The herald., 1896-03-17
OVER-ZEALOUS

Lleutenants on the Cristoforo Colombo Take
Very Bad Break
The San Francisco Post contains the fol-
lowing account of what might have devel-
oped into an international incident:
Two over-zealous lieutenants from the
italian cruiser Cristoforo Colombo came
very close to involving their nation in seri.
GUS trouble last week.
Had they carried into execution the
threat which they made on the island of
Santa Rosa OH Tuesday, March Sd, Italy
might have been forced to set aside the
Abyssinian complexities sufficiently long
enough to tender an apology to this coun-
try for an affront that would have humil-
lated her in the eyes of the world.
Fortunately the young officers reconsid-
cred, and instead of bringing band of
men on the island, as they threatened to
do. for the purpose of securing by force
certain needed provisions, they returned to
confer with their captain prior to making
the attack.
The Cristoforo Colombo left this city
nearly two weeks ago for San Diego. On
the way down the coast she apparently
ran short of fresh beef. Accordingly q
stop was made just off the island of Santa
Rosa, a few miles out of Santa Barbara
and on Tuesday morning one week ago a
crew in charge of two lieutenants was sent
on shore to secure some fresh meat with
which to satisfy the epicurean tastes of the
arlstocratic representation on board ship.
The story of their proposed raid is best
told in letter from Captain F. W. Thomp-
son OF the steamer Santa Rosa, which was
received this morning by J.F. More, the
administrator of the estate in which the
island of Santa Rosa is included.
SANTA BARBARA, March z. 1895.
]. F. More, San Francisco, Cal. Dear
Strive had to start out from Santa Bar
bara on Monday, the End inst. On account
of wind and rain from the southeast we
did not take the watering boxes, as 1t was
too rough to 60 on shore.
We arrived at santa Rosa at 6 o'clock
the same evening with a fresh southwest
wind and raining heavily. About an hour
before we anchored the Italian cruiser
Cris,oforo Colombo went in and anchored
about half a mile from the wharf. We did
not go on shore that evening, as the rain
continued all night. Next morning we
went to the wharf, loaded the tent and
poles, and found all we'll on the island. At
$3.50 am. large boat pulled on shore
from the Italian cruiser. went on shore
and met them when they landed. There
in civilians clothes-all Italians. They
wanted to buy some bullocks.
Informed them that there we're no cattle
for sale and no one on the island who had
any authority to sell any stuff. The
spokesman, young lieutenant. said that
n9Ue no ulHerences ue Iilust nave 6OIuo
cattle. told him that on Santa Cruz island
there was an Italian colony and probably
he could obtain any supplies he needed if
he would go to Prisoners Harbor or Santa
Barbara. only three hours steaming from
where his ship lay. He said he had no time
10 go to those places and that he would
bring his men ON shore and take what sup
plies he wanted. told him the island was
private property and that he could easily
get himself into trouble. He was full
of bluster backed by his two com.
panions. and ten sailors in the
boat. He insisted that he had been told
in San Francisco that there was no one
but Indians on the island and that he could
get any supplies he wanted for small
consideration; that he had no money 10
pay, but would give an order on the Italian
coosul at San Francisco.
said that he could have nothing unless
he took it by force. 1 got tired of talking
to him, as he would not listen to reason.
Soon after they came down the cut to the
wharf and returned to their vessel, not for
getting to turn as they did so and curse
everything in sight on the island, but was
glad to get rid of them.-San Francisco
Post.