Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-18
s. SWIlVDLED BY
BOAT OWNERS
LONG BEACH SCENE OF RIOT
YESTERDAY
SEA TOO ROUGH FOR VISIT TO
SHIPS
Admiral Dayton Says mo Visitors"
and Boat Owners Flee with
Ticket Money--Launch
Breaks Down
Long Beach orios.
20 LOCUST avenue
Long Beach onics.
23 LOCUST avenue
Pkone-Home $50.


Pkone-Home $50.
LONG BEACH. Nov. 17.-Riot broke
loose and much excitement reigned here
today when, with the sea running un-
usually high and his big cruisers heav-
ing and strainlng at their anchor chains,
Admiral James H. Dayton of the Pacific
cruiser squadron sent word to shore that
no more visitors would be allowed aboard
his warships moored off the beach,
Taking advantage of the situation and
descending to the meanest sort of knav-
cry, many boat agents, who had sold
hundreds of tickets to persons on shore,
fled with the money instead of return
ing 1t.
Amidst the other lively scenes here one
of the launches, with $50 persons aboard.
broke down while on her way to the ships
and drifted helplessly a mile to sea with
her passengers frantic with fear.
1t was the liveliest day Long Beach has
seen for some time. When the admirais
order became known a number of the
boat agents quietly packed up their silver
and gold also not forgetting the scrip,
and waved ta-ta to the swindled visitors
on shore to whom they had rendered no
service beyond literally stealing their
money.
AS an additional imposition, which en-
ragged the crowd even more, two of the
launches which had taken a large number
of persons out to the ships, their owners
seeing no chance for further business
after the order, left the passengers on
the war vessels and decamped for San
Pedro.
"Let EN- Stay There"
Let them eat hardtack and salt pork
for a while, 1t will do the landlubbers
good" one of the launch men Is said to
have remarked as he started his engine
and left them to the hospitality of Uncle
Sans tars. The warships crew made
the "lubbers'' as comfortable as possible
until other launches and warships cut
ters could be made ready, and they were
then taken ashore The male contingent
then started a hunt for the launches
that had betrayed them, but their atten-
tion was called to the fact that the two
boats were then disappearing in the
offing.
Its lucky they're gone" remarked
an excited member of the crowd. 'or 1
would have dropped a match in their
gasoline tanks"
Later in the afternoon, when the feel
ing against the dishonest boatmen had
subsidized sufficiently for a few of the
honest ones to venture selling tickets,
and when the sea had Gained a bit,
large NUMBER the were taken
to the warships But, like the Ancient
Mariner, the worst of sea luck still pur
sued them.
The engines of the Music broke down
Just as the launch was tying up along
side the flagship West Virginia, and the
Music then drifted mile to the east
ward The waves were running pretty
high even then, and out as far as the
launch was they were sufficient to give
the passengers a severe shaking up.
Most of them were seasick, and the ma
jority were drenched to the skin from
the spray which broke and swept over the
Music. 1t was sad looking crowd that
was rescued from the launch by the
cutter of the West Virginia. They suf-
fered more from seasickness than from
real danger.
The dishonesty of the boatmen was so
glaring that some of the crowd sand
they would send a request to the city
trustees to take action in the matter.
Russell Refunds Cash
Captain ]. w. Russell one of the own.
ers of the ill-starred launch Music, stood
out in pleasant contrast to some of the
other boat owners, for he Immediately
refunded the money to those who had
shipped with the launch. Some of the
other boatmen also proved honest, and
from one-third to one-half of the crowd
received their money back.
The warships tarS watched the whole
affair with great amusement, and derided
the boatmen for their poor seamanship.
At different times hand-to-hand en-
counters between the boatmen, the spe-
cial police and the disappointed crowd
were imminent, and at one time City
Marshal Young was mistaken for boat
owner and a mob made for him. He
saved himself from rough treatment by
a hasty explanation as to his identity.
Marshal Young worked hard to get mat
ters into better shape.
1t is feared the roughness of the sea
will prevent the public school children
from visiting the warshfps tomorrow, and
great sorrow reigns in juveniledom.