Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-28
HELPLESS CRAFT PICKED UP
BY U. S. CRUISER
WIFE AND CHILDREN
IN PERILoUs ADVENTURE
Little Vessel Drifts Into Ocean Of
San Clemente-After Narrowing
Experience Are Saved by
'BIuejackets
BY e. r. MCLAUGHLIN

odnld Catalina, May 21.-
One sailor of the United States cruiser
Buffalo drowned and his body lost at
sea; another sailor who sought to
rescue him barely escaping death In
the frantic clutch of his struggling
shipmate; Capt. Antonio Christ of the
launch Zeus mysteriously missing and
believed to be dead. These are but a
lew OF the many thrilling incidents
and miSfortunes characterizing the last
voyage or the Zeus, from which Mr..
ana MRS. EDWARD ID. Easton, their two
clhldren and a maid were rescued at
o'clock yesterday afternoon, after
one of the most terrible experiences in
local history.
The fate of Capt. Christ, who was
one OF the oldest and most able boat
men In Avalon, Familiarity known as
Iony the Greek, may never be known.
Dozens of launches and the cruiser
Buffalo have been securing the sea in
search of him, but all efforts so far
to find him have brought to light only
one OF the oars of the little skiff in
which 1t now seems certain he has met
death. If not drowned he undoubtedly
| Is adrift in the skiff or lying badly
injured, perhaps with broken leg,
| in some lonely canyon on the south
east end of the island. from where in
the darkness of the night, after seeing
| may have attempted desperately to
walk to Avalon to get aid and thus
have fallen from some rocky precipice
perhaps to his DEATH as frequently
has been done here on different parts
of the island by men who have jour-
neyed among the mountains after
nightfall.
Terrible Hours Adrift
After hourly facing death for two
Il xxrst
enough food for their 1S-months-old
| baby, to which it's mother prayerfully
chung through one of the most hazard
GUS adventures on record, and for their
| little 9-year- old daughter, who sat cry
| ing and trembling pitifully during the
| long days and nights of fog wind,
high swelis and impenetrable darkness.
as the unpiloted launch drifted and
| lunged hither and thither among the
| fearful, foam capped swells until 1t
| seemed at times they would all be
| capsized or swept from the wave
washed deck into the grim waters of
| the ocean, Mr.. and Mrs Easton. their
| two children and maid were rescued
| at $3.50 o'clock yesterday afternoon by
the heroic sailors of the cruiser Buff
falo, after one of the bluejackets had
met death in the effort to rescue them
and another sailor who had jumped in
to save him was almost dragged to
his death beneath the hull of the
Buffalo.
Mr.. and Mrs. Easton were brought
to Avalon and taken to the Hotel
Metropole where, more dead than
alive, Mr.. Easton was unable to be
interviewed. and left word that they
should not be disturbed until they had
somewhat recovered from their nerv-
GUS prostration.
Would Sail at Daybreak
Mr.. Easton, who is a we'll known
journalist and author as well as a
mining engineer, with offices in the
Bradbury building, Los Angeles, left
Avalon May II with his wife, two
children, a negro maid and Capt. An
tonic Christ on a camping expedition
to San Clemente island, semi barren,
mountain island in the Pacific, forty
miles from mainland and about thirty
miles southwark from Catalina. The
party broke camp at San Clemente
about 8 o'clock Friday afternoon. May
22, and returned to Catalina island.
where they camped again in Silver
canyon, on the southwest side of the
island, Friday evening.
Sunday, again at o'clock in the
afternoon, they broke camp in Silver
canyon and boarded the launch Zeus.
held in waiting for them by Capt.
Christ at the beach near the mouth of
the canyon. The party retired to sleep
in the cabin about $3.50 o'clock that
night, notifying Capt. Christ to start
back to Avalon via Jewish point, on
the southwest end of the island. at 2
o'clock the next (Monday) morning,
and not to disturb them.
The sea was unusually rough. and
Mr. Easton reasoned that it would be
calmer by this hour, and that in start
ing then they would reach Avalon at
a convenient hour in the morning. He
asked that the party be awakened just
before reaching port.
Discover Boat Adrift
About 4 o'clock in the morning Mr..
Easton was awakened by the terrific
laboring of the boat, and emerged from
the cabin to inquire of the captain If
all was well.
Calling out through the darkness, he
received no answer The boat was
going at a lively clip. and the engine
was chugging naturally, but investiga-
ton revealed that the captain and a
small skiff were missing. The launch,
without a guiding hand, was running at
full speed through the darkness.
What followed the discovery of this
startling fact can be better imagined
than described. Easton knew absolute
ly nothing about the engine or mechan-
ical construction of the boat and could
not shut off the power. He aroused his
wife frantically and all hands dressed
and went on deck. Every effort was
made to stop the boat. but, not know
ing what might result from ignorant
manipulation of the engine, Mr.. Easton
was afraid to bother with 1t to too
great an extent, and was forced to let
the launch steam on till it's fuel was
exhausted.
The night was impenetrably dark.
and there was q heavy fog. None OF
the party was able to see ten feet
ahead, and, not knowing in what di-
rection the boat was steered, their ter
rible predicament can be imagined.
They expected at any moment, until
daylight broke, to plunge to their death
against some black, perpendicular rock
wall or Jagged porphyry shoal, such as
the shore line OF the desc
late island: and even after daybreak.
which soon followed the discovery OF
their predicament, the fog was so iisi-
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