The morning call., 1891-12-30
SEA AND SHORE.
Wreck of the Steamer WhitesbrO
at Little River.
Survey Of Grays Harbor Entrance-A Crew
Of Welshmen - Delayed Departure of the
Monowai- Movements and Charters.


Monowai- Movements and Charters
News was received In this city at noon
yesterday that the steamer Whitesbro had
gone ashore at Little River, on the coast of
Mendocino. The news received regarding
the disaster is very IN eager, the dispatch
giving no information other than that the
steamer was ashore and the entire crew
saved. Nothing is as yet known how the
accident occurred. but she was probably
driven ashore by the strong southeast wind
that has prevailed along the coast for sew
eral days The steamer was on her way to
this city with load Of railroad ties con-
signed to L. E. White, the lum ber-dealer,
who is also the managing owner. The
WhitesbrO was in CHARGE of Captain George
johnson, formerly chief officer of the steamer
Emily, and he is regarded as very careful
man. but Little River is considered one of
the most dangerous places on the coast for
vessel to load at as there is absolutely no
shelter, and the only thing vessel can do
in blow is to put to sea.
The coast is bad one, as it is nearly ali
rocky. with small patches OF sandy beach at
great intervals. The Whitesbro WAS vessel
OF 1875 tons, la feet long, 81 feet beam, and
feet depth OF hold, and was built in this
city in 1856. She was valued at $4,000, and
so far as could be learned was not Insured
WILL BE A TOTAL LOSS.
At the office of her owner nothing further
regarding the wreck was learned, but from
the nature of the coast it is expected that
the steamer will be a total loss. There is a
chance that she may receive assistance
from some of the steam schooDers now up
the coast, but even if one of these were on
the spot the captain would hardly run the
risk Of going in near enough to take haw-
ser on board the stranded vessel in the
teeth of gale of wind.
A tug might possibly do some good il the
vessel had not sustained any very great
damage, but none had been sent from this
city up to late hour last night, and even if
it had the chances are the Whitesbro would
be smashed to pie rs baiore the tug could
reach her. Later dispatches stated that the
steamer Was lying under the wire chute
when the land moOrlngs parted and she
drifted ashore on the rocks about II o'clock
on Monday night aud Will become q total
loss.
The steamer Point Arena went to her
assistance, but owing to the heavy sea moth
means of rocket lines and all reached the
shore In safety.
GRAYs HARBoR ENTRANCE.
Professor Davidson has received from the
superintendent of the Coast and Geodetic
Survey blue print of the latest hydro
graphic survey of the entrance ard np-
prOaches to Grays Harbor. The survey was
finished as late as October 30th, and was ex-
ecuted in much detail, so as to develop the
lire or lines of deepest water across the bar.
The bar lies nearly three nautical miles
outside the entrance, and has the general
horseshoe shape between the North and
South Splits. The South or Trustee Spit
has little water upon it, and breaks in
smooth weather for one and half miles off
the shore. The North Spit also breaks in
smooth weather. All over the northwest
ern part If the bar the sea breaks in patches
in ordinary weather, especially with the ebb
tide. In bad weather the sea breaks clear
across the bar.
The deepest channel across the bar is close
oil the South or Trustee Spit and the course
in is n Il 3. magnetic, heading directly for
the buoy which lies inside the bar in 20 feet
OF water, over hard sandy bottom. In ap-
preaching the channel on this course and
when in five fathoms of water at low wafer
The OUTSIDE bar buoy Is passed on the port
hand (Outside) at half mile distant.
1t this position the northern extremity of
the southern point of entrance bears NE. "a
n, distant three miles. The distance from
the outer buoy to the other Is one and a
quarter miles. and the shealest water, of 16
feet. is passed over at tve-eighths and at
three-eishths of mile before reaching the
inner buoy. Vessels bound for Grays Har-
Dor can obtain tracings of this blue print
until the chart is issued.
A CREW OF wELsHMEN
Every man aboard the British ship Astra-
cana. now at Portland, Ore, from captain
TO cabn-boy, is Welshman, and hail
from the same town, Carnarvon, North
Wales. OF the twenty-four men who COM
pose the crew, twelve are named Jones, aud
the first and second mates are both named
Thomas Jones. The captains name is
Richard Jones. None of the crew have
been with the captain less than three
years, and some of them have been with
him ten years. Religious services. in the
Welsh language, are held on board every
Sunday, whether in port or at sea.
Thieves boarded the steamer Arago dur
ing the absence OF Captain Langhorn on
Monday night and stole a new hat besides
an oil-skin coat and a SO bill from his
room on the hurricane deck.
The weather outside the Heads yester-
day was thick. with Southwestern blowing
twenty-iour miles an hour. The barometer
stood 1886.
DELAY OF THE MoNowAL
The date OF the departure of the steamer
Monowai for Honolulu, Auckland and Syd
ney has been changed 10 Monday, January
18th, at o'clock. The date has been
altered ON account Of change-in the mail
steamers on the Atlantic. The steamer
Bothnia, substituted for the Umbria for one
trip, Is a slow vessel, and as she left
Queenstown on the 9th inst, she is not ex-
pected at New York before the evening of
the 9th prox. The Monowai is held back to
make mail connections.
The sailors of the steamer CITY of
Puebla did not show very great amount
of energy in trimming cargo when she was
on her beam ends during her recent stormy
trip to this city. and Goodafl, Perkins &
Co. have reported the matter to the Sea-
mems Union, with the object of having them
expelled from the union,
The keel of the largest vessel ever built
on humboldt Bay has been laid at Bendix-
sens ship-yard, and work on the hull is
we'll under way.
MOVEMENTS OF VESSELS
The moves yesterday were the Argom enc
to Port Costa, Yosemite to Mission No. 2,
Dashing Wave to the stream. Colusa to
Oakland Creek, Honresfeld to the rolling
mill. Sierra Pedrosa to Oakland and the
Gacus from Port Costa to the stream. To-
the Haytian Republic to Oakland Creek to
lay up. the Richard Ill dock at Pacific
street. Grandholm at Mission No. /, and the
Arkwrght, Chinsura. Agnes and Alaska
will tow to sea.
Departures were the Mexico for San
Diego, N-wbern for Guaymas, Fortuna for
Eureka, Gypsy for Santa Cruz and the bark
Hesper for Victoria.
Not vessel arrived from sea up to SUM-
down.
LATEST REPORTED CHARTERS.
Among the latest reported charters are
the following:
British ship Flintshire. 1896 tons. wheat to
Cork ~. K.), Havre or Antwerp, 81 As Cd
chartered by g. w. McNcar.
Bark Hesper. 66I tons, lumber from Has
tlngs Mill to ShaDghai-chartered by the
Hastings Mill Company.
British iron ship Mitredale, 1881 tons.
lumber on the sound for Callao, 4Os.
British iron bark Cloncaird, 1900 tons,
wheat TO United Kingdom, Havre or Ant
werp, 22s 3D.
HARBoR COMMISSION.
The Offer nj