The San Francisco call., 1909-12-23


transferred the passengers and all but
10 of the crew to a gasoline launch,
which took the passengers to San Bias,
their destination after leaving part of
the crew on board the stranded steamer.
The Homer went ashore at $3.50
o'clock in the morning December Il.
The weather was fine and for half an
hour before thei ship struck Captain
Pierce stood on the bridge and list
ened TO the musical boom of the surf,
the sound of which had induced Second
Officer John +. Cogan 10 call the mas
ter and TO suggest that they were
pretty close inshore.
Pierce is said to have dismissed the
suggestion with the remark that the
land breeze made the noise seem
nearer than ii was.
Three quarters of an hour after
Pierce took charge the Homer was on
the beach. A boat in command OF
second officer COgan was dispatched
to San Bias for assistance. At $50
Jose was sighted. Cogan reported the
plight of the Homer and Captain
Thompson reached the scene of the
He waited until daylight and then took
off the z passengers and the crew.
Meanwhile Cogan had reached San
Bias. where he asked the captain Of
the Mexican steamer Manuel Herreras
TO go to the Homers assistance. At
that time the Homer could have been
f7Oated with very little assistance, but
the Mexican captain refused to do any
thing unless guaranteed payment.
While at San Bias the natives stole
all the food out of the Homers life
boat
Harold Smith, manager of the San
Bias banana company, whose wife was
a passenger on the Homer, proceeded
launch, IA king Cogan boat In tow:
Smith relieved Captain Thompson of
the Homer's passengers, but asked
on on the e san 'j9 Jose 10 san Francissco. se590
According 10 the report of the wreck
filed yesterday with the government
inspectors the Homer left here after
being laid up for four months without
having its cOmpaSses adjusted That
there was a deviation not shown on
the old card was demonstrated early
ia the voyage when the Homer fetched
seven miles inside its course between
Point Firmin and San Diego.
Even after this warning no attempt
was made TO adjust compasses and
the second time the Homer went astraY
proved fatal The Homer is lying at
right angles TO the beach, but is get
ting deeper all the time in the sand
and unless assistance arrives soon the
little old coaster will stay there.
Those of the Homer's crew who ar
rived on the San Joe We're: Second
Officer John +. Cogan, Second Engineer
James Marshall, Alfred Ingram, Sam
uel Torres, w. C McCabe, A. Reyes,
P. Losada, r. Gotta, Frank Ortez and
John Frerisch.
san Jose Arrives From Panama
The Pacific Mail liner San Jose, Cap
tain II. Thompson, arrived yesterday
from Panama and way ports with $50
tons Of cargo, treasure valued at $685.
$50 and 49 passengers. Among the
passengers was Arthur II. Laury, a
mining man from Nevada, who went
south on the San Jose to attend to some
business in Nicaragua. He had to go
to Non ON ct D. ic Fa1C anvr n
during his stay at the capital spent
most OF the time sick in bed at his
hotel He heard little of the revolu-
ton. the only signs of which were the
coming and going of patches of re-
crults for the army. When he left
there, he says. everything at Managua
appeared to be much as usual. Before
leaving Nicaragua he heard of the exc
cutiOn of Groce and Cannon, but
learned no details.
The San Jose's cargo included 2.617
bags Of coffee. ThE-bulk of the freight
was from New York.
The San Jose's passengers includedi
Arthur Fl. Laury Milton Champion
John Thomas Forth Thomas f. Barry
Charles Richmond Mrs. Lorena Converse
Norris Cochran Servers Helsen
Mrs. Adde C. Champion Henry Helsen
Laura b Champion Mrs. Christian Helsen
Cunningham to the Rescue
A few minutes after the Pacific Coast
steamship companys Governor pulled
away yesterday afternoon from Steuart
street wharf bound for southern Cali
fornia two painting women appeared at
the dock gates and begged somebody
please TO bring back the ship. James
Cunningham, launchman and gentle
man, with his hat in one hand and
the other on his heart besought the
belated fair ones to let him assist them.
The steamer" he said, would not
come back even for me and I've been
on this water front for so years.
have a launch, however. and if you'll
step aboard I'll have you alongside
the Governor in jiffy."
He was as good as his word. The
of the bulkhead when the launch ran
alongside. CAPTAIN Jepsen lowered q