The San Francisco call., 1895-07-21
SANTA BARBARA REJO|CES,
Safe Return of the Sloop
Restless From Cuava
Valdez.
Breeze Had Caused the
Delay.

/. SANTA BARBARA, CAL, July 20.-
There is rejoicing in Santa Barbara. At
o'clock to-day the Geneva returned from
Santa Cruz Island bringing word that the
party which sailed from here on the Rest
less was safe, and explaining the sloop's
unaccountable failure to return at the ap-
pointed time, Wednesday afternoon, as she
expected. Tonight the Restless sailed
into port with stump of mast and the
story of its adventures was told.
The Restless reached Cuava Valdez
Point, where the Santa Barbara party is
encamped, and landed all her passengers
safely. She then started on her return
trip, but when about mile and a half
from the island, in a heavy sea, stiff
breeze carried away all her rigging and her
mainmast. Captain Burtis states that he
heard two distinct snaps, but so far as the
eye could discern both rigging, iib and
mainmast--in fact the entire top rigging
went by the board in one and the same in
slant. Happily the deck, which had been
crowded with passengers but an hour pre-
viously, had but three men on it and these
managed to get out of the way of the fall
ing timbers. Captain Burtis, who is an ex-
perienced sailor and rich in resource, at
once set to work and rigged jurymast
out of tent pole he was carrying as part
of a camping outfit.
Boys belonging to the camp on shore
came to his relief and rendered valuable
assistance. Swimming around, they
fastened line to the floating mast and
rigging, and towing it by this line the
Restless sailed with Its stump OF mast and
sail, reaching Prisoners Harbor near the
east end of the island, that night and
entering the next morning.
There a considerable delay was caused
by the action of Justinian Caire of San
Francisco, owner of the island, who hap
pened to be there at the time. For sew
eral years there has been mild warfare
going on between the owners of these
islands across the channel and the people
of the mainland, the owners positively
prohibiting camping parties from landing
in some instances and in others requiring
them to make formal application for per-
mission. Mr.. Caire at first refused the
captain permission to tie up at the wharf
and make the necessary repairs on his
wrecked boat. alleging in justification that
Captain Burtis had been landing people
who had not procured permission.
After considerable parley compromise
was effected, and terms were agreed upon
by which Burtis was given permission to
tie up. This delay caused the captain to
lose the early morning tide, and he was
forced to wait for the next tide in order to
go up to the wharf and step his mast, hav-
ing no other means of handling it.
The Geneva reached Cueva Valdez at 2
o'clock yesterday, and ran down to Pris-
oners Harbor at o'clock. There Messrs.
Pratt, Forbush and LARGO rendered timely
assistance to the Restless. The mast, which
broke off two feet above deck, but was
sound throughout, was put in place again,
shortened eight feet, and shortly after they
left the captain set sail, reaching Santa
Barbara tonight.
The little boat is eleven years old, was
originally built for the California Oyster
Company and used to sail in San Francisco
Bay. She is Hia1e of oak throughout and
is stanch and sound. With her shortened
mast she is safer than ever, although she
may not be so fast sailer.
The reports sent out by the United Press
last night brought kilograms from all parts
OF the country. The brother of one of the
women passengers telegraphed from Min
neapolis for the first information received,
while another young brother here patrolled
the wharf all last night. Relatives and
friends in San Francisco and Oakland have
been showering kilograms here all day, but
now the tide has turned and cheering
messages are flying everywhere over the
wires