Rescued by Chinese in Fishing Boats

From San Francisco Call, Volume 86, Number 77, 16 August 1899

What an amazing story about a boat trip gone awry! Ladies who nearly lost their lives, but were rescued by Chinese in Fishing Boats.

Most likely these ladies from the Washington Township were also in the Washington Township Country Club, one of the oldest organization still in existence in our area. Was this a field trip for them? Did anyone write about it later?

Here is the text formatted to make it easier, but you will want to look at the original news from the SF Call, 1899.

MANY LADIES WRECKED OFF PACIFIC GROVE

Rescued by Chinese in Fishing Boats. Oakland Office San Francisco Call, 908 Broadway, Aug. 15.

Nearly a score of people prominent in Washington Township have just escaped losing their lives at Pacific Grove. A large party from Decoto, Centerville and Niles was at the grove and had chartered a gasoline launch to take them out to sea. 

There was half a gale of wind blowing, which was sending a heavy swell into the bay, and as soon as the little vessel had cleared the point and met the full force of wind and wave the party began to wish themselves on shore. After a few minutes battling with the waves the machinery broke down, and for a long time matters looked very serious. The boat swung off into the trough of the sea and the passengers expected to see every breaker roll over the side and send them and the boat to the bottom. 

The captain of the launch got into his fishing boat, which he towed astern, and which seemed better able to breast the waves than the launch, and succeeded in towing the launch out of the trough of the sea. By this time some Chinese fishermen had seen the danger to which the party was exposed. They at once sailed out and succeeded in bringing the wrecked launch to their wharf in Chinatown, near Del Monte. It was necessary to tow them over a mile to get them to a place of of safety. The party rescued consisted of Ethel Tretheway of East Oakland, Mrs. J. L Beard and daughter, Mrs. Henry May, Mrs. Rudolf Vollmer and Misses Edna and Ella Whipple of Decoto, Mrs. F. O. Bunting, Miss Evelyn Bunting and Mrs. Hawley of Centerville, Mrs. H. D. Ellsworth, Miss Carrie Ellsworth, Miss Hazel Jocobus, Mrs. William H. Ford Mrs.:J. R. Clough, Stewart Chisolm and Harry Mosher of Niles. 

The effect. caused by landing at the Chinese fishing station after their perilous trip to sea was sufficient to cause every one of the party to make a mild oath never to go to sea again."

Online is this picture of a group of men, women, and children in Pacific Grove. Date is 188?
Probably another group of visitors, but they might have looked like this.