The San Francisco call., 1897-09-09
SAILED TN AND
RIq THE REEF
The Bark Ceylon Proves
the Perils Of Bay
Navigation.
Swept on Arch Rock by the
Tide and Saved by the
Hospital Tug.
The Camanche Nobly Withstands
Ramming by Scow Schooner.
A Flood of Canned Salmon.

Arch Rock. that old enemy to bay navi-
CATION, swelled lis quite brilliant record of
marine disasters yesterday morning by
tearing loose square yards OF the bottom
OF the wooden bark Ceylon.
The accident to the bark might easily
have been worse had not the United
States Marine Hospital steamer George
NJ. Sternberg happeneded alongside and
lightened the blow received by grinding
at full speed astern.
The Ceyion crossed the bar early in the
morning in the full pride of its twenty
eight days from Honolulu. its IA 445 bags
of sugar for John d. Spreckels' Bros. and
its experienced old master. Captain Cal
houn, who is one of the oldest nayigators
on the coast and who has been sailing ves-
sells into the harbor without pilot or tug
for generation. The vesse! sailed in on
the flood tide, and soon after passing
through the Golden Gate the vessel ceased
to fill Its sails and it foated mainly at the
mercy of the current
One of the chief dangers attending the
existence of Arch Rock is the fact that
when the helpful tidal current is flown g
in 1t tends to carry vessels straight to
the rock, and this fact was again demon
strated by the experience of the Ceylon.
1t happened that as the bark began TO
drift inward toward the rock as the wind
went down the George NJ. Stern berg, with
Quarantine Officer Blue aboard, came
alongside. Captain Calhoun saw his
danger and shouted to Captain McFariane
of the tug to make fast and tow astern.
Captain McFarlane was prompt with his
assistance, which was as effective as the
circumstances allowed, and which proba-
bly, averted a disaster greater than that
which occurred.
ting, did its best, but before the vessel
could be got out of danger it struck heav-
lily on the reef which extends gradually
from the point of rock above water. AS
the bark struck it careened until its yards
touched the water across the George NJ.
Stern berg, and moment or TWO later it
struck the reef again with a heavy blow.
Immediately the surface of the water
was covered with floating pieces OF
wood, which constituted the second
sheathing which the old craft had
received in recent years in the process of
renovation. i Te.A rocks had torn loose
square yards ah. the wood in The BARK s
keel and bottom. The tug quickly had
the vessel in deep water, however. and
Captain McFariane at once proceeded TO
tow her clear OF Angel Island and to a
point OF safety we'll toward Goat Island
before dropping her. The Ceylon pro-
ceeded to Mission Bay, and quick in
spection showed that though the outer
sheathing was badly torn off no leak of
consequence had been made. After un-
loading the vessel will be dockea, when
the extent of her injuries will be known.
The accident will probably give prac-
tica emphasis to the danger of Arch
Rock in the harbor of San Francisco and
may possibly hasten its removal. For
many years Government engineers have
recommended the blowing up Of this
prominent danger to navigation which
stands ut the inner entrance 10 the harbor,
the Cha 10 bsr of Commerce has often in
cluded it in its demands or urgent harbor
improvements and appropriations for its
removal have been included in Congress
sional appropriation bills which have
tailed to pass. 1t stands yet as it did
when the first Spanish galleons entered
the bay, but it's dynamite day is probably
not far distant
The Ceylon was not the only thing
which the tide found to sport with yester-
day. The war monitor Ca manche had an
other dose of the peris of peace. Along
about 8 80 p NJ. the schooner Eliza Miller
was sailing ny the bay along the fairway,
rs she had right to do, and the Canaan