The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-14
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The Recent s1pbea2al al :,
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seismic disturbances have taken place,
which make it at the moment the center OF
interest of the scientific world, is remark
ably picturesque, and in this respect has
no rival on this coast. 1t is very nearly
semi-circular in form, but obstructing and
partly closing the entrance lies Princes (ol
Gull) Island, stately natural fortress som
1900 feet in length, 1000 feet across and Sc
feet high. The regular course for vessels
entering the harbor is to the right OF this
island, and at this point it apparently joins
the harbor line of the main island on the
east, making the harbor appear circular,
with a narrow break at the north. The
cliffs rise majestically, frequently from the
waters edge, and these are rugged and
barren, scanned with great assures, where,
in the nearly vertical formation, there &C
ours stratum of softer rock which wind and
weather have worn and hallowed. At some
points the lofty encircling hills are clothed
with verdure and now and then line OF
green, flower bespangled. creeps warlly
down to the waters edge, but oftener
stout bulkhead of rock holds back great,
barren wastes of sand. Toward the east
end of the harbor, as it comes into sight as
the land is neared, there are stretches OF
beach, narrowed to a strip OF SAND at hlgn
tide, but at distance these are scarcely
discernible, and the abrupt hills and frown-
| ing Lodges that rise almost from the water s
The Sloop anchored near the southwest
curve of the harbor, and it at once became
apparent that there would be some peril III
attempting to land in the heavy sea that
was running, but the prospects OF staying
aboard in the pitching sea, sustained only
by diet of bareback and water, robbed
death of all its terror. On account OF re-
cent radical changes in the harbor 1T was
necessary to pull an otter-boat through
hall a mile of rough water to reach feasl-
BILE landing-place and even here there was
a dangerous sea running, and great break
ers continually lifted the little boat high
in the air and then left her IN hollow,
where the next incoming swell threatened
to swallow her. Here Captain Daily, who
is an experienced yachtsman, quick and
brave and steady, with muscles like iron,
accomplished as pretty a feat IN surf boat
ing as one ever sees; and riding high on
one breaker, then holding back until the
next one came, and sending her forward on
it with rapid, powerful strokes, ran the
keel safely upon the beach and sprang out
and held her there against the cruel under
tow, assisted by Captain Waters and his
man, who had been anXiouslv awaiting
her And this feat was accomplished with
out shipping a pint of water on the five
occupants or their baggage.
San Miguel Island is the most easterly
of all the channel islands and lies in north
west of Greenwich 120 min. Is min. 27
sec.
While it does not lift its head above the
water to the heights reached by its larger
neighbors, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, it
is essentially q mountainous island and has
none of their lower levels, its entire surface
being at an elevation of from about 500 to
800 feet above sea level. It's shores are
generally high and steep, in many places
sheer preclplces, rising vertically to a
height OF several hundred feet. At but
three points on the island does the land
meet the sea in any easy descent. One of
these PORTS is at the east side of the har-
Dor, another is around the point beyond, |
but neither of these is fitted for landing |
places, because of the rough surf along |
shore. The third is situated at the west |
end of the island and here light draught !
vessels can land, if steered by competent |
navigators familiar with the soundings.
1t was useless to attempt to photograph |
or examine the harbor IN a pouring rain, |
so the party took sledges and horses and |
climbed the steep road, crossing deep sand |
drifts and Chiseled out of the steep noun /
tain side, which leads to the pleasant |
ranch house, near the head OF a canyon, a |
couple of hundred feet below Mount San
Miguel and some five or six hundred |
feet above sea level. Here the captain
extended the most cordial hospitality to
his guest, and rejoiced exceedingly in the
fact that the CALL should be the first paper
to send a representative to the island to
correct the fictitious reports of the up
heaval that had been published. The ac-
count seemed of right to belong to the
CALL Captain Waters is an old-time at
tache OF the paper, and the Hoe Perfecting
press which he set up in the CALL press
room in 1878, soon after he came to this
coast, was the first of the kind running in
San Francisco. For eleven years he was at
the head of the press department of the
CALL, resigning in 1888 on account of his
wife's i'll health. The wall, ceiling an
floor of the captains study are lined,
beneath wallpaper and carpets, with old
printed CALLS, over which is spread
tympan-cloth from the CALL pressroom.
On the wall hangs photograph of the old
pressroom; fresh copies of the paper
arrive with every mail, and scattered about
are many little mementoes of his service
on the newspaper, telling of his loyalty to i
the journal.
The story of the upheaval, as he first dis