The herald., 1894-10-18
A LUCKY ESCAPE.
Two VESSELS HAVE A COLLISION
AT SAN PEDRO.
The Missing Leone Tarns Up Safely
After Picasaut Trip-rho
Death of Sam Thomp-
son.

SAN PEDRO, Oct. 17.-Wbat might
have been very serious collieion was
narrowly sverted here on Tuesday even
ing. Ga the arrival OF the Southern
Pacific train at 6 p. m. the steamer Coos
Bay swung clear from the wharf TO cross
the bay to the Terminal wharf, to meet
the incoming train. At the same time
the steamer Excelsior cast loose from
the Terminal wharf and blew her whistle
for the Coos Bay to clear her course, but
as that vessel was in the act OF swinging
and unable TO answer her helm, it was
obviously the duty OF the master OF the
Excelsior TO have got out OF ths way. As
it WAS che collided with the Excelsior,
getting the woret of the shock, carrying
away q portion of her forward railing
and leaving considerable of her green
paint on the plates of the Coos Bay.
Captain Higgins of the Excelsior re-
marked that he was unable TO back his
steamer, Ii that is the case, she was
then in no condition to put to eea. Cap
tain Green OF the Coos Bav is we'll and
favora6ly known here as one OF the most
careful and experienced navigators
crossing our bar, and was very wroth
over the action of Captain Higgins, and
no doubt more will be heard OF this
matter in San Francsco Had the Coos
Bay been otruck amidships. as was at
one time imminent, she wond undoubt-
edly have foun0ered.
Tbs Leone, Captain Aleck Smith.
came into port safely about o'clock on
Tuesday evening. This 10 the boot OF
which there were so mauv conflicting
rumors OF shipwreck and drowning.
party consisting OF Jim Dodson, our
postmaster, N. 0. Anderson, a promin-
ens business man, T. r. Breat and the
gallant captain left hero Oh the 9th inst.
Tor 10 days cruise among the islands.
They first visited Santa Barbara island.
remaining there one night. from there
to St. Nicholas, remaining one dav and
one night. Thoy report this as a most
dry, barren and dismal place, the sand
blowing so es to give the islapd the ap-
pesrsnce OF being Snvel7ped in fog whom
seen from distance. II will be OF in
terest to future visitors there to know
that at the northwest end of the ialaud
are three good stresma of running water
flowing directly into the ocean. N1mer-
GUS traces OF volcanic eruption are TO be
seen, and on higher portions of the
island Indian mounds and relics are to
be found. An interesting souvenir OF
the ili-fated steamer Los Angeles was
here discovered in the ehape OF
q box of butter, which had been
ehipped from Cavucoa to San Fran.
cisco and bore brand resembling
boats oarlock. Tho butter, consider-
ing it was 800 miles awav from the
scene of the disaster and had been float
ing about for nearly five months, wac
in excellent condition, heavy mould
on top being. seemingly. all that harmed
1t, although none of the voyngers were
brave enough to taste it. From San
Nicolas they sailed to San Cemente,
spending one night at Northweot har-
Dor, one at Mosquito harbor and one
at Smugglers' cove. They shot some
goats here, but report fishing failure,
probably because they sailed without
bait. They cay Jim Dodson can descry
q goat ct greater distance than can
any other living man, but the genial
Jim denies the allegation. From Gle.
mente they wsnt to Catalina, staying
over at Avalon, from which, they say,
the visitors have now nearly all de-
parted. The only vessel they sighted
whilst gone WAS the Lizzie Belle W.,
San Pedro's pilot boat, anchored off
Dune cove. From Avalon they steered
a straight course home, and were sur.
prised to find that they had been
drowned and given up as lost during
their absence, but glad to have escaped
q trip TO Davy Jones' locker.
Sam Thornton, one OF the old-timers
OF Wilmington, went over to the great
majority Tuesday morning at the resi-
dence of his brother in Los Angeles, and
was inferred there yesterday. Sam was
one OF the real old-timers, and in the
days when Wilmington was not second
even to Los Angeles he presided over
the leading resort OF the place. 1t was
the resort of all the ship captains trad
ing to Southern California, and many
tales could be told of high old jinks that
did not end even with the rising of the
sun.
Bat that was in the good old DAYS,
when everything went. Slowly but
surely the actors in those stirring scenes
are passing into the great beyond, and
with good-natured, large hearted old
Sam Thompson another link connecting
us with the past is severed. He was
member of the Odd Fellows and re-
ceived every attention during his long
illness.