOwnsend's jibhoom,
which finally gave way under the strain
and snapped off. carrying part of the head
| gear with it. Four more planks in the
Homer were stove in and a lifebeat. re-
dueed to kindlng wood.
Before the Townsend could recoil for
| another ram the Homer got clear of her
and steamed up the bay to Mission wharf.
The schooner also docked for repairs. :.
Captain Denny explained that it was
i'm possible for him TO keep out of the
Townsend's way, as the wind carried her
faster than the Homer There was some
confusion on board OF his vessel at first
among her passengers, of whom there
was; half dozen, but the accident oc-
Cured in such short space Of time that
no one got an opportunity to become thor
oughly frightened, !: =.
Both vessels are damaged to the extent
of several hundred dollars.
The T0wnsehd's collision with the Alex
Mcneil took place of the-MendocinO &c asst
during dense fog, at 80 O'clock at night
The Mcneil was struck on the port side
and cut right down to the water line. Her
cabin was completely wrecked, crockeTy
smashed in the pantry andtbe port bulwark
carried away for some distance. The
Townsend lost her howsprit and part of
her headgear and fore rigging.
An eyewitness of the collision said that
the vessels were not more than 100 Yards
from the seawall when they came together
1t: was impossible for the Townsend to
have 1ibed out of the way. -.