Ano Nuevo Island Dog Cemetery
San Francisco Call, Sunday, July 18, 1897, Page 18, Image 18, Column 1 to 3 –
DEATH OF A FAMOUS OLD DOG
Jip, the dog detective, for many years famous in San Francisco for his smartness, is dead. He passed away on Ano Nuevo Island a short time ago after living there for about three years.
Hundreds of people in this City will remember Jip. He was known under the various titles of "The dog detective," "The dog life-saver," "The dog paper-carrier" and "Tom's dog." His owner was Thomas N. Butwell, at present keeper of the Government fog signal at Ano Nuevo Island. Certainly no dog was ever more sagacious than Jip nor more useful. He did all that was expected of him, and was continually surprising people by doing things that were not expected of him.
Jip was born in Oakland in 1888. He was a full-blooded setter, and had a most amiable disposition. When very young he showed remarkable intelligence, and in some unknown manner seemed to know what was right and what was wrong.
His first act of what might be called heroism was certainly strange for a dog. He was down near the Twelfth-Street dam in Oakland one day when the water was being let out of Lake Merritt and suddenly caught sight of two kittens that bad been overtaken by the rising water. The two little animals were struggling and crying and would most certainly have been drowned if it had not been for Jip. The dog seemed to know that something was wrong and plunged into the rapid current at the risk of his own life and soon rescued the kittens.
Jip was a great traveler, and was as likely to be in Oakland as San Francisco, although his home was in the latter place. On a certain occasion a little boy was lost from his home in Oakland, and, in spite of the efforts of the police, friends and detectives was not found for four days, and then it was Jip that did the work. How the knowledge came to the dog is one of the mysteries of nature. A policeman passing near a certain part of Webb Street was attracted by Jip's barking and running toward a large sandbox in a vacant lot. The policeman followed the dog and there was the little lost boy lying in the bottom of the sandbox, almost dead from hunger and exposure.
The greatest act of Jip's life was saving a boy from drowning. The youngster had fallen off the end of Mission Street pier into the bay. Jip happened to be near and jumped in after him. After a hard struggle the dog caught the boy by the coat and managed to keep him afloat until a boatman got to them and took them ashore, the boy being unconscious.
As an assistant to policemen Jip was the best that could be had. He has helped arrest dozens of wrongdoers, and on different occasions was the first to be suspicious of guilty people. At a certain time the dealers at the Clay Street market were troubled a great deal by thieves and the police were unable to locate the culprits.
One day an officer was standing on Merchant Street when two young men passed carrying a basket. Jip, who happened to be near, commenced to growl and followed the men. The officer stood and watched and in a few minutes saw the men leave the market with Jip after them. The dog caught one and the policeman the other, and it was found that they had stolen a number of fine geese.
And so the stories of Jip's achievements might be continued indefinitely. He saved the lives of several people and helped arrest as many more. For a long time Jip's owner, "Tom" Butwell, used to be boatman for THE CALL and took the papers across the bay to Oakland every morning.
For a while Tom used to go to the pressroom for the papers himself, but soon Jip got into the habit of doing the work and never neglected to show up at the proper time. The bundle of Oakland papers was not so large in those days as it is now and Jip used to carry them in his mouth.
After going to Ano Nuevo Island Jip was quite contented for a long time, but finally began to miss the life of a big city. He would never allow himself to be alone, but stuck close to his master and mistress and always accompanied them on their trips to Pescadero.
Last month they came to San Francisco for a visit of a few days, and on their return found Jip dead. He was unable to bear the lonesomeness caused by their absence and succumbed to grief.
San Francisco Call, Volume 67, Number 168, Saturday, 15 November 1890, Page 3, Column 2 –
Accused of Stealing
Robert Powers, a boy, was also charged with petty larceny at the City Prison in connection with a theft of geese and turkeys on Merchant Street, where he was caught.
San Francisco Call, Volume 82, Number 34, Sunday, 4 July 1897, Page 19, Column 1 –
ANO NUEVO ISLAND
AND THE GOVERNMENT FOG SIGNAL STATION
About four miles below Pigeon Point on the sea coast of San Mateo County there projects into the Pacific Ocean a point of land known to geographers and a small portion of the general public as Point Ano Nuevo. On the map it presents much the appearance of a cape, but in reality the western end of the point is an island which has been christened Ano Nuevo Inland. Whether the point or the island first received the name is not a matter of record. Certain it is that the name of one had something to do with the name of the other; but that need not be considered at the present time.
Around the island mentioned is a group of rocks that are about as interesting to the scientist and the naturalist as any part of California, and about as little known to the average citizen as the Dry Tortugas. Nor have scientists ever made any study of the island, as the records of the Government fog signal located at that point will show. No matter how considered Ano Nuevo Island and the closely adjacent country are full of interest, and the more it is examined the more unusual features will come to light.
To write a history of Point Ano Nuevo it would be necessary to go back to the time when the world was young. When continents were being formed from sedimentary deposits and the ocean roiled over what are now mountain tops, eruption after eruption shook the world and there was a general upheaval. What was low became high and what was high in many instances sank from sight. What had been the ocean's bottom became the top of lofty mountains. Then other eruptions came and the mountain sunk and what had been a lofty peak became only a point of land projecting into a tempestuous body of water.
In the present instance this was what is now known as Point Ano Nuevo. Just how the spot looked at the time is, of course, only a matter of conjecture; but the supposition is that there was no channel between what is now the island and the mainland. Rocks and sand washed by the waves were all that could be seen. In other respects the conditions were much the same as exist at the present day.
The first human beings to walk over the sand and rocks of Ano Nuevo Island were undoubtedly the original nomadic tribes of the Pacific Coast that have since been called Indians by students of American archaeology. That this is a correct inference is shown by the number of Indian relics that have been found in the vicinity.
In the sand hills just to the east of Ano Nuevo Island numbers of Indian skulls have been found within the last twenty years. By care work one ambitious student succeeded in finding all the parts of a human skeleton, though of course few of the parts belonged to the same individual. No perfect bodies have been found, so it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy whether or not the Indians who once lived near Ano Nuevo were of the same tribe that once inhabited the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel.
As has already been stated no prominent scientist has ever visited the region about Ano Nuevo, but such explorations as have been made by interested relic hunters tend to show that the Indians did not really have there homes near Ano Nuevo, but simply came there to hunt and fish. The unfavorable climate that exists at this point the greater part of the year would in itself almost enough to convince of this, but in addition the relic that have been found are mostly instruments of the kind that would be used for hunting and fishing. Few jars or cooking utensils have ever been discovered, but arrow and bear beads have been found by the dozen. Fish-hooks made of bone have also been found as well as knives made of store and clubs of rawhide loaded with piece is of flint.
On Ano Nuevo Island itself there has only been one find of any importance. It was that of a skull and a portion of the thorax of a human being. This portion of anatomy was buried in a few feet of sand and the position of the bones was such as to indicate that they had been moved since they were buried. It is not likely that they were ever moved by the people who buried them, but there is good reason to believe that they were exhumed by wild beasts after the Indians had left the vicinity, and then when the Indians returned the following year the bones were buried again.
Another indication that the Indians came to the vicinity to hunt and fish is the fact that game is so plentiful there. The sweep of the Japan current keeps the waters full of the best of fish, and the annual visit of the seals to the point were in themselves enough to attract the Indians to the vicinity whenever the weather permitted. Consider the fact that the mountains just to the east are full of deer, and there is all the reason necessary to show that the Indians came to Ano Nuevo to hunt and fish.
Some of the arrowheads that have been found close to this interesting part of the world are of the finest workmanship. Each is carefully chipped and compares favorably with the work of those tribes that have become famous for this sort of weapon. At least 200 of these arrowheads have been found on Point Ano Nuevo.
The first record of the visit of white men to Point Ano Nuevo dates from the days of the missionary fathers. The story goes that a party of priests under the direction of Father Junipero Serra set out on a voyage of discovery a few weeks before Christmas about 1776, but did not meet with much success. In endeavoring to return they were caught in a fog and could only steer by the compass.
Of course, that was not a satisfactory manner of navigation in those days any more than it is at the present time, so the good padres did not attempt to do much sailing. They simply tried to keep as near one spot as possible, intending to land at a point near where Santa Cruz now stands as soon as the fog lifted.
But alas for human calculations, when the padres did at last see land it turned out to be another place than what they were looking for. But there was no help for it. They must land and at least try to get food of some kind. The vessel was about empty of stores and the men were hungry. The spot looked barren to say the least, but the padres made a landing and very likely secured in some way a supply of something to eat, for history records that they offered up blessings and considered that their landing on the island had been providential, for they must soon have perished had they not had the opportunity to land.
History or tradition says that before the padres left Ano Nuevo Island they decided to name it in honor of the day on which they landed there. As this happened to be the first day of the year they called it "Ano Nuevo," or New Year's Island. And so it is called to this day. A few efforts have been made to do away with the pretty Spanish cognomen and substitute entirely that of New Year's Island, but all have resulted in failure. "The Spanish name does not mean anything," some people say, so why not use one that people will understand? But the United States Government has seen fit to preserve the old name in referring to the fog station there and all of the charts used by seamen are labeled with the original name, so it is likely that that is what the island will be called for all time.
The first time that Ano Nuevo Island figured on the records of the country was in 1872, the year in which the Government built the fog station on the island. As is well known, all islands are supposed to belong to the Government, and the engineers, when it was decided to erect a station at that point, went at their work with the idea that the point of rocks and sand was an island. But it seems that a man named Coburn, who had bought a portion of land along the coast in with some old Spanish grant, laid claim to the point on the ground that it was not an island. He brought up witnesses to swear that they had walked from the mainland to the point of rocks, and that therefore it was not an inland, in the end the Government lost the suit and had to pay $5,000 for the rock, which was not really worth 25 cents for any other purpose except some sort of a station.
Point Ano Nuevo has long been conceded to be the roughest point on the Pacific Coast. Its peculiar location and the direction of the ocean's currents keep the water in the vicinity in a constant boil. Fogs are also plentiful and many are the ships that have been lost in the near vicinity.
To reach the island at the present time it is necessary to cross a channel at least half a mile wide, which is at all hours a dangerous undertaking. The breakers rolling on both sides, and if the water is at all rough the passage can only be made at great risk of life. Eight of the fog-signal keepers have been drowned while crossing this bit of treacherous water. At the big low tide the shallowest place is about sixteen feet deep and about 200 feet wide. To wade across is an impossibility.
The location of the island allows the seas to sweep in from both sides and the breakers meet in the center. In calm weather there is a smooth strip of water about fifty feet wide, through which the boat can be rowed, but at any moment this is likely to be turned into a whirlpool so whoever crosses takes his life in his hands. In bad weather to cross this channel is impossible. The breakers are a whirl of foam and the staunchest boat would soon be swamped. On certain occasions the keepers of the fog-signal have had to remain on the island for weeks at a time. The lighthouse tender Madrona, which makes periodical trips along the coast, often finds it impossible to make a landing and has to leave without depositing the usual supplies.
The fog-signal station on Ano Nuevo Island is one of the most important of the Government stations on the Pacific Coast. It is right in the path of the heaviest shipping and a moment's neglect of the signal might result in the loss of a ship.
Since the signal was erected in 1872 there have scarcely been any changes in its manner of working or in the buildings. The signal-house is on the western tip of the island and contains a double set of engines and boilers so as to be able to guard against accidents. The signal is a whistle that gives a blast of fifteen seconds every minute. It can be heard for two miles at sea with the greatest distinctness and a much greater distance with audibility enough to let any skipper know where he is going.
In addition to the fog-signal there is a light of the fourth order on the island, which, however, is not intended to be used as a range light of any kind. The idea in putting it there is to let a skipper know where he is in case he should get in too close on a dare night. This light, however, can be seen for at least ten miles at sea.
Everything about Ano Nuevo Island is in the best of working order and as clean as care and work can make it. There are a number of difficulties to be contended with that are unknown at other stations. The keeper's residence is a large roomy house fitted for two families and about as comfortable as such a house in such a location could be.
Thomas H. Butwell is the keeper at present in charge of the station, and he has every reason to be proud of the work he has done. He has only one assistant, and together they do all the work, on many occasions keep the fog whistle going day and night. The world little knows what is gone through with by the men who keep the signals going for mariners that ships may go safely over the sea. It is long hours and hard work and very little possibility of a vacation. It is seldom that they get more than a mile or two away from the station more than once a year — when they report to the main office in this City.
There is no danger of abalones ever becoming extinct on the Pacific Coast if those on Ano Nuevo Island are taken care of. There are hundreds of thousands of them there, and many of them are as large as the largest that have ever been caught. Just below low-water mark on the western shore of the island they can be seen in all their glory clinging to rocks. Some of them are as large as the top of a water-bucket. These are the large red ones that have been declared to be almost extinct. Nobody his ever been permitted to take any of them since Mr. Butwell has been in charge of the island.
San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 69, Friday, 8 August 1902, Page 8, Column 2 –
THE DAY'S DEAD
Thomas H. Butwell
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7 — Thomas H. Butwell, the beacon tender living at Ballast Point, is dead after a brief illness. He came here six months ago to take up the duties of Captain Douglass, who died suddenly.
San Francisco Call, Sunday, July 18, 1897, Page 18, Image 18, Column 1 to 3 –
DEATH OF A FAMOUS OLD DOG
Jip, the dog detective, for many years famous in San Francisco for his smartness, is dead. He passed away on Ano Nuevo Island a short time ago after living there for about three years.
Hundreds of people in this City will remember Jip. He was known under the various titles of "The dog detective," "The dog life-saver," "The dog paper-carrier" and "Tom's dog." His owner was Thomas N. Butwell, at present keeper of the Government fog signal at Ano Nuevo Island. Certainly no dog was ever more sagacious than Jip nor more useful. He did all that was expected of him, and was continually surprising people by doing things that were not expected of him.
Jip was born in Oakland in 1888. He was a full-blooded setter, and had a most amiable disposition. When very young he showed remarkable intelligence, and in some unknown manner seemed to know what was right and what was wrong.
His first act of what might be called heroism was certainly strange for a dog. He was down near the Twelfth-Street dam in Oakland one day when the water was being let out of Lake Merritt and suddenly caught sight of two kittens that bad been overtaken by the rising water. The two little animals were struggling and crying and would most certainly have been drowned if it had not been for Jip. The dog seemed to know that something was wrong and plunged into the rapid current at the risk of his own life and soon rescued the kittens.
Jip was a great traveler, and was as likely to be in Oakland as San Francisco, although his home was in the latter place. On a certain occasion a little boy was lost from his home in Oakland, and, in spite of the efforts of the police, friends and detectives was not found for four days, and then it was Jip that did the work. How the knowledge came to the dog is one of the mysteries of nature. A policeman passing near a certain part of Webb Street was attracted by Jip's barking and running toward a large sandbox in a vacant lot. The policeman followed the dog and there was the little lost boy lying in the bottom of the sandbox, almost dead from hunger and exposure.
The greatest act of Jip's life was saving a boy from drowning. The youngster had fallen off the end of Mission Street pier into the bay. Jip happened to be near and jumped in after him. After a hard struggle the dog caught the boy by the coat and managed to keep him afloat until a boatman got to them and took them ashore, the boy being unconscious.
As an assistant to policemen Jip was the best that could be had. He has helped arrest dozens of wrongdoers, and on different occasions was the first to be suspicious of guilty people. At a certain time the dealers at the Clay Street market were troubled a great deal by thieves and the police were unable to locate the culprits.
One day an officer was standing on Merchant Street when two young men passed carrying a basket. Jip, who happened to be near, commenced to growl and followed the men. The officer stood and watched and in a few minutes saw the men leave the market with Jip after them. The dog caught one and the policeman the other, and it was found that they had stolen a number of fine geese.
And so the stories of Jip's achievements might be continued indefinitely. He saved the lives of several people and helped arrest as many more. For a long time Jip's owner, "Tom" Butwell, used to be boatman for THE CALL and took the papers across the bay to Oakland every morning.
For a while Tom used to go to the pressroom for the papers himself, but soon Jip got into the habit of doing the work and never neglected to show up at the proper time. The bundle of Oakland papers was not so large in those days as it is now and Jip used to carry them in his mouth.
After going to Ano Nuevo Island Jip was quite contented for a long time, but finally began to miss the life of a big city. He would never allow himself to be alone, but stuck close to his master and mistress and always accompanied them on their trips to Pescadero.
Last month they came to San Francisco for a visit of a few days, and on their return found Jip dead. He was unable to bear the lonesomeness caused by their absence and succumbed to grief.
San Francisco Call, Volume 67, Number 168, Saturday, 15 November 1890, Page 3, Column 2 –
Accused of Stealing
Robert Powers, a boy, was also charged with petty larceny at the City Prison in connection with a theft of geese and turkeys on Merchant Street, where he was caught.
San Francisco Call, Volume 82, Number 34, Sunday, 4 July 1897, Page 19, Column 1 –
ANO NUEVO ISLAND
AND THE GOVERNMENT FOG SIGNAL STATION
About four miles below Pigeon Point on the sea coast of San Mateo County there projects into the Pacific Ocean a point of land known to geographers and a small portion of the general public as Point Ano Nuevo. On the map it presents much the appearance of a cape, but in reality the western end of the point is an island which has been christened Ano Nuevo Inland. Whether the point or the island first received the name is not a matter of record. Certain it is that the name of one had something to do with the name of the other; but that need not be considered at the present time.
Around the island mentioned is a group of rocks that are about as interesting to the scientist and the naturalist as any part of California, and about as little known to the average citizen as the Dry Tortugas. Nor have scientists ever made any study of the island, as the records of the Government fog signal located at that point will show. No matter how considered Ano Nuevo Island and the closely adjacent country are full of interest, and the more it is examined the more unusual features will come to light.
To write a history of Point Ano Nuevo it would be necessary to go back to the time when the world was young. When continents were being formed from sedimentary deposits and the ocean roiled over what are now mountain tops, eruption after eruption shook the world and there was a general upheaval. What was low became high and what was high in many instances sank from sight. What had been the ocean's bottom became the top of lofty mountains. Then other eruptions came and the mountain sunk and what had been a lofty peak became only a point of land projecting into a tempestuous body of water.
In the present instance this was what is now known as Point Ano Nuevo. Just how the spot looked at the time is, of course, only a matter of conjecture; but the supposition is that there was no channel between what is now the island and the mainland. Rocks and sand washed by the waves were all that could be seen. In other respects the conditions were much the same as exist at the present day.
The first human beings to walk over the sand and rocks of Ano Nuevo Island were undoubtedly the original nomadic tribes of the Pacific Coast that have since been called Indians by students of American archaeology. That this is a correct inference is shown by the number of Indian relics that have been found in the vicinity.
In the sand hills just to the east of Ano Nuevo Island numbers of Indian skulls have been found within the last twenty years. By care work one ambitious student succeeded in finding all the parts of a human skeleton, though of course few of the parts belonged to the same individual. No perfect bodies have been found, so it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy whether or not the Indians who once lived near Ano Nuevo were of the same tribe that once inhabited the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel.
As has already been stated no prominent scientist has ever visited the region about Ano Nuevo, but such explorations as have been made by interested relic hunters tend to show that the Indians did not really have there homes near Ano Nuevo, but simply came there to hunt and fish. The unfavorable climate that exists at this point the greater part of the year would in itself almost enough to convince of this, but in addition the relic that have been found are mostly instruments of the kind that would be used for hunting and fishing. Few jars or cooking utensils have ever been discovered, but arrow and bear beads have been found by the dozen. Fish-hooks made of bone have also been found as well as knives made of store and clubs of rawhide loaded with piece is of flint.
On Ano Nuevo Island itself there has only been one find of any importance. It was that of a skull and a portion of the thorax of a human being. This portion of anatomy was buried in a few feet of sand and the position of the bones was such as to indicate that they had been moved since they were buried. It is not likely that they were ever moved by the people who buried them, but there is good reason to believe that they were exhumed by wild beasts after the Indians had left the vicinity, and then when the Indians returned the following year the bones were buried again.
Another indication that the Indians came to the vicinity to hunt and fish is the fact that game is so plentiful there. The sweep of the Japan current keeps the waters full of the best of fish, and the annual visit of the seals to the point were in themselves enough to attract the Indians to the vicinity whenever the weather permitted. Consider the fact that the mountains just to the east are full of deer, and there is all the reason necessary to show that the Indians came to Ano Nuevo to hunt and fish.
Some of the arrowheads that have been found close to this interesting part of the world are of the finest workmanship. Each is carefully chipped and compares favorably with the work of those tribes that have become famous for this sort of weapon. At least 200 of these arrowheads have been found on Point Ano Nuevo.
The first record of the visit of white men to Point Ano Nuevo dates from the days of the missionary fathers. The story goes that a party of priests under the direction of Father Junipero Serra set out on a voyage of discovery a few weeks before Christmas about 1776, but did not meet with much success. In endeavoring to return they were caught in a fog and could only steer by the compass.
Of course, that was not a satisfactory manner of navigation in those days any more than it is at the present time, so the good padres did not attempt to do much sailing. They simply tried to keep as near one spot as possible, intending to land at a point near where Santa Cruz now stands as soon as the fog lifted.
But alas for human calculations, when the padres did at last see land it turned out to be another place than what they were looking for. But there was no help for it. They must land and at least try to get food of some kind. The vessel was about empty of stores and the men were hungry. The spot looked barren to say the least, but the padres made a landing and very likely secured in some way a supply of something to eat, for history records that they offered up blessings and considered that their landing on the island had been providential, for they must soon have perished had they not had the opportunity to land.
History or tradition says that before the padres left Ano Nuevo Island they decided to name it in honor of the day on which they landed there. As this happened to be the first day of the year they called it "Ano Nuevo," or New Year's Island. And so it is called to this day. A few efforts have been made to do away with the pretty Spanish cognomen and substitute entirely that of New Year's Island, but all have resulted in failure. "The Spanish name does not mean anything," some people say, so why not use one that people will understand? But the United States Government has seen fit to preserve the old name in referring to the fog station there and all of the charts used by seamen are labeled with the original name, so it is likely that that is what the island will be called for all time.
The first time that Ano Nuevo Island figured on the records of the country was in 1872, the year in which the Government built the fog station on the island. As is well known, all islands are supposed to belong to the Government, and the engineers, when it was decided to erect a station at that point, went at their work with the idea that the point of rocks and sand was an island. But it seems that a man named Coburn, who had bought a portion of land along the coast in with some old Spanish grant, laid claim to the point on the ground that it was not an island. He brought up witnesses to swear that they had walked from the mainland to the point of rocks, and that therefore it was not an inland, in the end the Government lost the suit and had to pay $5,000 for the rock, which was not really worth 25 cents for any other purpose except some sort of a station.
Point Ano Nuevo has long been conceded to be the roughest point on the Pacific Coast. Its peculiar location and the direction of the ocean's currents keep the water in the vicinity in a constant boil. Fogs are also plentiful and many are the ships that have been lost in the near vicinity.
To reach the island at the present time it is necessary to cross a channel at least half a mile wide, which is at all hours a dangerous undertaking. The breakers rolling on both sides, and if the water is at all rough the passage can only be made at great risk of life. Eight of the fog-signal keepers have been drowned while crossing this bit of treacherous water. At the big low tide the shallowest place is about sixteen feet deep and about 200 feet wide. To wade across is an impossibility.
The location of the island allows the seas to sweep in from both sides and the breakers meet in the center. In calm weather there is a smooth strip of water about fifty feet wide, through which the boat can be rowed, but at any moment this is likely to be turned into a whirlpool so whoever crosses takes his life in his hands. In bad weather to cross this channel is impossible. The breakers are a whirl of foam and the staunchest boat would soon be swamped. On certain occasions the keepers of the fog-signal have had to remain on the island for weeks at a time. The lighthouse tender Madrona, which makes periodical trips along the coast, often finds it impossible to make a landing and has to leave without depositing the usual supplies.
The fog-signal station on Ano Nuevo Island is one of the most important of the Government stations on the Pacific Coast. It is right in the path of the heaviest shipping and a moment's neglect of the signal might result in the loss of a ship.
Since the signal was erected in 1872 there have scarcely been any changes in its manner of working or in the buildings. The signal-house is on the western tip of the island and contains a double set of engines and boilers so as to be able to guard against accidents. The signal is a whistle that gives a blast of fifteen seconds every minute. It can be heard for two miles at sea with the greatest distinctness and a much greater distance with audibility enough to let any skipper know where he is going.
In addition to the fog-signal there is a light of the fourth order on the island, which, however, is not intended to be used as a range light of any kind. The idea in putting it there is to let a skipper know where he is in case he should get in too close on a dare night. This light, however, can be seen for at least ten miles at sea.
Everything about Ano Nuevo Island is in the best of working order and as clean as care and work can make it. There are a number of difficulties to be contended with that are unknown at other stations. The keeper's residence is a large roomy house fitted for two families and about as comfortable as such a house in such a location could be.
Thomas H. Butwell is the keeper at present in charge of the station, and he has every reason to be proud of the work he has done. He has only one assistant, and together they do all the work, on many occasions keep the fog whistle going day and night. The world little knows what is gone through with by the men who keep the signals going for mariners that ships may go safely over the sea. It is long hours and hard work and very little possibility of a vacation. It is seldom that they get more than a mile or two away from the station more than once a year — when they report to the main office in this City.
There is no danger of abalones ever becoming extinct on the Pacific Coast if those on Ano Nuevo Island are taken care of. There are hundreds of thousands of them there, and many of them are as large as the largest that have ever been caught. Just below low-water mark on the western shore of the island they can be seen in all their glory clinging to rocks. Some of them are as large as the top of a water-bucket. These are the large red ones that have been declared to be almost extinct. Nobody his ever been permitted to take any of them since Mr. Butwell has been in charge of the island.
San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 69, Friday, 8 August 1902, Page 8, Column 2 –
THE DAY'S DEAD
Thomas H. Butwell
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7 — Thomas H. Butwell, the beacon tender living at Ballast Point, is dead after a brief illness. He came here six months ago to take up the duties of Captain Douglass, who died suddenly.
Ano Nuevo Island Dog Cemetery
San Francisco Call, Sunday, July 18, 1897, Page 18, Image 18, Column 1 to 3 –
DEATH OF A FAMOUS OLD DOG
Jip, the dog detective, for many years famous in San Francisco for his smartness, is dead. He passed away on Ano Nuevo Island a short time ago after living there for about three years.
Hundreds of people in this City will remember Jip. He was known under the various titles of "The dog detective," "The dog life-saver," "The dog paper-carrier" and "Tom's dog." His owner was Thomas N. Butwell, at present keeper of the Government fog signal at Ano Nuevo Island. Certainly no dog was ever more sagacious than Jip nor more useful. He did all that was expected of him, and was continually surprising people by doing things that were not expected of him.
Jip was born in Oakland in 1888. He was a full-blooded setter, and had a most amiable disposition. When very young he showed remarkable intelligence, and in some unknown manner seemed to know what was right and what was wrong.
His first act of what might be called heroism was certainly strange for a dog. He was down near the Twelfth-Street dam in Oakland one day when the water was being let out of Lake Merritt and suddenly caught sight of two kittens that bad been overtaken by the rising water. The two little animals were struggling and crying and would most certainly have been drowned if it had not been for Jip. The dog seemed to know that something was wrong and plunged into the rapid current at the risk of his own life and soon rescued the kittens.
Jip was a great traveler, and was as likely to be in Oakland as San Francisco, although his home was in the latter place. On a certain occasion a little boy was lost from his home in Oakland, and, in spite of the efforts of the police, friends and detectives was not found for four days, and then it was Jip that did the work. How the knowledge came to the dog is one of the mysteries of nature. A policeman passing near a certain part of Webb Street was attracted by Jip's barking and running toward a large sandbox in a vacant lot. The policeman followed the dog and there was the little lost boy lying in the bottom of the sandbox, almost dead from hunger and exposure.
The greatest act of Jip's life was saving a boy from drowning. The youngster had fallen off the end of Mission Street pier into the bay. Jip happened to be near and jumped in after him. After a hard struggle the dog caught the boy by the coat and managed to keep him afloat until a boatman got to them and took them ashore, the boy being unconscious.
As an assistant to policemen Jip was the best that could be had. He has helped arrest dozens of wrongdoers, and on different occasions was the first to be suspicious of guilty people. At a certain time the dealers at the Clay Street market were troubled a great deal by thieves and the police were unable to locate the culprits.
One day an officer was standing on Merchant Street when two young men passed carrying a basket. Jip, who happened to be near, commenced to growl and followed the men. The officer stood and watched and in a few minutes saw the men leave the market with Jip after them. The dog caught one and the policeman the other, and it was found that they had stolen a number of fine geese.
And so the stories of Jip's achievements might be continued indefinitely. He saved the lives of several people and helped arrest as many more. For a long time Jip's owner, "Tom" Butwell, used to be boatman for THE CALL and took the papers across the bay to Oakland every morning.
For a while Tom used to go to the pressroom for the papers himself, but soon Jip got into the habit of doing the work and never neglected to show up at the proper time. The bundle of Oakland papers was not so large in those days as it is now and Jip used to carry them in his mouth.
After going to Ano Nuevo Island Jip was quite contented for a long time, but finally began to miss the life of a big city. He would never allow himself to be alone, but stuck close to his master and mistress and always accompanied them on their trips to Pescadero.
Last month they came to San Francisco for a visit of a few days, and on their return found Jip dead. He was unable to bear the lonesomeness caused by their absence and succumbed to grief.
San Francisco Call, Volume 67, Number 168, Saturday, 15 November 1890, Page 3, Column 2 –
Accused of Stealing
Robert Powers, a boy, was also charged with petty larceny at the City Prison in connection with a theft of geese and turkeys on Merchant Street, where he was caught.
San Francisco Call, Volume 82, Number 34, Sunday, 4 July 1897, Page 19, Column 1 –
ANO NUEVO ISLAND
AND THE GOVERNMENT FOG SIGNAL STATION
About four miles below Pigeon Point on the sea coast of San Mateo County there projects into the Pacific Ocean a point of land known to geographers and a small portion of the general public as Point Ano Nuevo. On the map it presents much the appearance of a cape, but in reality the western end of the point is an island which has been christened Ano Nuevo Inland. Whether the point or the island first received the name is not a matter of record. Certain it is that the name of one had something to do with the name of the other; but that need not be considered at the present time.
Around the island mentioned is a group of rocks that are about as interesting to the scientist and the naturalist as any part of California, and about as little known to the average citizen as the Dry Tortugas. Nor have scientists ever made any study of the island, as the records of the Government fog signal located at that point will show. No matter how considered Ano Nuevo Island and the closely adjacent country are full of interest, and the more it is examined the more unusual features will come to light.
To write a history of Point Ano Nuevo it would be necessary to go back to the time when the world was young. When continents were being formed from sedimentary deposits and the ocean roiled over what are now mountain tops, eruption after eruption shook the world and there was a general upheaval. What was low became high and what was high in many instances sank from sight. What had been the ocean's bottom became the top of lofty mountains. Then other eruptions came and the mountain sunk and what had been a lofty peak became only a point of land projecting into a tempestuous body of water.
In the present instance this was what is now known as Point Ano Nuevo. Just how the spot looked at the time is, of course, only a matter of conjecture; but the supposition is that there was no channel between what is now the island and the mainland. Rocks and sand washed by the waves were all that could be seen. In other respects the conditions were much the same as exist at the present day.
The first human beings to walk over the sand and rocks of Ano Nuevo Island were undoubtedly the original nomadic tribes of the Pacific Coast that have since been called Indians by students of American archaeology. That this is a correct inference is shown by the number of Indian relics that have been found in the vicinity.
In the sand hills just to the east of Ano Nuevo Island numbers of Indian skulls have been found within the last twenty years. By care work one ambitious student succeeded in finding all the parts of a human skeleton, though of course few of the parts belonged to the same individual. No perfect bodies have been found, so it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy whether or not the Indians who once lived near Ano Nuevo were of the same tribe that once inhabited the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel.
As has already been stated no prominent scientist has ever visited the region about Ano Nuevo, but such explorations as have been made by interested relic hunters tend to show that the Indians did not really have there homes near Ano Nuevo, but simply came there to hunt and fish. The unfavorable climate that exists at this point the greater part of the year would in itself almost enough to convince of this, but in addition the relic that have been found are mostly instruments of the kind that would be used for hunting and fishing. Few jars or cooking utensils have ever been discovered, but arrow and bear beads have been found by the dozen. Fish-hooks made of bone have also been found as well as knives made of store and clubs of rawhide loaded with piece is of flint.
On Ano Nuevo Island itself there has only been one find of any importance. It was that of a skull and a portion of the thorax of a human being. This portion of anatomy was buried in a few feet of sand and the position of the bones was such as to indicate that they had been moved since they were buried. It is not likely that they were ever moved by the people who buried them, but there is good reason to believe that they were exhumed by wild beasts after the Indians had left the vicinity, and then when the Indians returned the following year the bones were buried again.
Another indication that the Indians came to the vicinity to hunt and fish is the fact that game is so plentiful there. The sweep of the Japan current keeps the waters full of the best of fish, and the annual visit of the seals to the point were in themselves enough to attract the Indians to the vicinity whenever the weather permitted. Consider the fact that the mountains just to the east are full of deer, and there is all the reason necessary to show that the Indians came to Ano Nuevo to hunt and fish.
Some of the arrowheads that have been found close to this interesting part of the world are of the finest workmanship. Each is carefully chipped and compares favorably with the work of those tribes that have become famous for this sort of weapon. At least 200 of these arrowheads have been found on Point Ano Nuevo.
The first record of the visit of white men to Point Ano Nuevo dates from the days of the missionary fathers. The story goes that a party of priests under the direction of Father Junipero Serra set out on a voyage of discovery a few weeks before Christmas about 1776, but did not meet with much success. In endeavoring to return they were caught in a fog and could only steer by the compass.
Of course, that was not a satisfactory manner of navigation in those days any more than it is at the present time, so the good padres did not attempt to do much sailing. They simply tried to keep as near one spot as possible, intending to land at a point near where Santa Cruz now stands as soon as the fog lifted.
But alas for human calculations, when the padres did at last see land it turned out to be another place than what they were looking for. But there was no help for it. They must land and at least try to get food of some kind. The vessel was about empty of stores and the men were hungry. The spot looked barren to say the least, but the padres made a landing and very likely secured in some way a supply of something to eat, for history records that they offered up blessings and considered that their landing on the island had been providential, for they must soon have perished had they not had the opportunity to land.
History or tradition says that before the padres left Ano Nuevo Island they decided to name it in honor of the day on which they landed there. As this happened to be the first day of the year they called it "Ano Nuevo," or New Year's Island. And so it is called to this day. A few efforts have been made to do away with the pretty Spanish cognomen and substitute entirely that of New Year's Island, but all have resulted in failure. "The Spanish name does not mean anything," some people say, so why not use one that people will understand? But the United States Government has seen fit to preserve the old name in referring to the fog station there and all of the charts used by seamen are labeled with the original name, so it is likely that that is what the island will be called for all time.
The first time that Ano Nuevo Island figured on the records of the country was in 1872, the year in which the Government built the fog station on the island. As is well known, all islands are supposed to belong to the Government, and the engineers, when it was decided to erect a station at that point, went at their work with the idea that the point of rocks and sand was an island. But it seems that a man named Coburn, who had bought a portion of land along the coast in with some old Spanish grant, laid claim to the point on the ground that it was not an island. He brought up witnesses to swear that they had walked from the mainland to the point of rocks, and that therefore it was not an inland, in the end the Government lost the suit and had to pay $5,000 for the rock, which was not really worth 25 cents for any other purpose except some sort of a station.
Point Ano Nuevo has long been conceded to be the roughest point on the Pacific Coast. Its peculiar location and the direction of the ocean's currents keep the water in the vicinity in a constant boil. Fogs are also plentiful and many are the ships that have been lost in the near vicinity.
To reach the island at the present time it is necessary to cross a channel at least half a mile wide, which is at all hours a dangerous undertaking. The breakers rolling on both sides, and if the water is at all rough the passage can only be made at great risk of life. Eight of the fog-signal keepers have been drowned while crossing this bit of treacherous water. At the big low tide the shallowest place is about sixteen feet deep and about 200 feet wide. To wade across is an impossibility.
The location of the island allows the seas to sweep in from both sides and the breakers meet in the center. In calm weather there is a smooth strip of water about fifty feet wide, through which the boat can be rowed, but at any moment this is likely to be turned into a whirlpool so whoever crosses takes his life in his hands. In bad weather to cross this channel is impossible. The breakers are a whirl of foam and the staunchest boat would soon be swamped. On certain occasions the keepers of the fog-signal have had to remain on the island for weeks at a time. The lighthouse tender Madrona, which makes periodical trips along the coast, often finds it impossible to make a landing and has to leave without depositing the usual supplies.
The fog-signal station on Ano Nuevo Island is one of the most important of the Government stations on the Pacific Coast. It is right in the path of the heaviest shipping and a moment's neglect of the signal might result in the loss of a ship.
Since the signal was erected in 1872 there have scarcely been any changes in its manner of working or in the buildings. The signal-house is on the western tip of the island and contains a double set of engines and boilers so as to be able to guard against accidents. The signal is a whistle that gives a blast of fifteen seconds every minute. It can be heard for two miles at sea with the greatest distinctness and a much greater distance with audibility enough to let any skipper know where he is going.
In addition to the fog-signal there is a light of the fourth order on the island, which, however, is not intended to be used as a range light of any kind. The idea in putting it there is to let a skipper know where he is in case he should get in too close on a dare night. This light, however, can be seen for at least ten miles at sea.
Everything about Ano Nuevo Island is in the best of working order and as clean as care and work can make it. There are a number of difficulties to be contended with that are unknown at other stations. The keeper's residence is a large roomy house fitted for two families and about as comfortable as such a house in such a location could be.
Thomas H. Butwell is the keeper at present in charge of the station, and he has every reason to be proud of the work he has done. He has only one assistant, and together they do all the work, on many occasions keep the fog whistle going day and night. The world little knows what is gone through with by the men who keep the signals going for mariners that ships may go safely over the sea. It is long hours and hard work and very little possibility of a vacation. It is seldom that they get more than a mile or two away from the station more than once a year — when they report to the main office in this City.
There is no danger of abalones ever becoming extinct on the Pacific Coast if those on Ano Nuevo Island are taken care of. There are hundreds of thousands of them there, and many of them are as large as the largest that have ever been caught. Just below low-water mark on the western shore of the island they can be seen in all their glory clinging to rocks. Some of them are as large as the top of a water-bucket. These are the large red ones that have been declared to be almost extinct. Nobody his ever been permitted to take any of them since Mr. Butwell has been in charge of the island.
San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 69, Friday, 8 August 1902, Page 8, Column 2 –
THE DAY'S DEAD
Thomas H. Butwell
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7 — Thomas H. Butwell, the beacon tender living at Ballast Point, is dead after a brief illness. He came here six months ago to take up the duties of Captain Douglass, who died suddenly.
San Francisco Call, Sunday, July 18, 1897, Page 18, Image 18, Column 1 to 3 –
DEATH OF A FAMOUS OLD DOG
Jip, the dog detective, for many years famous in San Francisco for his smartness, is dead. He passed away on Ano Nuevo Island a short time ago after living there for about three years.
Hundreds of people in this City will remember Jip. He was known under the various titles of "The dog detective," "The dog life-saver," "The dog paper-carrier" and "Tom's dog." His owner was Thomas N. Butwell, at present keeper of the Government fog signal at Ano Nuevo Island. Certainly no dog was ever more sagacious than Jip nor more useful. He did all that was expected of him, and was continually surprising people by doing things that were not expected of him.
Jip was born in Oakland in 1888. He was a full-blooded setter, and had a most amiable disposition. When very young he showed remarkable intelligence, and in some unknown manner seemed to know what was right and what was wrong.
His first act of what might be called heroism was certainly strange for a dog. He was down near the Twelfth-Street dam in Oakland one day when the water was being let out of Lake Merritt and suddenly caught sight of two kittens that bad been overtaken by the rising water. The two little animals were struggling and crying and would most certainly have been drowned if it had not been for Jip. The dog seemed to know that something was wrong and plunged into the rapid current at the risk of his own life and soon rescued the kittens.
Jip was a great traveler, and was as likely to be in Oakland as San Francisco, although his home was in the latter place. On a certain occasion a little boy was lost from his home in Oakland, and, in spite of the efforts of the police, friends and detectives was not found for four days, and then it was Jip that did the work. How the knowledge came to the dog is one of the mysteries of nature. A policeman passing near a certain part of Webb Street was attracted by Jip's barking and running toward a large sandbox in a vacant lot. The policeman followed the dog and there was the little lost boy lying in the bottom of the sandbox, almost dead from hunger and exposure.
The greatest act of Jip's life was saving a boy from drowning. The youngster had fallen off the end of Mission Street pier into the bay. Jip happened to be near and jumped in after him. After a hard struggle the dog caught the boy by the coat and managed to keep him afloat until a boatman got to them and took them ashore, the boy being unconscious.
As an assistant to policemen Jip was the best that could be had. He has helped arrest dozens of wrongdoers, and on different occasions was the first to be suspicious of guilty people. At a certain time the dealers at the Clay Street market were troubled a great deal by thieves and the police were unable to locate the culprits.
One day an officer was standing on Merchant Street when two young men passed carrying a basket. Jip, who happened to be near, commenced to growl and followed the men. The officer stood and watched and in a few minutes saw the men leave the market with Jip after them. The dog caught one and the policeman the other, and it was found that they had stolen a number of fine geese.
And so the stories of Jip's achievements might be continued indefinitely. He saved the lives of several people and helped arrest as many more. For a long time Jip's owner, "Tom" Butwell, used to be boatman for THE CALL and took the papers across the bay to Oakland every morning.
For a while Tom used to go to the pressroom for the papers himself, but soon Jip got into the habit of doing the work and never neglected to show up at the proper time. The bundle of Oakland papers was not so large in those days as it is now and Jip used to carry them in his mouth.
After going to Ano Nuevo Island Jip was quite contented for a long time, but finally began to miss the life of a big city. He would never allow himself to be alone, but stuck close to his master and mistress and always accompanied them on their trips to Pescadero.
Last month they came to San Francisco for a visit of a few days, and on their return found Jip dead. He was unable to bear the lonesomeness caused by their absence and succumbed to grief.
San Francisco Call, Volume 67, Number 168, Saturday, 15 November 1890, Page 3, Column 2 –
Accused of Stealing
Robert Powers, a boy, was also charged with petty larceny at the City Prison in connection with a theft of geese and turkeys on Merchant Street, where he was caught.
San Francisco Call, Volume 82, Number 34, Sunday, 4 July 1897, Page 19, Column 1 –
ANO NUEVO ISLAND
AND THE GOVERNMENT FOG SIGNAL STATION
About four miles below Pigeon Point on the sea coast of San Mateo County there projects into the Pacific Ocean a point of land known to geographers and a small portion of the general public as Point Ano Nuevo. On the map it presents much the appearance of a cape, but in reality the western end of the point is an island which has been christened Ano Nuevo Inland. Whether the point or the island first received the name is not a matter of record. Certain it is that the name of one had something to do with the name of the other; but that need not be considered at the present time.
Around the island mentioned is a group of rocks that are about as interesting to the scientist and the naturalist as any part of California, and about as little known to the average citizen as the Dry Tortugas. Nor have scientists ever made any study of the island, as the records of the Government fog signal located at that point will show. No matter how considered Ano Nuevo Island and the closely adjacent country are full of interest, and the more it is examined the more unusual features will come to light.
To write a history of Point Ano Nuevo it would be necessary to go back to the time when the world was young. When continents were being formed from sedimentary deposits and the ocean roiled over what are now mountain tops, eruption after eruption shook the world and there was a general upheaval. What was low became high and what was high in many instances sank from sight. What had been the ocean's bottom became the top of lofty mountains. Then other eruptions came and the mountain sunk and what had been a lofty peak became only a point of land projecting into a tempestuous body of water.
In the present instance this was what is now known as Point Ano Nuevo. Just how the spot looked at the time is, of course, only a matter of conjecture; but the supposition is that there was no channel between what is now the island and the mainland. Rocks and sand washed by the waves were all that could be seen. In other respects the conditions were much the same as exist at the present day.
The first human beings to walk over the sand and rocks of Ano Nuevo Island were undoubtedly the original nomadic tribes of the Pacific Coast that have since been called Indians by students of American archaeology. That this is a correct inference is shown by the number of Indian relics that have been found in the vicinity.
In the sand hills just to the east of Ano Nuevo Island numbers of Indian skulls have been found within the last twenty years. By care work one ambitious student succeeded in finding all the parts of a human skeleton, though of course few of the parts belonged to the same individual. No perfect bodies have been found, so it is impossible to state with any degree of accuracy whether or not the Indians who once lived near Ano Nuevo were of the same tribe that once inhabited the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel.
As has already been stated no prominent scientist has ever visited the region about Ano Nuevo, but such explorations as have been made by interested relic hunters tend to show that the Indians did not really have there homes near Ano Nuevo, but simply came there to hunt and fish. The unfavorable climate that exists at this point the greater part of the year would in itself almost enough to convince of this, but in addition the relic that have been found are mostly instruments of the kind that would be used for hunting and fishing. Few jars or cooking utensils have ever been discovered, but arrow and bear beads have been found by the dozen. Fish-hooks made of bone have also been found as well as knives made of store and clubs of rawhide loaded with piece is of flint.
On Ano Nuevo Island itself there has only been one find of any importance. It was that of a skull and a portion of the thorax of a human being. This portion of anatomy was buried in a few feet of sand and the position of the bones was such as to indicate that they had been moved since they were buried. It is not likely that they were ever moved by the people who buried them, but there is good reason to believe that they were exhumed by wild beasts after the Indians had left the vicinity, and then when the Indians returned the following year the bones were buried again.
Another indication that the Indians came to the vicinity to hunt and fish is the fact that game is so plentiful there. The sweep of the Japan current keeps the waters full of the best of fish, and the annual visit of the seals to the point were in themselves enough to attract the Indians to the vicinity whenever the weather permitted. Consider the fact that the mountains just to the east are full of deer, and there is all the reason necessary to show that the Indians came to Ano Nuevo to hunt and fish.
Some of the arrowheads that have been found close to this interesting part of the world are of the finest workmanship. Each is carefully chipped and compares favorably with the work of those tribes that have become famous for this sort of weapon. At least 200 of these arrowheads have been found on Point Ano Nuevo.
The first record of the visit of white men to Point Ano Nuevo dates from the days of the missionary fathers. The story goes that a party of priests under the direction of Father Junipero Serra set out on a voyage of discovery a few weeks before Christmas about 1776, but did not meet with much success. In endeavoring to return they were caught in a fog and could only steer by the compass.
Of course, that was not a satisfactory manner of navigation in those days any more than it is at the present time, so the good padres did not attempt to do much sailing. They simply tried to keep as near one spot as possible, intending to land at a point near where Santa Cruz now stands as soon as the fog lifted.
But alas for human calculations, when the padres did at last see land it turned out to be another place than what they were looking for. But there was no help for it. They must land and at least try to get food of some kind. The vessel was about empty of stores and the men were hungry. The spot looked barren to say the least, but the padres made a landing and very likely secured in some way a supply of something to eat, for history records that they offered up blessings and considered that their landing on the island had been providential, for they must soon have perished had they not had the opportunity to land.
History or tradition says that before the padres left Ano Nuevo Island they decided to name it in honor of the day on which they landed there. As this happened to be the first day of the year they called it "Ano Nuevo," or New Year's Island. And so it is called to this day. A few efforts have been made to do away with the pretty Spanish cognomen and substitute entirely that of New Year's Island, but all have resulted in failure. "The Spanish name does not mean anything," some people say, so why not use one that people will understand? But the United States Government has seen fit to preserve the old name in referring to the fog station there and all of the charts used by seamen are labeled with the original name, so it is likely that that is what the island will be called for all time.
The first time that Ano Nuevo Island figured on the records of the country was in 1872, the year in which the Government built the fog station on the island. As is well known, all islands are supposed to belong to the Government, and the engineers, when it was decided to erect a station at that point, went at their work with the idea that the point of rocks and sand was an island. But it seems that a man named Coburn, who had bought a portion of land along the coast in with some old Spanish grant, laid claim to the point on the ground that it was not an island. He brought up witnesses to swear that they had walked from the mainland to the point of rocks, and that therefore it was not an inland, in the end the Government lost the suit and had to pay $5,000 for the rock, which was not really worth 25 cents for any other purpose except some sort of a station.
Point Ano Nuevo has long been conceded to be the roughest point on the Pacific Coast. Its peculiar location and the direction of the ocean's currents keep the water in the vicinity in a constant boil. Fogs are also plentiful and many are the ships that have been lost in the near vicinity.
To reach the island at the present time it is necessary to cross a channel at least half a mile wide, which is at all hours a dangerous undertaking. The breakers rolling on both sides, and if the water is at all rough the passage can only be made at great risk of life. Eight of the fog-signal keepers have been drowned while crossing this bit of treacherous water. At the big low tide the shallowest place is about sixteen feet deep and about 200 feet wide. To wade across is an impossibility.
The location of the island allows the seas to sweep in from both sides and the breakers meet in the center. In calm weather there is a smooth strip of water about fifty feet wide, through which the boat can be rowed, but at any moment this is likely to be turned into a whirlpool so whoever crosses takes his life in his hands. In bad weather to cross this channel is impossible. The breakers are a whirl of foam and the staunchest boat would soon be swamped. On certain occasions the keepers of the fog-signal have had to remain on the island for weeks at a time. The lighthouse tender Madrona, which makes periodical trips along the coast, often finds it impossible to make a landing and has to leave without depositing the usual supplies.
The fog-signal station on Ano Nuevo Island is one of the most important of the Government stations on the Pacific Coast. It is right in the path of the heaviest shipping and a moment's neglect of the signal might result in the loss of a ship.
Since the signal was erected in 1872 there have scarcely been any changes in its manner of working or in the buildings. The signal-house is on the western tip of the island and contains a double set of engines and boilers so as to be able to guard against accidents. The signal is a whistle that gives a blast of fifteen seconds every minute. It can be heard for two miles at sea with the greatest distinctness and a much greater distance with audibility enough to let any skipper know where he is going.
In addition to the fog-signal there is a light of the fourth order on the island, which, however, is not intended to be used as a range light of any kind. The idea in putting it there is to let a skipper know where he is in case he should get in too close on a dare night. This light, however, can be seen for at least ten miles at sea.
Everything about Ano Nuevo Island is in the best of working order and as clean as care and work can make it. There are a number of difficulties to be contended with that are unknown at other stations. The keeper's residence is a large roomy house fitted for two families and about as comfortable as such a house in such a location could be.
Thomas H. Butwell is the keeper at present in charge of the station, and he has every reason to be proud of the work he has done. He has only one assistant, and together they do all the work, on many occasions keep the fog whistle going day and night. The world little knows what is gone through with by the men who keep the signals going for mariners that ships may go safely over the sea. It is long hours and hard work and very little possibility of a vacation. It is seldom that they get more than a mile or two away from the station more than once a year — when they report to the main office in this City.
There is no danger of abalones ever becoming extinct on the Pacific Coast if those on Ano Nuevo Island are taken care of. There are hundreds of thousands of them there, and many of them are as large as the largest that have ever been caught. Just below low-water mark on the western shore of the island they can be seen in all their glory clinging to rocks. Some of them are as large as the top of a water-bucket. These are the large red ones that have been declared to be almost extinct. Nobody his ever been permitted to take any of them since Mr. Butwell has been in charge of the island.
San Francisco Call, Volume 87, Number 69, Friday, 8 August 1902, Page 8, Column 2 –
THE DAY'S DEAD
Thomas H. Butwell
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7 — Thomas H. Butwell, the beacon tender living at Ballast Point, is dead after a brief illness. He came here six months ago to take up the duties of Captain Douglass, who died suddenly.
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