The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-07-31
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
Per S. S. Australia, San Francisco,
July 10, 1889.

uoI Olu pace Ou Uu0 III 10 HONOLULU.
She left the Oceanic dock at 10:15 a.
NJ, under command of Captain
Houdlette and with a large number
of invited guests on board. It was
the intention to send her around the
Farallones, but the thick fog pre-
vented. She made two trips over the
bar making Ia knots with 81 revolu-
tions in the face of the wind and II
knots with 81 revolutions when run
ming with the wind. Theodore
Cramp of Philadelphia, who was on
board, inspected the workings of the
engines, and described them as being
the finest he had ever seen in the
steamship service.
The repairing of the steamer was
done under the supervision of
George Ross, at an expense Of $685.
900. The Risdon Iron Works re-
ceived the contract former machinery.
The Importance of the work to the
future ship building and repairing
industry of the port caused Mr.. Ross
to devote his entire time to the sue
cess of his undertaking, and he was
highly pleased at the results of the
steamers first and only trial. Lit
tie wood was used in the vessel ex-
cept for interior decorations and
desk coverings. Several weak points
which formerly existed in the Aus
tralia's hull were overcome by him,
and the vessel throughout was dou-
bly, strenthened.
Mr.. Ross introduced into the Aus
tralia new system for the preserv-
ing Of bananas which will undoubt-
eddy increase the trade in that pro-
duct several hundred per cent. The
Hawaiian steamers are largely de
pendent on the freight profits derived
from the banana trade. Heretofore the
Australia has carried from 5000 to
5000 punches of bananas each trip,
and in order to preserve them they
had to be carried above decks, much
to the inconvenience of the cabin
passengers and steamship company.
Under the new system the Australia
will be able to carry from $4,000 to
$4,000 lunches, all of which will be
shipped below decks. A sufficient
amount of fresh air will be supplied
the lower decks by means of ar fans
and improved ventilators. The
banana trade is of considerable i'm
portance in the commercial relations
between the two countries, and in
order to encourage it the steamship
agents found it necessary to make
these improvements.
A fine lunch was served on the
steamer on the return trip.
The boiler of the steamer Silva
exploded at Eureka July 18th. The
vessel then ran ashore and was
wrecked. The loss is about $4,000.
f. Scherni, one of the leading
Genoa merchants, has put line of
sailing vessels between Genoa and
San Francisco. The vessels will
bring out merchandise and marble
and take back wheat and lumber.
The first vessel of the new line sailed
on the 18th of June last with a full
cargo of choice marble for this port.
She will be followed by the Vermont,
to sail the latter part of this month,
and by the G. Accame, which will
leave Genoa at the end of August.
Fires on the Coast.
The Pacific coast is suffering from
run of destructive fires. Begin
ming with Reno, Seattle and Van
cOuver, the next to come was Quito
toa, Arizona. The business portion
Of the town was wiped out by fire
on June 28th. The loss is estimated
at $4,000 and it will fall heaviest on
mining companies, the town being a
mining camp.
About IL o'clock in the night of
the 9Th a fire broke out in Ellens-
burg, Washington Territory, in the
grocery store of J. T. Anthony. The
flames were famed by a high wind
and soon spread to the adjoining
frame buildings. The fire easily got
beyond the control of the limited
fire department. sweeping the entire
business portion of the city, embrace
ing Main street, from Fifth to First.
Fourth from Main to Pine, Third
from Water to Sprague, Pearl from
Fifth to Second, covering an area of
ten blocks in the heart of the city.
The only brick buildings left are the
Lynch block and the Ellensburg
National Bank. Two hundred houses
were totally destroyed, and the sur
face burned over is about fifty acres.
The loss, as far as can be ascertained.
is about $2,O00,000 Only four stores
were left in the place and about $50
people were made destitute. The
city has population of 1000 and
will be rebuilt at once.
The next place to go was Bakers
field. At noon on the 9TH fire was
discovered in a small wooden build
ing near the Southern Hotel. In
spite of all efforts the hotel took fire
and from the hotel the blaze spread
rapidly with the result that every
business house in the town was burn
ed, with almost forty dwelling houses,
involving loss of perhaps $1,25O,
900, with an insurance of only $500,
900. The fire department could not
begin to cope with the fire, it came
SO quickly, burned so ferceIy and
spread so rapidly. Thirteen blocks
were wiped out, and no hotel, res
taurant or business house was left.