The San Francisco call., 1896-06-10
NARROW ESCAPE
OF THE COLOMA,
A British Bark That Came
Perilously Near Mile
Rock.
ATTEMPTED TO SAIL IN
The Wind Died Out Off Fort
Point and Then the Tide
Took Control.
ANCHORED AMONG BREAKERS
Finally Captain NoyeS Signaled the
Vigilant aud Was Towed TO
Safety.
ANCHORED AMONG BREAKERS

The British bark Coloma from Hong
kong for San Francisco, with cargo Of
general merchandise, had narrow escape
from total destruction at the heads yes
terday morning. She sailed past the fort
and was making fair headway when the
wind fell light. The ebbtide then took
control and in half an hour had carried
the bark to within few hundred yards of
Mile Rock. The anchor was let go and
fortunately il held. The sails were not
furled, however, as both the captain and
pilot thought that with the turn of the
tide the wind would spring up and they
would be able to clear the ship from the
rocks.
Unfortunately for them, however, the
tide ran out three hours later than the
time'given by the photographic table, and
before an attempt to move could be made
the wind was blowing strong and the
heavy seas were momentarily threatening
to tear the bark away from her moorings.
Several times she got perilously near to
Mile Rock and then Pilot Swanson man
aged TO sheer her off and let 20 a second
anchor, which being hove up little short
kept the vessel from swinging in the di-
rection OF the rocks. After lying in this
position for over eight hours Captain
Noyes accepted a. tow from the Vigilant,
and was taken to place of safety.
Captain Noyes OF the Coloma is an old
trader to this port and having fair wind
he determined to reach an anchorage
without pilot if possible. He failed in
mis- attempt and Captain Alexander Swan
son boarded him. The first thing the
pilot did was to advise the master to take
a tow, but this he refused to do. At 5
A. NJ. the vessel was reported sailing in
and an hour later she had drifted back
into what Captain Thomas of the steamer
Truckee considered dangerous position.
He steamed in and offered assistance, but
Captain Moves refused it. The Truckee
stood by for some time, and when the Vigi-
liant put in an appearance Captain Thomas
made for his berth. From that time until
noon Captain Glenn Randall stood by her,
expecting every minute she would strike
and that it would then be case OF salvage.
All the vessels sails had been clewed
up in the meantime and she was pitching
bow under with almost every wave. the
only undismayed spectators on either the
bark or the tug were the captains wife
and daughter. While the husband and
father was near they could feel no fear.
Finally Captain Noyes came to the con-
clusion that discretion was the better part
of valor and he accepted the terms offered
DN Captain IdllNd1l VI IllO 4S4AdHis 1AC
latter at once took hold and kept the Colo
ma up to her anchors while the chain was
taken in. Nearly seventy fathom had been
run out of one hawsehole, and it was long
past the dinner hour when the men got
that anchor in. When told to heave away
on the other they struck work and de-
manded something to eat. After a parley
their request was granted and in conse-
quence it was P. NJ. before they set to
work on the second anchor, the Vigilant
in the meantime steaming ahead to keep
the bark away from the rocks.
When the second anchor was clear the
tide was running out strong again, and the
tug had heavy tow to a safe anchorage
off Meiggs wharf. Once there, however,
all danger was past and the Coloma's
anchors were again dropped.
Had it not been for the unusually long
run out of the tide, said Captain Swanson
Yesterday, 1.-The Coloma would have come
in with the flood without any trouble.
The snow is melting in the mountains and
a very big body of water is coming down
the rivers in consequence. This kept the
ebbtide running about three hours longer
than usual yesterday, and in the meantime
the wind and sea got up and put US in a
box. The CoIoma, however, was never In
any real danger.
The scene from Bakers Beach was a very
pretty one and thousands of people went
out to have look at the vessel apparently
in the breakers and The tug standing by
ready to lend assistance.