The morning call., 1891-03-09
WITHOUT PAPERS.
Arrival of the Scandinavia From
Santa Rosalia.
A Mexican Customs officer on Board-Queer
Demands of the Consignees- Refused
Entry at San Diego

The English tramp steamer Scandinavia
steamed into port about o'clock yesterday
afternoon, and was boarded by CALL re-
porter before she got to Meiggs Wharf.
This is the vessel that ran away from Santa
Rosala on February 21st with half Ter
cargo of coal and coke on board, without
going through the Formally or getting her
clearance papers from the Mexican authori-
ties The runaway was next heard of at
San Diego, where she called in to replenish
her supply of coal and was promptly seized
by the authorities at that port pending an
investigation.
A MEXICAN OFFICER.
There was a Mexican Custom-house off,
Ger on board the ship when she left Lower
California and he is on board her yet In
reply to a question put by the reporter as to
whether he was carried off against his will
or not, the man shrugged his shoulders and
replied mo sabe."
The captain was then seen. and on being
asked to give his reasons for his sudden de-
parture from the Mexican port replied:
you will have to see the owners. 1t is
none of my pie. | amt running the ship"
Inquiries were then made for the owners,
and in moment the reporter was sur
rounded by half dozen men who wanted
to know his business with them. The ship
seemed to be full of them, aud from their
actions it was plain that the captain had
little TO say in the management OF the vessel.
THE OWNERS STORY.
Once more the reporter asked the reason
of their mysterious departure from Santa
ROsalia, and this time all of the ships nu-
merous owners began to speak at once, each
telling the story in a different way.
From what could be cleaned from their
stories, the ship sailed from Cardiff with a
cargo of 600 tons OF coal. consigned to a
French company at Santa Rosalia, where
she arrived after voyage Of seyenty-fOur
days. The work of discharging the cargo
then began, the coal and coke being loaded
into lighters belonging to the French COM
pany. The lighters. so the owners claim.
were very small, only capable of carrying
three tons at trip, and we're built of iron.
On account of the small size of the lighters
the work OF discharging the cargo was
slow enc, but all went well until a gale of
wind came on.
RESULT OF A STORM.
Santa Rosalia is an open roadstead, and
instead OF hauling the frail barges up on
the beach out of the way OF wind and wa
ter. the manager directed that they be an
chUred our i'll tie roads. The gale was too
much tor them, however, and they all filled
and went to The bottom.
At this stage of the story the owners OF
the steamer became quite excited. what
do you think they had the gall to ask? 2"
shouted one. 1.-The Frenchman had the
cheek 10 tell us to bring the rest of the
cargo ashore in the. ships boats. What do
you think of that?'''
We told him to send to some port and get
lighters to finish unloading the cargo or let
the ship &c to some other port and dis
charge it, This they refused to do, in spite
OF our frequent petitions. They also re-
fused to pay demnrrage for OBTAINING the
ship, and told us they would not pay any
freight until all the cargo was ashore"
NOTICE GIVEN.
:" We gave them fair notice. said another
speaker, that we would leave Santa Ro-
salia and 60 TO San Francisco if they did not
furnish the lighters to take the cargo out Of
the ship. We waited ten days t. see what
they would do, and, as they took no steps
toward unloading the vessel, We went
ashore and demanded our clearance papers
from the Collector, but he declined TO give
them, as he was afraid OF offending the rich
mining company the coal was consigned to.
Finding it useless to stay there any
longer, we left Santa Rosalia at 10 o'clock
on the morning oil February 18th. We in
tended to come straight TO San francisco,
but ran short OF coal, and preferring not to
use the cargo still on board, decided 10 put
into San Diego, where we arrived Febru-
AIRY 21st
TROUBLE AT SAN DIEGO.
Then the trouble with the American Of
fcias began. They refused us entry, as we
had no papers, and even refused to let us
coal the ship and told us we would have TO
stay there until they got orders what to do
in the case. Anybody would think We were
a set of Internal pirates by the way we
have been treated. 1t is outrageous, and
won't stand it, sir.
"They teIegraphed to Washington, and in
reply were told to let us 90, but still the San
Diego officials detained US there until ordered
from Washington to release the ship"
In answer TO question the reporter was
informed that the Mexican Consul IN San
Diego fully exoneTated the ship from all
blame in the matter, and said the owners
had done right in putting to sea.
GOOD SLAYER.
why did you run away with the Custom
house officer?" was the next question.
1--WE did not run off with him; he was told
to stay on board the steamer no matter
where she went. and, by George, sir, he
stayedp
The vessel by this time was off Broadway
Wharf, close TO the revenue cutters Rush
and Corwin, the sight of which seemed to
fascinate the steamers numerous owners.
They acted as If they fully expected the cut
tiers to open fire upon them.
Il don't see the use of anehorng so close
to those vessels. said one the owners, after
q long look at the murderOus battery of the
COrwin. They were Informed that the yes
sci was anchored close in so as to make it
convenient for them TO go ashore.
The Scandinavia is screw steamer of
1853 tons register, and is owned by John
Meek of Liverpool.