The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-09
[Sketched by a seal" artist

left Captain Hawley, superintendent OF the
Tugboat Compa ny, had such faith in his
boat that he wagered she would make the
round trip in fifteen days. That is, the
Fearless, in spite of her heavy tow, would
equal mailboat time. Hawley has lost his
bets by about eight hours, but shipping
and towboat men willingly admit that had
the Sharpshooter been free from barnacles
and grass the trip could easily have been
made IN the time specified.
-Four months ago the Sharpshooter sailed
from the nitrate ports for San Francisco.
The voyage was tedious one, but all went
well until the hurricane that wrecked La
Paz was encountered. Then the bark was
at the mercy of the winds and waves, and
Captain Watts could not keep his vessel
on her course. He had with him his wife
and three children. and this added to his
anxiety. AS the storm increased the bark
became unmanageable, and soon the fore
mast carried away. In its fall it took part
OF the mainmast and the jibboom. Soon
afterward another portion of the mainmast
went. and in its fall the jigger-mast was
wrecked. At this time the seas were
breaking over the hull continuously, and
the spars were pounding against the ships
sides, and everybody expected a hole
would be knocked in her side at any
moment.
In the meantime Mrs. Watts and her
three children-Clara Maggie, Rupert King
and Zela Mercedes-were clinging to each
other In the cabin, while the husband and
father was working heroically on deck to
save his ship.
The hurricane died out almost IS quickly
as 1t came up and then Captain Watts dis
covered that he was in as bad a predica-
ment as ever. His vessel was dismantled
and there were only twenty days pro-
visions aboard. Spare spars were brought
/up from below, and soon a makeshift
foremost and mizZenmast were stepped
and topmast was added to the main.
One yard was got on the fore and two on
the main, and the mizzen fixed up so as to
carry SAIL
Even with these accessories the Sharp
shooter could not make Roadway and in
consequence she drifted about the Gulf of
California with the current. Then Captain
Watts almost lost heart, and as a last
resort he threw overheard bottle con-
tanning description of the condition of
his vessel and the desperate position he
was in. Luckily for Watts four fishermen
picked up the bottle and sent the COM
munlcatlon to the United States Consul at
La Paz and the latter communicated with
Guaymas. The Consul at the latter place
appealed to the Mexican Government and
the revenue cutter Oaxaca was sent out
and the Sharpshooter towed in. A tele-
gram to SpreckeIs & Co. took the Fearless
to the scene and the bark was towed to
San Francisco.
I'VE were in terrible predicament, !"
said Captain Watts yesterday when talk
ing about the disaster. 1.-THE ship
would not stay and her bottom was so
foul that our best sailing under the most
favorable circumstances was about two
knots an hour. We had only twenty days
provisions left, and unless we had been
picked up or made a Mexican port we
would have starved.
ION September IS we were off Mazat-
Ian, but were driven past, much against
our WILL by strong southwest wind.
Then we tried to make Guaymas, but
when twenty miles from Ygnacio another
gale came up and we were driven across
the gulf to San Jose Island. Thus we
drlfted about from one end of the gulf to
the other until l almost gave up in despair.
.! finally came to the conclusion that
II the current could do what it liked with
our boat it might carry bottle ashore.
You know the result. We sighted steam
schooner on two occasions during our
drlttlngs, but we could not make them
take any notice. They apparently could
not see us owing to our masts being gone.
In all the years | have been TO sea that
was the worst experience I ever had"
:, The Sharpshooter will discharge and
then dock for repairs. Afterward she will
load for EuroDe