The San Francisco call., 1895-10-08
ALONG THE WATER FRONT.
Brock Nichols Very Nearly
Lost His Life in a Boom
of Logs.
Arrival OF the Ship klcedo From
Hongkong-Was Not Placed in
Quarantine.

Business was almost at standstill on
the water front yesterday. All the coast
seamen religiously observed Labor day,
and nearly all the wholesale houses closed
up at noon. The wharfngersf and collect
ors were away from their posts, as it was
legal holiday. and the only State en-
ployes who put in an appearance were the
crews of the fretug, Commissioner Col
non, Chief Wharfnger Root and Assistant
Chief Short. The Custom house was
closed, SO that no vessels could enter or
clear, and in consequence several arrivals
on Sunday and yesterday had to remain in
the stream. Everything will be in full
swing again this morning, and the British
shippers will make up the lost time.
Brock Nichols, an employe of the Pa
cifc Pine Lumber Company, came very
near losing his life yesterday. The barge
Eclipse was to load piles for the Valley
road, and rrangements were made for her
to take them from the lumber company's
booms on Mission flats. Nichols went
around to the booms on the barge, and
when the logs were reached he jumped on
them in order to make the barge fast. He
| missed his footing and fell between the logs.
| The barge had considerable way on, and
before he could recover his footing he was
crushed. Two ribs and his right arm were
1
rescued him he was more dead than alive.
| Nichols was removed to his home on the
corner of Beale and Harrison streets, where
| physician sent by the company attended
him. He is now doing as well as can be
expected in the circumstances.
! The steamer Al-Ki arrived from Seattle
yesterday morning. She was ashore on
| Point No Point in Puget Sound, but sus-
| tanned no damage, and is now apparently
as sound as when she sailed from here.
| She will be docked and an examination of
| her bottom made before she goes to sea
again, however.
/ Hans Jansen, sailor on the British
ship Lismore, had a narrow escape yester-
day. A bucket of coal was being hoisted
| from the hold, and when in midair a
piece about Is pounds weight fell out and
struck him on the head. 1t would have
fractured an ordinary mans skull, but
Jansen has an extraordinary one, and the
/ blow only incapacitated him from work
| for few hours. His scalp is badly lacer-
ated, but that is all that seems to be- the
matter with him.
The British bark Alcedo arrived from
Hongkong yesterday afternoon and was
not quarantined. DR.. Chalmers made a
rigid examination, but found that the yes
sci was out 70 days and that there had
been no sickness during the voyage, so
after OBTAINING her few hours he allowed
! the captain to come ashore. The Alcedo
has a clean bill of health from the con-
sulate at Hongkong. The crew had a
lively experience after leaving port. A
storm came up which soon developed into
a hurricane. No headway could be made,
so Captain Coutts ran back to Hongkong
and lay there twenty-four hours until the
storm blew itself out. Six days ago the
ship was spoken off the Farallones and
during all that time she has been drifting
about within sight of port, while the crew
whistIed for a breeze and the captain
prayed for a tug.
An excursion around the bay for the
benefit of Engineer Skinner of the Leader
is to be given on the steamer Caroline next
Saturday. He is one of the most popular
men on the front, and when his friends
heard that he hae become paralyzed dur
ing recent run of the steamer they deter
mined TO do something for him. Skinner
was taken sick in the engine-room, and
when the Leader reached Stockton he hao
to be carried ashore. Captain Leale of the
Caroline IS engineering the benefit trip
which is sure to be great success.