The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-06

collision which sent the Chester to where
she now lies, on the bottom off Lime Point.
There was Judge Hunt, his clerk, his
bailiff, his stenographer, the twelve good
men and true who are to decide the case,
plaintiffs counsel, Defendants counsel,
some of defendants witnesses, one of
plantlffs' experts, some OF the Jurors
friends, Captain Whitelaw, who was to
lind the sunken vessel, Captain Metcalf,
who commands the Oceanic, Pilot Never,
who brought her in on the fatal morning,
and some boxes brought by counsel for the
defense, the contents of which were after
ward used to stay the appetites and Stake
the thirst of the wreck-hunting party.
The case had reached that point where
1t became necessary to know the exact
spot where the Chester lies. Plaintiffs
attorney, T. M. Osmont, contended that
she lay in close to the fort, showing that
the Oceanic had been running in close to
the south shore, and was therefore off her
course General Barnes, for the defense,
attempted to prove she went down close to
Lime Point, showing she collided with the
Oceanic over by the north shore, and that
the Oceanic was therefore in her proper
place in the channel. Captain Whitelaw,
the wrecker, swore he had located the hull
of the Chester in fifty fathoms near Lime
Point. and he said he could go there any
time and drop lead on her deck. General
Barnes supplemented this with an offer to
take the court and jury out to the point
and see Captain Whitelaw drop mis- lead,
and the offer was Immediately accepted.
The Vigilant had a tow on hand for the
morning, and so when she finally drew up
at Mission pier the whole party had as
sembed. Facetious comments had been
passed back and forth as to the courts
ability to have the tugboat up for con-
tempt, but the difficulty of getting her to
the courtroom seemed lnsurmountable,
until w. II. Pratt, who has been Surveyor
General, and so was allowed a certain
amount of license, mildly remarked that
the shorthand man could take her down
Even the tug whistled and Mr.. Pratt went
on board and hid behind the smokestack
II was slack water about IL o'clock and
by that time the tug had reached Lime
Point. Under Captain Whitelaw's orders
she maneuvered back and forth until
! flagstaff on the fort was in line with a lone
| peak on the lower range of hills, the tower
of the Bonita light was just open from the
| lower hummock of Point Dablo and the
big needle was in line with a small
white house on the slope beyond. These
were Captain Whitelaw's three ranges and
| the tug was just at the point where they
crossed each other.
The captain hurried from the bridge to
| the forward deck, while the jury gathered
round in breathless interest. A common
window-weight of about fourteen pounds.
to which was attached a our-pronged
graphing hook, was attached to the end
of coil OF stout hemp rope. Whitelaw
| glanced round at his ranges once more
We're right over her." he said, and
without hesitation he and his assistant
heaved the grapnel over the tugs side.
! It plunged downward until it seemed as
If the line would never stop squirmlng out
OF the coil. Two hundred and $50 feet ran
out and then fifty feet more, and it
stopped. Captain Whitelaw grasped the
| line and began to 'feel' it, as he would
| handle fish. He hauled it in, paved it
| out, and hauled it in again, until finally it
stuck. He put his foot on the gunwale,
and he and his man pulled hard. Then
| he slackened> the rope. We've got herr
| jurors.
The jurors pulled and strained, but the
rope held fast. Captain Whitelaw felt it
again, and after working the line awhile
he said he felt the hooks slipping on some
thing which, he thought, was an iron fore
stay or mainstay. He was about to ex-
plain just how he reached this conclusion,
when Mr.. Osmont stopped him.
eff your Honor please. | object" he
said. 1.-THE captain must not lead the
jurors. They must see for themselves"
The court, standing upon the bridge,
| issued an order accordingly, and so Cap
| tain Whiteaw retired, while the iurors
| hung over the side and worked at the line.
| They ran out about sixty feet, thinking
the weight had found some new hole in
the bottom, but it was only the sweep of
the ebb tide curving the rope in big bend
| toward the ocean. Then the jurors started
TO pull it in.
Its the first time we have earned our
So said one
"It's good this jury has pull" re-
! marked another.
Lets select foreman and send him
down to report" suggested third.
| But the line seemed heavy, and there