The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-07
THE BIG RAFT ABR|FT,
Once Loose in the Tide, II
DragS the ToWboat Sea
Witch Along.
OTHER TUGS TO THE RESCUE
Narrow Escape From Grounding on
the Shadows of the Lower Part
of the Bay.

After successfully weathering the peril
Gus voyage from the mouth of the Column
bia River to San Francisco Bay and get
ting inside the harbor without a mishap,
the great raft of piles that recently came
in from the north distinguished itself yes
terday by running completely away with
a tugboat and by cutting up capers quite
at variance with its decorous behavior
while being towed in the open ocean.
The vast aggregation of logs was brought
down for the use of the Southern Pacific
Company in the repair of its various
bridges and trestles on the eastern shores
of the bay, and several days ago it was
determined to tow the. monster into Oak
land Creek to be broken up.
The tugs Rescue, Sea Witch and Etna,
of the Merchants Tugboat Company, the
latter two being small vessels, were de-
tailed for the work and proceeded to
Hunters Point, where the great raft was
anchored, early yesterday morning.
The first task was to raise the two i'm
mense anchors with which the raft was
held in position, and the Etna started in
on that portion of the work, while the
Rescue and Sea Witch fastened to the raft
| in readiness to tow the fabric up the bay
when they should be clear of the bottom.
| The flood tide was running like mlllrace,
and the great raft, which contains nine
millions of feet of logs, and draws over
twenty-one feet of water, was tugglng at
| it's moorings with titanic force.
Very little hauling at the anchors showed
the captain of the Etna that he could not
raise them, and he signaled for help. The
Rescue let go her towline and responded,
leaving only the little Sea Witch fast to
the raft.
The cables that held the anchors were
soon cut loose from the logs and then the
troubles of the Sea Witch began. The raft
| began to move and that at lively pace,
but not in the direction the bow Of the lit
tie tug was pointed. Instead of going to-
ward Oakland it started on little trip
toward Redwood City carrying the unwill-
ing Sea Witch along.
| Puff and churn the water as she might
the tug was dragged ANONYMOUSLY back
ward, sending out clouds of black and
angry smoke and shrieking signals for aid
to her consorts at every plunge.
The latter were in as bad predicament
as the Sea Witch for, having cut the
anchors loose from the raft and having no
buoys to which to fasten them while they
pursued the raft, they were compelled to
leave the Witch to her fate for the time
being.
In the mean time the tug and raft were
drifting rapidly in the direction of Red
wood City, the powerful "hold' of the
raft on the water, owing to its great
depth, rendering the little tug entirely
useless. The raft was in great danger OF
grounding in the shadows of the lower
bay when the other tugs got rid of their
burdens and flew to the rescue.
| Luckily for the safety of the raft, the
tide was still in the flood, and the three
towboats were fast before the tide turned
when all was easy sailing on the return
trip.
The man in charge of the raft had sound
ed the mouth of the creek, and knew that
except at high tide large, the depth Of
water was two feet short of the necessary
amount to let the raft in, and great caution
was taken to arrive at the creek at pre-
cisely the right time.
This was the first successful attempt to
bring a raft of logs over the long ocean
route, and the owners were naturally
anxious that no mishap should occur.
Had the tide been on the ebb when the
raft cot away an immense amount of dam
age might have resulted, as the mass OF
timber would have drifted among the yes.
sells anchored in the stream and cut theiI
cables like pack thread.
Had not the Rescue and Etna been able
to catch the raft in time the damage would
also have been great, as such mass o.
piles once aground would have been very
hard to move.
Some idea of the value of the raft may
be gained from the fact that the chains
which bind it together are worth $4,000.