Ellen White: Woman of Vision

Through The Golden Gate

Now they came to Thursday, the last full day of the trip. They would enter San Francisco Bay that night. The day was sunny and bright, but the sea was so rough the sailors could hardly keep their balance on deck. Most of the passengers remained in their berths. There was no trip-ending party. Ellen White lay in bed all day, fearful even to turn over. And then just before the Moana slipped through the Golden Gate, the sea suddenly quieted. It was 10:00. The ship could not dock until daylight, so the anchor was cast. WV 369.4

Through the long night hours the ship swung lazily at anchor in San Francisco Bay. The White party no doubt expected that with the coming of daylight the Moana would move into one of the Union Steamship Company piers, and that soon friends and fellow workers on the wharf would be welcoming them back to the United States. But such was not the case. Immigration officials, highly conscious of germs, required the Sydney passengers, even though they had been on the ship for nearly a month, to proceed by tugboat to a quarantine station on Angel Island, where their belongings and trunks could be fumigated. That whole weary Friday was spent going through these formalities. WV 369.5

Finally, by early evening, the contents of the trunks and suitcases having been properly fumigated and repacked, the party was taken by tugboat to San Francisco. They arrived at 8:00 and were met by G. A. Irwin, president of the General Conference; C. H. Jones, manager of the Pacific Press; and J. O. Corliss, pastor of the San Francisco church. The traveling party soon dispersed. Elder Jones, a longtime friend and acquaintance, took Ellen White and some of her helpers to his home in Oakland. Others stayed with friends in San Francisco. W. C. and May White, with the twins and Baby Grace, were entertained by the Corlisses at their home in Fruitvale, an Oakland suburb. That night Elder Irwin sent a telegram to Battle Creek that carried the good news of the arrival of the party. It was published on the back page of the next issue of the Review. It read, “San Francisco, Cal., September 21, 1900.—Sister White and party arrived this morning in good condition.” The editor commented that this would be “good news to thousands.” And it was. WV 369.6