Mystery

For decades, hundreds of schooner-rigged scows scuttled like water bugs on San Francisco and attached bays, hauling cargoes from hay and cobble stones to butter and coal between the ports, large and small, that dotted the shore.  

One of those scow schooners was the two-masted Mystery, captained by Damien Espinosa and crewed by his three oldest daughters. 

Mystery

In addition to serving as his family’s primary source of income, the Mystery served as a floating home for Espinosa, his wife and their seven children.  

Caught in a terrific storm that struck San Pablo Bay, the Mystery was thrown on her beam-ends shortly after midnight on March 22, 1907. Capt. Espinosa and his crew—his three oldest daughters Isabel, Jesucita, and Grace were lost.

From the Marin Journal of March 28, 1907: “Last Friday night the scow schooner Mystery turned over on her side in San Pablo bay, about a mile and a half north of Point San Pedro and Captain Espinosa and his three daughters who acted as his crew were drowned. 

“On Monday Coroner Sawyer and Thomas Tilson went out to the wreck to search for the bodies, supposed to be imprisoned in the cabin but their hunt was fruitless. A hole was made in the exposed portion of the boat and the interior of the cabin was explored with boat hooks. 

“Nothing except some clothing was found and it is now accepted as a fact that the four people were washed overboard at the time the boat capsized: A heavy sea was running at the time and the chances are that the bodies were carried upon the flats and marshes circling the bay to the north. 

“Dr. John McNear has taken charge of raising the boat and saving as much as possible for the widow and her four surviving children. The boat now lies in about ten feet of water and is floating on her beam ends. She will be dragged ashore and righted. They evidently got as far as what is known as the ‘brickyard channels’ when the winds and waves claimed the Mystery and her crew, for their own. 

“The Mystery floats with all her canvas set excepting the jib. Her anchor is out the cables length and the deck load of rock has fallen into the bay. It looks as though a desperate effort had been made to work her onto the mud flats. It is thought that the anchor, which was probably in readiness, fell overboard as she turned over. 

“The small boat, or frail skiff has been found at what is known as the ‘haystack’ indicating that long before the wreck she had broken adrift from the ill-fated schooner. The Mystery was one of the strangest boats that ever cruised the bay. 

“Espinosa, his wife and their seven children lived aboard and knew no other home. The three large girls were the sailors and did all the work of loading and unloading the craft. At the time she succumbed to the storm the Mystery was taking a load of crushed rock from Petaluma to San Francisco. 

“Captain Espinosa had with him on the boat, his eldest daughter Isabelle, aged 17; Jesucita, aged 15; and Grace aged 13. The other four children remained here with the mother. 

“The family is nearly in destitute circumstances and on Tuesday Coroner Frank L. Blackburn was busy taking up a collection. The citizens contributed liberally and the immediate needs of the family will be attended to but there is yet much work in store for the local charitable people and for the local charitable societies. 

“Mr. Blackburn collected the sum of $75.10 and several dollars’ worth of bread tickets. He at once placed the money in the hands of Dr. Thomas Maclay and Mrs. Josie Hill, who will see that the family receives the coin as it is needed. 

“Mrs. Espinosa visited the newspaper offices on Tuesday to ascertain if any news had been learned. She is apparently stunned by the shock and does not appear able to realize as yet.” 

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