ANO NUEVO ISLAND
AND THE GOVERNMENT FOG SIGNAL STATION
About four miles balow 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 tbat 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 Utile known to
the average citizen as tbe Dry Tortugas.
Nor have scientists ever made any study
of the island, as the records of the Govern –
ment 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 mora 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 sedi –
mentary deposits and the ocean roiled
over what are now mountain tops, erup –
tion 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 erup –
tions came and the mountain sunk and
what had been a lofty peak became only a
point of land projecting into a- tempestu –
ous 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 chan –
nel between »?hat is now the island and
the mainland. Rocks and sand washed
by the waves were all that could be seen.
Cherished Treasures of Those Who Go Before.
A woman came’in—a withered body
with a face which” I think has always been
kept in the shadows of the deepest dark –
ness of God’s world/ And she bent close
to the body on the stone slab—for her eyes
were half bereft of their seeing and
MIT IS NOT SO VERY MUCH AFTER ALL,” HE SAID.
In other respects the conditions were
much the same as exist at the present
day.
The first human beings to walk over the
•■and and rocks of A.no 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 infer –
ence is shown by the number of Indian
relics that have been found in the
vicinity.
In the sandhills 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 stu –
dent succeeded in finding all the parts of
a human skeleton, though of course few
of the parts belonged to the same indi –
vidual. No perfect bodies have been
found, so it is impossible to state with
any degree of accuracy whether or not the
started back as recognition and the chill
of the dead came to her.-
I watched her furtively. It was my
first introduction to this chapter in the
life of a great city. A curious desire to
witness tbe final act in the drama of those
Indians who once lived near Ano Nuevo
were of the same tribe that once inhab –
ited the islands of the Santa Barbara
Channel.
As has already been stated no promi –
nent 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 thor.r homes near Ano
Nutvo, but simply time there to hunt
and fish. The unfav >rable climate that
exists at this point th ■ greater part of the
year would in itself >c almost enough to
convince of this, but in addition the
relic- that have bee i found are mostly
instruments of the kind that would be
used for hunting and ishing. Few jars or
cooking utensils hav< ever been discov –
ered, but arrow and _\ ear beads have been
found by the dozen. Fish-hooks made of
bone have also bee 1 found as well as
knives made of store and clubs of raw –
hide loaded with piec is of flint.
On Ano Nuevo [si md itself there has
on been one find of my importance. It
was that of a skull a id a portion of the
thorax of a human be ng. This portion of
anatomy was buried i 1 a few feet of sand
and the position of th* bones was,such as
to indicate that the/” had been moved –
since they were buri< d. It is not likely
that they were ever n oved by the people
who buried them, but there is good reason
to believe that they were exhumed by
wild beasts after the ] ndians had leit the
vicinity, and then ben the Indians re –
turned the following rear 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 Jar an current keeps the
waters full of the bes . of fish, and the an –
nual visit of the seals to the point wero in
themselves enough t :> attract the Indians
to the vicinity whenever the weather per –
mitted. v Consider the fact that the moun –
tains just to the east are full of deer, and
there is all the reason necessary to show
that the Indians cane to Ano Nuevo to
hunt and fish.
Some of the arrowl cads that have been
found close to this in cresting part of the
world are .of the f nest workmanship.
Each is carefully chipped and compares
favorably with the v*ork of those tribes
that have become famous for this sort of
weapon. At least .’OO of these arrow –
heads have been found on Point Ano
Nuevo.
The first record o: the visit of white
men to Point Ano Nuevo dates from the
days of tho missionary fathers. The story
goes that a party of priests under the di-;
rection of Father Junipero Serra set out
on a voyage of discovery a few weeks,
before Christmas about 1776, but did not
j meet with much success. In endeavoring
: who play out their lives and end them in
their own way had le 1 me wonderingiy to
this farewell stage of the unidenti –
fied dead—to this last halting-place this
side of tbe suicide’s grave.
The woman pulled) back the covering
and took up the hand of the silent form
lying beneath it. There was a seal ring
on one of the fingers. She tried to take
it off.
,A man pushed her to one side.
“You cannot have it now,” he said.
“We will see you later.” And he covered
up the body again. ■
She looked at the man and her lips
moved, but she did not speak. If she had
spoken—if she had shrieked—it would
have been a relief.
As she moved toward the door the man
spoke to her again. •- .
•’How can I get it?”. she asked, trem –
blingly—”the ring, it is mine.”
“He hasn’t been identified yet, madam,”
the man reminded her. sj?«.?–“.-,
“Of course hot,” she said feverishly—
“of course.” -..””
And then there was a commotion on the
other side of the room.
“He b’longs, to some , un,” whispered a
ragged individual next to me.
And in the shuffling and amid the nerv –
ousness and the suppressed whisperings
the woman disappeared.
«***•**-•. – ■ •
The Coroner was very busy. He solved
all sorts of things with that business-like
air of solemnity which belongs to Ibis
office. And he bad that” peculiar frown
which is the most important requisite for
the successful manager of final departures.l –
-“How do you dispose of valuables found
on the person of the dead?” I ventured .to
ask. r i _
;.’-He paused;” to : eye me sharply and \to
I announce, somewhat fearfully, that “the
Public Administrator gets them.”
“There isn’t so much, after all,” he ex –
-1 plained ; “usually a watch, or a ring, or ‘a
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 aid 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 isl –
and had been providential, for they must
soon have perished bad they not had the
opportunity to land.
History or tradition says that before the
padres left Ano Nuevo Island they de –
cided to name it in honor of the day on
which they landed there. As this hap –
pened 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 todo away
with the pretty Spanish cognom-n and
substitute entirely that of New Year’s
Island, but all have resulted in failure.
“The Spanish name does not mean any –
thing,’.’ some people say, so why not use
one that people will understand? But the
Llnited Slates Government has seen fit to
preserve the old name in referring to the
fog station there and all of the charts U3ed
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 tne Government
built the fog station on the island. As is
well known, all islands are supposed to
belong to the Government, and the engi –
neers, when it was decided to erect a sta –
tion 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 bad bought a
portion of land along the coast in with
some old Spanish grant, laid claim to the
point on the ground tbat it was not an
island. He brought up witnesses to swear
that they had walked irom the mainland
to the point of rocks, and that therefore
it was not an inland, ln the end the
Government lost the suit and had to pay
$5000 for the rock, which was not really
worth 25 cents for any other purpose ex –
cept some sort of a station.
Point Ano Nuevo has long been con –
wortnless pin. He can tell you. what be –
comes of the things. I oniy know t_ey
are bundled up and sent away from here.’
So I hurried away, still determined, out
into the street and past the crowds of liv –
ing, scurrying mortals; away from the
presence of the end of life. And .I got
into a car and sat opposite a young woman
and watched her as she fondled the little
one in her lap.’
Out from the flatness of death into the
fullness of li>e. It is a strange, strange
scheme, indeed.
“•*’*’ ****** –
There were a few people goipg my way,
some with mourning faces, and some with
the mourning only in their clothes. As
we stepped out of the elevator two men
were examining a watch.
“Pretty good; watch for a quarter, eh?”
one of them said, laughingly. “No name
on it, eitherl call that luck.” ; .
. The other one shrugged bis shoulders.
“I wouldn’t carry it,” he declared. “I’d
be wondering, who had .it before. I
wouldn’t have anything bought at sui –
cides’ auction.” ‘ *
The other ;: laughed again. “You’re
superstitious*, like a woman, he replied
scornfully.
I am quite positive that I shared the
superstition, and on looking at the pack –
ages of unreclaimed articles which the
worthy Administrator had in his posses –
sion, I felt it becoming stronger.
“The law prescribes a certain length of
time that we must keep these things,”
said he as he opened the smallest package.
“This is a ring’taken from a poor fellow
who shot;himself.V No one ever came to
claim it, and no. one wan to buy it be –
cause—”… and he held it up to the light so
that I could see plainly the engraving on
the inside—”From Mother, June, 1888.” I
“Now,, you see, that’s of no value and
we never ■ could dispose of it in any way.’
So it’ll lie around here probably until it
gets lost.”;’: ;;;. ./[
“Why couldn’t you ■■. bury such things
with-‘the owners?” I;suggested. “After
all, tbey really belong to them.”
“Nothing belongs to a dead man. When
ceded 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
roll in 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 six –
teen 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
he cnooses death—or death chooses him—
he has to give, up his possessions in this
world to those more able to enjoy them
than be is. Beside*,” he said in a busi –
ness-like way, “he’d have an awful time
keeping the poor fellows in their graves.
Fiends would rob them.”.
“But you auction things off, don’t
you I asked, anxious to get his thoughts
away from fanciful notions least 1 should
have to admit that I had a few about
some things myself.
“Well, not exactly a public auction –
just a sale of a few things, you know. The
place would become unpleasantly full of
dead men’s relics if we didn’t dispose of
them. Then we might be liable to be –
come ■ haunted—have the different spirits
hunting for, their former possessions and
prowling about at unreasonable hours.”
He looked at roe quizzically. :•;;,-
“”So we just have a little sale—a few fel –
lows come up here and I just sell for al –
most nothing a few, things that will never
be called for. .That keeps the spirits
quiet. They don’t mind if people are hav –
ing good use out of things.” *,=
*****»♦*
“Anything more lean do for you?” he
asked as I rose to go. –
–‘ There was nothing else—nothing in the
whole worldbut I wanted to get out into
the sunshine where there was life.,:
– – ■’;. Muriel Bailt. I
Hawaiian: Intelligence.
‘”‘■Jl pleasing example of Hawaiian intel –
ligence was noted by T. Daniel Fraw –
ley and his theatrical company on ■ their
tour of ; the islands ■■ a year ‘ ago. r The
writer chanced to dine. with several mem –
bers of the troupe Va’ few days ;.’after., tbeir
return and the impression . which he
gleaned from their most enthusiastic de –
scriptions of the natives’ appreciation of
the drama has left him ever since with
most favorable opinions concerning ? Ha –
waiian .Island * culture. ‘V Mr. V Frawley ex –
hibited not merely the enthusiasm of the
successful theatrical manager in speaking
of an audience’s cordial response to his
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 De turned into a whirlpool
so whoever crosses takes his life in his
hands. In bad weather to cross this chan –
nel is impossible. The breakers are a
whirl of foam and the stanchest boat
would soon be swamped. \ On certain occa –
sions 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 deposit –
ing 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 ship –
ping and a moment’s neglect of the signal
might result in the loss of a ship.
efforts, but spoke with the keen admira –
tion of a student of human nature who
had witnessed a particularly bright dis –
play of intelligence. At such plays as “The
Senator,” “The Great Unknown” and
SCENE FROM “THE -TWO ESCUTCHEONS.”
v One of the delicate society skits which the natives of Hawaii appreciated as keen –
ly as did their American companions, a circumstance which is urged as evidence of
Hawaiian; refinement! and fitness to become citizens of civilized America. Before
this and other finely poised satires, which the Frawley Company presented in
Honolulu last year, the natives displayed the keenest appreciation and the alertest
comprehension. uffiMBHHBHBHh
Since the signal was erected in 1372 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 audi –
bility 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 bo
contended with that are unknown at
other stations. The keeper’s residence is
a large roomy house fitted for two fam –
ilies 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 wort
he has done. He has only one assistant,
and together they do all tbe 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 lit –
tle possibility of a vacation. It is seldom
tbat 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 be –
coming 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 teen
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 a* the top of a
water-bucket. These are the large red
ones that have been declared to be al –
most extinct. Nobody his ever been per –
mitted to take any of them since Mr. But –
well has been in charge of the island.
“The Two Escutcheons,” the natives in
the audience exhibited even more ap –
preciation of the exquisi’e flashes of rep
artec and persiflage than did the English –
or Americans who sat beside them.
19