The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 21, 1897, Page 17

SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 21, 1897. Just at present there is as pretty a sight over on the n Lagoon as can be seen any- whe: ho live there call it *‘back of This means that the lagoon rters for yachts and to agoon the small vessels have to that opens only a few times ose. At present there are 3 htis on this sheet of water, more an bave ever been there before at this time ot is the to get into pass a drawb. I’easter of last month had the effect the yachts into winter quarters this [comPLETELY DISMANTLER Tiburon with wrecks. happen this year. Of course most of the yachtsmen are regret- ting the fact that they sought shelter 0 soon and look enviously at the few yachts still float- ing outside ready at a moment’s notice to skim over the waves. “We've lost a good four weeks’ fine sport,” said a well-known owner a few days ago. *This November weather has been perfect for sailing and here I am with my boat all dismantled and stowed away back of the drawbridge. I wish I knew if this was going to last. I'd have her But that is not going to $ Sk O YACHT§ wHINTER And I never before known it to fail, although 1 have lived here thirty years and have been watching wind and tide for the last twenty. But this year we were all fooled and I for one will regret it as long as 1 live, for the weather has been just perfect.”” ! But this perfect weatber Is just what makes the vachis in winier quarterslook the r prettiest. The bright sunshine flashing on the clear waters tirat reflect the blue sky gives a charm to the whole scene that would not exist were the elements at war and a drizzling rein spreading a dull haze over ihe face of nature. to cover it. There is room for a hundred more. As it happens, though, most of the yachts are anchored near the southern end, so as to be near the town. This puts those that are there into quite a close group and makes them more pic- turesque than they would otherwise be. The shores of the lagoon at this point are also pic- turesque in the extreme. The western end of Tiburon peninsularises to a heignt of about 100 feet above the wator and seems to form a perfect background for the yachts no matter what direction they are seen trom. RN T = BEING PUT 1¢ Swapa Fore NEXT SEASON. o TIBUROM LAGOON: R A L W R R R A have all been taken down and in some instances a tarpaulin has been stretched over the deck from stem to stexn. In this condition the most beautiful vessel looks about as graceful as a barge. The other yachts have simply had their sails removed and the rigging tightened up, ana do not look much different than they do in the summer when riding at anchor. The going into winter quarters of the racing yachts is something of a ceremony, although there is no attempt at anything of the kind. As soon as this Las been decided upon by some of all pass through in Indian file. Then they are back of the drawbridge. But that does not sever the yachtsman’s cone nection with his yacht, In fact, some of them have more fun during the winter than they do during the summer—only itis a different kind. One of the features of life on a yacht in winter quarters is the evening party, Only a selest few, of course—just enough to nicely fill the cabin and take part in games and sing songs. Really, it is a joily life. On the beautiiul moonlight evenings of the past few weeks there was really more pleasure to sit on the deck of a yachtin le earlier than usual. It isa known fact that small sailing ¢ and out the Thanksgivir to his sorr have a bad effect a yachisman vears ago when strewed the shores of well- put in shape again to-morrow. along the Pacific Coast, look But I suppose if 1 did the winter would be upon us in a jiffy. “You know we yachtsmen, as well as all sailors upon sou’easter as a sure sign that winter is with us. the first from a casual glance at it. But as things are there is a b over on the Tiburon Lagoon. water is much larger than one would suppose It is so larse in fact the whole thirty-three yachts do not even begin tiful sight This sheet of ance Some of these yachts are completely disman- tled and bear little resemblance to their appear- in the summer time. been treated in this way wi | practically be aban- doned until the spring. Those that have Masts, sails and rigging the clubs having their headquarters around Tiburon, a day is set—usunally a Sunday—and word sent to all yachtsmen. Yachts are brought fr m all points, acd on the appointed day, ata certain hour, the drawbridge swings open and Tiburon Lagoon than there was outside during the summer, admit tuis, but spends his time longing for the bright days of spring, wben the drawbridge will open again. Of course, the yachtsman will not THE UNPLEASANT SERPENT COGGIN DECLARES HE SAW AT LAKE TAHOE The following is related by a well-known citizen of San Fran- co, manager of the Park band. It is presented unaccompanied by affidavits, and may be accepted h by anybody who chooses L e it. &umumnmmuunfi The story of a sea serpent comes from 30 many sources and from people of un- toubted veracity that it cannot be doubted hat there is living in the Atlantic Ocean serpent of monstrous size, but it re- 1ains for California, with its remains of \zantic monsters scaitered all over its| surface and where animal life attained its greatest perfection, 1o have a serpent now living within its borders much larger than any described by so many witnesses. It was my fortune to be one of the ear- liest settlers on the west shore of Lake Tahoe—from June, 1861, to 1869. I located a meadow and was engaged in cutling wild hay for the market on the Placerville road. In the fall of 1865, in the month of November, I took my gun and, accompa- nied by a very intelligent setter dog, started out for a hunt tor grouse along the shore and in the creek bottoms emptying into the lake. My attention was called to a very curious state of things happening around me. First, a flock of quail and other birds were flying out of the canyon, uttering cries of alarm; next came some rabbits and coy- otes, and soon three deer came running at full speed; last of all, an old bear with one cubcame along. All passed close to me, not seeming to notice me, and all running at their best. All this did not occupy much time, and I begzan to wonder what was up. My dog kept looking up the canyon and was evi- dently alarmed, and I began to feel shaky myself. All at once thedog set up a howl and started for home, eight miles away, running as fastasdog could run, and going under the cabin staid there two days and nights and no amount of coaxing could get him to come out sooner, and never after wounld the dog go in the direction of the lake. [be:an tofeel that some un- known danger was near, and Jooking| about me, saw a spruce tree with very thick limbs, standing near a very large pine. I climbed upabout sixty feet from the ground and began to look up the can- yon. I had not long to wait. I heard a sound as if the dead limbs of trees, wil- lows and alders that grew in the canyon were being broken and crushed. Soon the monster appeared, slowly making his way in the direction where I was hidden in the tree-top, and passed on to the lake within fifty feet of where I was, and as his snakeship got by, and I partly recovered from my fright, I begap to look him over and to estimate his immense size. After his head had passed my tree about seventy feet, he halted and reared his head in the air fifty feet or more, and I was thankful that the large pine hid me from his sight, and Idared to breatheagain as he lowered | hard and tough, as small trees two and his head to the ground and moved on. His monstrous head was about fourteen feet wide, and the large eyes seemed to be about eightinches in diameter, and shin- ing jet black, and seemed to project more than half this size from the head. The neck was about ten feet, and the body in the largest portion must have been twenty feet in diameter. I had a chance to meas- ure his length, for when he halted his tail reached a fallen tree, and I aiterward measured the distance from the tree where I was hidden to the fallen tree and it measured 510 feet, and as seventy or eighty feet had passed me, it made his length about 600 feet. The skin was black on the back, turning to a reddish yellow on the three inches in diameter were crushed and broken without any effect on his tough hide. Even bowlders of 500 or 600 pounds weight lying on the surface of the ground were pushed out of the way. His snake- ship slowly made his way to the lake, glided in and swam toward the foot. This serpent has been seen by several of the old settlers at the lake since that time, but it was generally agreed that it would be useless to tell the world the story, knowing that it would not be believed. I will give a few names of the early set- tlers that have seen his snakeship at dif- ferent times since I first saw him. Wil- iam Pomin, now living in San Franci John McKinney, Ben McCoy and Bill side and belly, and must have been very | McMasters, all at that time liviog on Sugar Pine Point; Homer Burton, now living in Sacramento; Captain Howland of the old steamer Governor Blaisdell, Tony and Burk, fishermen living near Friday’s station; Rube Saxton, now at the lake, and several others could be named, I know many will doubt this story, but sooner or later his snakeship will be seen by so many that all doubt will be removed. I was induced to write this description by reading an article in THE CALL of last Sunday, stating that there was a living mastodon in Alaska and that it had been seen by the natives. Believing that 1 have seen a more wonderful sight and, as in time my story is sure to be verified, I venture to give this to the public. 1, O, Cogerx,