The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-08
A WEIRD RACE

Along the water front the sailors are
talking of the most exciting event that
has occurred near San Francisco bay
for many month-the eerie race that
the pilot boat America, with never a.
living soul on board, gave the pilot boat
Oracle s, for thirteen hours off the
Heads on a wild stormy night in No
Nember. The two boats were cruising
about outside the Golden Gate when It
happened. 1t was nine o'clock and af-
ter, and dark as the shades of hades.
A terrific gale was blowing, piling up
the green waters to dizzy heights On
the America were pilots Alexander
Swanson and Newton Jordan: on the
Oracle s., Captains NJ. G. Erskne and
Charles B. Johnson. When the gale
commenced to be dangerous the boats
stood away TO sea under close-rpefe
sails. The brave crafts We're out to
lend helping hands to incoming vessels
and its men never dreamed of danger
to themselves, for they felt confident
they could weather any kind of Storm
The two sturdy boats topped the waves
like birds of the ocean, and the pilots
rested secure below deck All at once,
in the dark, the man at the America S
wheel saw a form loom out of the
seething seas, and with a rushing noise
bear down on his port quarter. There
was CLEAN of green and red lights,
and in an instant later a terrible crash
as the bow Of the Oracle s. went plow-
ing through the side of the America
her jibbOom tearing through the latter'5
mainsail, swapping her main boom
sheer off, good five arm-lengths from
the end
scene Of confusion followed. Pilots
Swanson and Jordan Of the America
rushed on deck to ascertain the cause
and extent of the damage to their shin.
The craft was completely flooded. Bill
lows OF water Numbered over the rail
and poured through the cruel rent
against which the bow of the Oracle
Va!nly tore and ground. In the dark
the captains felt absolutely certain
that the injured craft was doomed. AL
, ready her hold was half-ftllefd with
water. They climbed, the captain and
the crew, over her side into the Oracle
S. for safety. Captain Erskine rOared
out to lose no time in cutting away
from the sinking ship. In the dark. Pi~
lot Swanson ventured the dangerous
task, chonping off the top-in- lefts
which caught and held the main boom
of the America. That was the work of
only moment and then the vessels
cleared. But the expected plunge of
the half-f1led America 10 the bottom of
| the sea did not occur. A sweep of the
roaring gale pulled her top-gallants
fiat on the water for a second. Then a
strange thing happened
Like spaniel the America shook
herself loose from the waters grip.
The tipping had only served to empty
some thousands of gallons of water
from her hold. She righted. Her bro
ken jibboom tumbled overheard,
dragging torn parts OF the main sheet
across the rent in her side. Stranger
yet, the brig did not veer one point
from her course. She held her head
true and square and started in the
full sweep of the black gale for the
open ocean. Before the men on the
Oracle S. realized the situation the
lights of the fleeing ship were a mile
away. and then a strange fear fell on
every body. The ships lamps could be