Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-28
BOATMAN LOST;
SAILOR, RFSCUING
PARTY, DROWNED
HELPLESS CRAFT PICKED UP
By U. S. CRUISER
ANGELENo, WIFE AND CHILDREN
IN PERlLous ADVENTURE
Little Vessel Drifts Into Ocean on
San clenente-After Narrowing
Experience Are Saved by
BIuejackets
Continued from Rage onel

tcontinued from Page onel
penetrable they could see but few
rect ahead of them.
II was impossible to know one mo-
ment what the next would bring
forth, but so far as they could deter
mine they were far out at sea.
Theory of Runaway Launch
What became of the boats captain
is mystery that may never be solved.
Everything was found in perfect or
der ON the deck, the anchor having
been drawn up and the rope left un-
coiled, indicating that the captain had
prepared to start from Silver canyon
as scheduled, while the party was all
asleep, and that at the last moment he
had jumped into the sliff to remove
some kelp from the propeller. or to fix
something about the rudder OF the
boat.
The theory is that he left the engine
running, with the propeller clutch
thrown out of gear, and that in some
manner. perhaps within a second or
two after he had got off, the jar of the
engine or the heavy rolling of the sea
had thrown the clutch forward into
gear and started the launch before the
captain could get back aboard. In
few moments 1t was plunging out 10
sea so fast that the captain in skill
could never hope to overtake 1t. Luck
lily the launch was so headed that there
was no collision with the rocks or
shoals, and its passengers lay sleeping,
unconscious of their danger, in the
darkness of the little cabin.
1t is believed, however, that Captain
Christ made a desperate effort to catch
UP with the boat and that ne met death
in his attempts to save the Iauncn
from the terrible fate which he must
have known threatened the craft and
it's occupants.
"Tony," as he was known at the
island, was noted as a brave seaman
and would not have stood idly by ana
have watched the boat get away from
him into the foggy night and heavy
swells. Rowing as rapidly as he could,
he followed after it, his friends be-
lieve, and was capsized or lost an oar
in the terrible race which followed,
going to his death like true hero IN
the huge swells which were breaking
in oninous combers against the placK
walls of the island. Otherwise he
would have returned to Avalon, to
where he easily could have walked IN
day.
Launch Battles with Sea
All day Monday the passengers of
the ill-starred launch strained their
ewes INCREASINGLY for land, but with
out catching a glimpse of so much as
a distant sailing vessel or other cratt.
They hoisted a distress signal TO the
little mast and sat poWerless in the
boat, without water and with but
enough food for the two crying chill
dren, watching the unguided battle of
the little craft against the huge swells
which momentarily threatened TO over
whelm it,
The great whitecaps broke over the
deck of the vessel until for several
hours it seemed that it was liable to
ha nd IN the bottom. The
rough swells made every joint and
timber in the launch crack and creak
continuously.
Escaping the great pillows which
threatened to fill the hold of the YES
sci, the party were constantly in dread
of capsizing, as the frail craft was
tossed up and down SO violently that
during the first day and night 1t
seemed half of the time TO be lunging
and rocking on end, now up, now
down, and leaping about as the cold,
heavy winds bore down tempestuously
uopn it.
1t was a day and night the little
party will never forget, for the
weather could not have crowded more
unfavorable conditions into a similar
period of time than it did during that
hopeless Monday and Tuesday.
The wind was terrific after the fog
cleared, and during the long night and
until late III the morning VI pOIH udyS
the fog itself was almost like rain
so wet chilly and impenetrable that
all on board suffered terribly from its
effects.
At Mercy of the Sea
What of their clothing was not wet
by the fog was fairly drenched by the
heavy breakers which dashed about
the vessel and continually washed into
every crack and crevice.
iOhf
fog and clouds, there was no light.
Going without food and water to save
the lives of their little ones, and not
knowing how many days they might
be left TO drift and starVe on the bar
rem ocean desert or what moment they
might be drowned, the party expert
enced every mental and physical tor
ture conceivable, and when rescued
were suffering from the cold and eX-
posture.
A few hours after Mr.. Easton dis
covered his captain was missing the
gasoline in the tank gave out and the
boat drifted aimlessly.
In this manner at the mercy of the
waves, for almost two days, the Zeus
and its party continued drifting.
Seaman Is Drowned
Tuesday afternoon at 8 o'clock the
lookout on the cruiser Buffalo sighted
the drifting craft eight miles south
east San Clemente island, and--dis-
corning her distress signal-the officer
of the deck ordered the ship about and
steamed toward her.
When close upon the Zeus one of the
ships lifeboats was lowered and sew
eral sailors were sent down to effect
the rescue. In lowering the boat Sea-
man c. Iooline, who enlisted at
Panama. jumped for a thwart and
missed it, He went down, beside the
cruiser, into the wind-whipped waters
and came up but once, struggling fran
tically and evidently almost drowned.
A comrade jumped overheard and
succeeded against great odds in swim
ming to his side, but the drowning man
fought and grappled with him so fran
tically that his Wouldbe rescuer saw
he was in imminent danger of being
cruiser if he did not desist in his ef-
forts to pull him from the water.
In the excitement that followed the
second sailor had a narrow escape
from death and barely managed to get
back and crawl into the boat while the
Others revived him. Other boats We're
lowered in the effort to save Hooline,
but after he had gone down the Sec
ond time he was not seen again.
Left to the Waves
While the almost crazed passengers Of
the little Zeus We're watching this
tragedy another boat was lowered and
went TO get them.
r,ar, xtrare taken "a hoard the cruiser