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Show MEN RISK LIVES TO KEEP PROMISE San Fiancisco, Dec 10.- With the seas poundjiig a leqmem on the bar. seven old cronies of Peter Johnson J carried out their mate's last wish today to-day and give his ashes to the gale They risked theit lives to do it. for the launch, Monk, carrying the cargo in oil skins, one of them clasping an urn. had to churn its way through an onslaught or angry swells. It was a sea In which larger craft dared not venture and time and again it seemed only a miracle that brought the Monk out of the hollow of the waves It 'w2s a stifi light to the "potato patch I where the ashes were scattered and a harder icttiin Peter Johnson ran a water front place where seafaring men met and drank and told sea tales "Bos. I'm going out soon," he said) a few weeks ago, "and I want you to ' take my ashes out to sea and scatter j them over the bar." ' We'll do it," said the seven and pledged it with a drink Johnson died Saturday. The bar ha-3 been breaking heavily for 4S hours today, when Tom Blight took the urn aboard the Monk. The others oth-ers were Fred Wilson, D. J. Scott, John Peterson, Albert Peterson, Captain Cap-tain Stevens and Capitaln McGher-son. McGher-son. Thev were warned against go-in go-in out, but after a consultation, decided de-cided to carry out the mandate of their friend. At Ft Point the long swells threw the launch out of its I course and tossed it up under the lea of Lime point But they pointed to sea again, past largo steamers which lay bar bound in the harbor Once a huge wave slapped the boat down inlo the trough of the sea, and half submerged it Two men clung to tho tiller and the other five wore set to balling. When they came under un-der the shadow of Point Bonita. they gathered in the prow of the pitching boat, and, with heads uncovered, kept their pledge to their dead friend Then thev sank the urn and set back to port. The waves washed over the launch and all were kept bailing to keep the boat afloat The seven were exhausted when they reached port oo |
