Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-26
INVADERS
GET A OUCK|NG
HOSE is TURNED ON LANDING
PARTIES
Cheap Excursion Crowd Again Tries
to Take Avalon by storm-of-
ficers Defend Their
Shores

dozen fire hose nozzles and nearly
drowned i'm the surf, sixty-four de-
termined passengers of the steamer
San Diego. under the direction of Capt.
&. Il. Hollar, owner of the vessel, for
third time dashed up the beach ut
Avalon yesterday and although fight
ing against desperate odds, more than
fifty of them managed to cross the line
of barbed wire fences and enter the
city.
The fight to establish an open port
at Avalon has reached a point where
serious trouble may occur at any time,
and when the invaders return to the
conquest Saturday they will remem-
ber the sousing they underwent at the
hands of deputy constables.
Yesterday morning for the third
time during the past week the San
Diego, with sixty-four passengers
aboard-about a score of whom were
women-left Long Beach for its in
vasion of the magic isle. Capt. Hollar
made u mistake, however. in attempt
ing to land at an early hour, for the
tide was up above the line of barbed
wire fences on the Avalon Deacn ANA
the invaders were compelled to work
under difficulties.
San Diego Tries Ruse
The San Diego, as it entered the Ava
lon harbor went to the wharf, rendered
wharfage and asked to be allowed to
land passengers Wharfage was re-
fused and as the boat was about TO pull
away from the wharf, Hancock Ban
ming, owner of the greater portion of
the island, entered a launch and came
alongside. He called to the passengers
and warned them that any attempt to
land would be at their peril, and then
he left.
But the San Diego steamed out as
though to depart and then started
swiftly as though to land passengers
on the beach just to the west of the
Sugar Loaf rock. The deputies on
guard dashed along the beach to inter-
cept the landing, and as soon as they
had been enticed away from the bay
front the San Diego turned about and
steamed back to the harbor and the
small boats for a third time shot to-
ward the landing on Gano's property |
at the extreme eastern point of the
water front.
The first boat load of passengers
dashed through the surf and succeeded
in forcing their way to the county road
and to the city.
By that time, however, the officers |
had returned to their posts, and live |
ly set-to resulted. AS the other pas
sengers gained the beach and began |
their attack upon the fences the officers |
found the fight more than they could |
attend to and they dashed toward the |
lines of fire hose.
Deputies Are Sounded
In the meantime, all the other pas
sengers from the San Diego had landed
on the tide water ground, and at that
hour the surf was curling over the
fences and thus wetting the passengers.
Many of the women tucked up their
dresses and waded about in the surf
as though they enjoyed it, while others
wadCd the length of the beach through
the water to mail postals and letters
at the postoffice. They were compelled
to enter the rear door of the postoffice.
When the officers had managed to
train the hose on the invaders the water
was turned loose in force. The first
stream struck a woman and 1t drove
her back INTO the surf, knocking her
down. The deputy sheriffs who were
with the invaders striVed vainly to
withstand the tide by displaying their
ough sousing.
But the hose had little or no effect
upon the invaders, because they made
one desperate rush, went over the
mesh fences and stormed the island,
about fifty of them being successful In
the attempt. C. A. Horishin of Long
Beach was the only one arrested for
tresSpass and he was promptly bailed
out by the postmaster of Avalon
At o'clock the invaders withdrew in
order and returned to their boats and
went to the San Diego, where the wet
ones We're dried out in the boiler room.
A return trip will be made Saturday.
the boat starting at $50 from the Long
Bea ch Wharf.
When the San Diego leaves Saturday
she will have attorneys on board and
the invaders will know just how far
the law allows them to go in repelling
the attacks Of the hosemen and special
officers, so that serious results may fol-
low the invasion.
The Bannings say If Capt. Hollar
wants to settle the question peaceably
the courts are open to him.