The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15
A SAD TALE OF THE SEA,
lanes Nixen Was Washed Over.
board and Sank Just as
Help Arrived.
Daring Attempt at Daylight Robbery
From the Schooner
Kodiak.
One of the crew of the schooner Kodiak

One of the crew of the schooner Kodiak
was lost under very sad circumstances
during the last voyage. He was washed
off the bowsprit, but managed to keep
afoat until the boat was within few feet
of him. Just as the captain was ready to
grasp him he sank and never came up
again.
The Kodiak sailed from San Francisco
on October q last. Heavy weather was
experienced from the start, but about the
middle of November it had calmed down
to a steady breeze, although high sea
was running. John Nixen. young Eng
lishman, aged about 26 years, went out on
the jih-boorn to furl the fying-jib. 1t was
q cold day and he had heavy overcoat
and all his oilskins on over his ordinary
clothing. Suddenly the schooner buried
her nose in big sea and when she recov.
cred Nixen was gone. Captain Petersen
at once launched a boat, and leaving the
mate in charge, went after the drowning
man himself. 1t could not have been
more than seven or eight minutes before
they were almost alongside OF him. but
just as Petersen prepared to seize hold oi
him he went down like a stone. The
chances are that his heavy clothes and his
rubber boots served as weights to carry
him down.
Captain Petersen says that the weather
way up it was case of head seas and
heavy gales. On the way down it was a
succession of ight winds and calms. At
Kodiak for the first time in years there
was no snow and the weather was delight
full. Every thing was quiet at the can
neries when the schooner sailed.
When the Kodiak docked at Howard
street wharf yesterday several casks of
Goldfish containing about 200 pounds each
left to watch them, and as a consequence
one OF them was soon missing. 1t was one
of the most barefaced attempts at daylight
robbery ever seen on the water front.
When there was no one in sight on the
schooner's deck man who afterward gave
his name as jim Sullivan walked up to
one of the barrels and knocking it on its
side deliberately rolled it up the wharf.
He pushed it along in an unconcerned
manner and at the same time puffed away
at short clay pipe. When the donkey
engine standing alongside the ship York
was between him and the schooner he
turned the barrel on end and walked UP
the wharf. He only went across East
street, however, and seeing ]. Whites ex.
the Goldfish to Tehama street.
The barrel was loaded on the wagon and
it was driving SLOWLY off when one of the
Custom-hou officers, suspecting that
something was wrong, stopped them.
Sullivan said the Goldfish had been given
him by one of the crew, who owed him
some money, and told the expressman to
drive on. The latter refused to do so and
officers Dillon and Dowd of the Harbor
Police were summoned. The mate of the
schooner was also sent for and when he
arrived said the Goldfish was Captain Peter.
sens private property and was going to
the Alaska Commercial Company's ware
house. He refused positively to swear to
a complaint against Sullivan, so the Off
GERS had nothing to do but turn him loose.
Had it not been for the vigilance of the
Custom house officer the chances are that
the barrel of Goldfish would now be on sale
in Tenama-street grocery.