Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-01
ADDS MYSTERY TO
DISAPPEARANCE
TONY THE CREEKS FRIENDS
TEST LAUNCH
WATCH BOATS ACTIONS WHICH
HAS NO GUIDING HAND
Peculiar Circumstances Surrounding
Probable Death of Boatman lndi-
cate Skiff Did Not Break
Loose as Believed

AVALON, Santa Catalina, May 81
Every hour adds to the mystery of the
disappearance and probable death OF
Antonio Christ, known as TONY the
Greek" who dropped from sight some
where in the sea between Santa Cata-
lima island and San Clemente week
ago.
At s o'clock tonight the launch Ne
vada returned to Avalon, bringing the
skiff which belonged to the Inflated
boatman and which was picked up in
the channel at a point about twelve
miles north of Avalon by the tug Re-
dondo Saturday morning. When the
boat was picked up the painter was
inside the small craft. This is taken
to indicate that the boat did not break
loose, as has been believed. In the
boat when found We're some stones,
which might have been used as light
anchors. This shows the boat had not
been capsized.
On board the Nevada were Al Shea
John Roberts, Tommy Whitley, Charles
Parker and another Avalon man. They
have been searching for the boatman
several days, but until they put into
San Pedro today and learned that the
boat had been picked up at Redondo
they had no trace of the missing man
or any of his belongings.
At 2 o'clock last Tuesday afternoon
the United States cruiser Buffalo, from
Panama to Mare island, twelve days
out, picked up the launch Zeus, drift
ing helplessly at a point nineteen miles
southeast of San Clemente island. The
launch contained Edward E. Easton.
his wife, two children and negress
nurse of the little ones. The story told
by Mr. Easton was one OF great hard
ship to himself and family, as they
had been buffeted by the sea nearly
forty-eight hours after the engine
stopped.
Mr.. Easton said they had all retired
on the Zeus about $3.50 Sunday evening
with the understanding that the boat
man was to raise anchor and proceed
to Avalon early the next morning. Av-
alon is about an hour and half run
from Silver canyon, where the boat
was anchored for the night. He said
that some time before daylight he was
awakened by the heavy pitching of the
boat. He shouted to Tony, but received
10 response. The engine was running
and the launch was plunging along
in the darkness with no guiding hand
at the wheel. Mr.. Easton made
search for the boatman and was horri-
fed to find the man was not on board.
Passengers Not Awakened
The anchor had been raised, but the
anchor rope had not been coiled. About
thirty feet of heavy chain lay on the
forward deck of the little craft. The
launch's tender was also missing and
Mr.. Easton frequently expressed the
fervent hope that the man might be
picked up at sea. Mr.. Easton went
to the wheel and steered, he says, stead
lily for the east. They ran for hours
without sighting land. Finally the en-
gine stopped and all Mr.. Easton's
efforts to start 1t again were of no
avail. He believed the fuel was ex
hausted, This was not the case, how
ever, according to the statement of the
Avalon boatmen who went on board the
Zeus when the launch was moored after
the Buffalo had towed her in. The real
cause of the engine stopping, these
boatmen say, was that the lubricating
oil was exhausted and Mr.. Easton
did not know how to replensh 1t or did
not know it was essential. Without
fabrication the engine ran hot and
finally stopped.
With the boat adrift Mr.. Easton
attempted to rig a kedge anchor or to
make float TO keep the boats nose to
the weather. In this he partically sue
ceeded and doubtless saved his family
from much suffering by the launch
falling into the trough of the sea and
rolling on her beam ends with every
swell. What was placed in this drag is
which the party had used in camping.
This tent was thrown overheard and
abandoned when the seamen of the
Buffalo sought to tighten the Zeus
while under tow. The Buffalos speed
threatened to swamp the launch. An
Avalon boatman said today there was
half a cord of wood in the Zeus. He
used in the drag or why the sailors
had not jettisoned this when they
Neared being towed under.
Avalon Boatman Talks
In speaking of the tragic fate of An
tonic Christ an Avalon man who is
familiar with launches and the ways
of the sea said:
1--WE have discussed the affair at
great length here, and we are unable
to reach any tenable theory of how
Tony met his death-for it seems GER
tain he is dead. One thing is certain:
If Tony fell overheard while his engine
was running and the clutch was in
that is to say, the propeller working
the boat would have come back to him.
She would not only have returned once
but a hundred times. This may sound
like a strange statement. Let me ex-
plain.
Yesterday experienced men took the
ZeuS right out here in the bay and
made a test of what she would do un-
der similar circumstances. The engine
was sent at full speed ahead The boat
was held on true course out of the
bay The man al the steering wheel
abandoned his post Almost instantly
the launch waved off her course and in
a few seconds her helm was hard over
and she swung in a narrow circle.
Scores of men witnessed this. The boat
circled time and again; in fact, con-
tinued until everybody present was
convinced. The radius of the circle was
not 100 feet. We believe Tony'sboat
would have continued circling there. in
close to shore, at Silver canyon, until
daylight, or until she struck on the
rocky coast. 1t seems this did not hap
pen The Zeus far at sea, with the pro-
peller running, would indicate a guiding
hand at the wheel. This brings about
the thought that perhaps Tony started
for Avalon and then went forward to
coil up his anchor rope, and fell over
board in some manner when the boat
gave a sudden lurch. But in that case,
why should his skiff be adrift with the
painter inside of her?
"Of course, it is idle to speculate on
how the boatman went overheard in
the darkness of that morning. The
mystery may never be cleared Mr.
Faston is unable to account for it.
and we are not. All we know is that
he and his family were saved from
death, and we are glad of that. This is
the first case of a boatman being
drowned from Avalon. Tony's oars are
still missing. If they are ever found
il is doubtful II they help 10 clear the
mystery"
4 pathetic figure seen at the wharf
esch day is the hearbroken wife of Cap
tai, Antonio Christ She walks slowly