The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-23
ALONG THE WATER FRONT.
Jacob EWaId Lost Yesterday
From a Whaleboat Off
Duxbury Reef.
A STEAMER COOK DROWNED.
Attempted Sunday Suicide In the
Bay-An Unsettled Rowing
Regatta.

Frank Ellis, a steamboat cook, fell off
the wharf at the foot of Washington street
yesterday and was drowned. He was
somewhat under the influence of liquor
when he went overheard. 1t is not be-
heved that he intended to commit suicide.
as he was of cheerful disposition. The
body was recovered. He was a native of
Wilkesbarre, Pa, and about IS years of
age.
Jacob Ewald, who lived at 1921 Buchanan
street, was lost overheard from whale
boat off Duxbury Reef yesterday morning.
He was in charge of the boat. which was
towed by the gasoline schooner Nettie Low
on fishing excursion. Five men were in
the whaleboat with EwaId, while the rest
of the party, about twenty persons, were
aboard the schooner.
They left Pacifc-street wharf at mid
night and most of the party were asleep
except the captain and engineer of the
vessel and Ewald, who was steering the
whaleboat.
1t is unknown how the unfortunate man
got overheard as he was an experienced
sailor and the sea was perfectly smooth.
The slumbering men in the boat were
the stern and starting up they found
Ewald gone. The boat was quickly rowed
back through the broken water of the
schooner's wake and the vessel herself
brought around, but no sign of the lost
boat-steerer could be seen. He wore a
heavy overcoat and rubber boots and thus
incum bered he must have sunk imme-
diately. He was about 90 years of age and
left a family.
Andrew Johnson, an old man, jumped
into the bay from the ferry-boat Oakland
on its II 80 P. NJ. trip to the city yesterday
He sprang into the water from the forward
part of the boat while it was nearing Goat
Island.
A boat was instantly lowered and
manned by the second officer and two men
who rescued Johnson and rowed back with
him to the ferry boat. He was taken to
the Receiving Hospital in the patrol-wagon
and DR.. Fitzgibbon by the use of oxygen
soon had him out of danger.
Johnson said he was tired of life and
wanted to die.
He left a letter addressed ITO whom it
may concern" which was taken possession
of by Sergeant Avon of the Harbor police.
It reads as follows:
My name is Andrew Johnson. I intend to
commit suicide this day, Sunday, 22nd of Sep
tember. | am not insane. know what am
doing. Life is not worth living. In death
there is rest. | do not believe in future life.
There is no such thing. / return again back to
nature whence came. know l have q right
TO cut this life short. If I don't do it nature
VIII do it before long. My health is not good.
ing TO live for. l thank all my friends that
have been kind and good to me-Edward E.
Potter, Thomas Molloy, officer George Ely, Mrs.
Johnson, Mrs. and ). E. Terry and all others. l
viii now say good-by to you all Ii my body
should be found | hope it viii rest. Let it be
put under the soil in the potter's field. know
have never done any great wrong TO any hu-
man being. | owe my friend few dollars, a
little dust. and am not able to pay it. Good-by
to all. In nature we will all be united again.
In my pocket is a photograph, and il my body
is found let II go with my body under the soil.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
Ny mind wears no priestly shackles. 1 fear
no supers titious doom. l have accepted fully
and triumphantly the rational theory OF life
and death: 1t is as natural to die as to be
born, and for me the future holds no fears. l
have unbounded confidence in that eternal
power which shines III the star and blooms in
the flowers, thunders in the cataract and
gently sings in the stream; holds ell truth in
its grasp, and that in its completeness all is
well. l realize that the cry of the child newly
born into life will be heard in the cry of grief
by those who somewhere further along life's
road Will say, Farewell" That the first cry
of the child is life's "good morning" ana that
the last speech of expiring lite is Hfes ''good
night" and my last word will be then: will
rest; yes, viii all rest. When the brief
episode of life is ended we will again enter as
we emerged from that eternal mystery which
lies all around the little island we call life.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
1851 New Broadway, Oakland.
4 large crowd assembled at Long Bridge
Yesterday to witness a race between the
senior crews Of the Pioneer and South End
rowing clubs, which was to be the re-
rowing OF race pulled at Sacramento Sep
TENDER 8. The Pioneer crew, however, re-
fused to line up for the contest, and the
South Ends went over the mile and-a-half
course in 1923 and now claim the prizes,
which is the championship of the Pacific
Coast and several medals. 1t will be re-
membered that at Sacramento the race
was given TO the Pioneers, notwithstand-
ing a protest by the South Enders. The
latter crew insisted that the race should be
pulled over, which they did yesterday
alone, and now both clubs claim the prizes.
The personnel of the crews that consider
themselves the Pacific Coast crack rowers
are:
Pioneers-Fred Orr, captain and bow; George
Collopy, forward waist; Coney Ochs, after
waist; John Clifford, stroke; George Fitzsim-
mons, coxswain.
South Ends-Harry Bode, bow; Bob Near
thur, captain and forward waist; Gus Cursor.
after waist; Frank Duplissan, stroke; George
McGrill. coxswain.