The morning call., 1891-03-31
SEA AND SHORE.
One Of the Equator's Crew Lost
During a Storm.
The Steamer Mcdowell Disabled-A Sailors
Narrow Escape-Arrival Of Large
Cargoes Of Coal.

The little schooner Equator arrived here
Sunday after trading cruise of twenty-five
months in the Pacific. During that time
she visited nearly every group in the South
Seas. She carries mixed crew Of whites
and South Sea Islanders.
1t has not been a II smooth sailing for the
little craft during her long trip, especially
on the passage TO San Francisco. Gale after
gale from the northwest struck the little
craft, and several times il looked as though
the heavy seas would fairly crush the frail
bark. Her decks wele swept time and again
by the heavy sea and the vessel was under
close-Teefed sail for over month
The eighth day out was the worst; the
wind blew a perfect hurricane and the
schooner WAS on her beam ends several
times, and it looked as if all was over with
her. She righled again, however. only to
have her decks swept by the heavy sea,
which partly filled her cabin and foreeastle.
Soon after o'clock a tremendous sea
struck the schooner and, although the crew
were on the lookout, one of their number,
a seaman named Laa, belonging to Hon.
lulu, was swept from the deck and carried
far to leeward. The poor fellow, who. lke
most of the Islanders, was fine swimmer,
struggled desperately for his life, but the
terrible sea was too much for him and he
was drowned before his shipmates' eyes,
No boat could live for an instant in the fear
full sea running and before rope could be
thrown he WAS lar beyond the reach OF hui
man aid.
THE MCDOWELL DISABLED.
The Government steamer Mcdowell is up
for repairs and the tug Wizard will take
her place on the regular trips 10 the isl
auds in the bav. When the steamer was
leaving Angel Island on her first trip yes
terday morning she struck rock or an
anchor lying on the bottom and tore the
rudder-post out of her. The vessel was
under steam at the time and, her rudder be-
ing disabled, she was canght by the strong
tide and swept into Hospital Cove, where
she stuck III the mud. She had quite num-
Der of ladies and children on board at the
time aid they became somewhat frightened.
The steamer James NJ. Donahue was sig
nailed and the passengers placed on board
her and brought to the city. The tug Wiz
ard was sent out aud towed the disabled
steamer to WaShington-Street Wharf. An
examination showed that not only had the
rudder-post been carried away, but the
stern-pOst was also badly damaged. The
| Mcdowell will be placed on the Merchants
Dry-dock to-day and it is thought 1t will
take two weeks 10 repair her.
POSTAL STATION ~" REMOVED.
Stallion d of the Postoffice has been moved
| to the south end of the new ferry building,
| where it occupies room 32XI2 feet In d.
ameter. This is a great Improvement over
the old quarters. This is very important
station, about fOIty-two pouches day
being sent to the principal points from it.
| Letters can be mailed here I'D 10 within ten
| minutes of the departure of the boats.
HAD A CLOSE CALL.
One of the apprentices belonging to the
! ship Alice a. Leigh had a narrow escape
| from drowning yesterday afternoon. He
was standing on the vessels rail when lie
lost his balance and fell overheard. There
| was quite a strong tide running at the time,
| and the lad was soon carried aStern of the
ship. The men on deck, however, saw the
| accident, and a lfe-buOy was thrown to
him. He succeeded in getting into it and
| was kept ai)at until a boat was lowered
and he was picked up. The accident was
| also seen by those on board several other
vessels lying in the stream, and number
of boats were got out, but the lad was picked
up by the boat belonging to his own ship.
| The accident occurred about O'Clock.
A ROUGH TRIP.
The British ship Crown of England
arrived here yesterday from Newcastle, n.
| 5. W, and according to her report had some
heavy weather ON the passage; The vessel
| got into Il heavy northwest gale on the 9th
| of March, which lasted till the 9th The
| sea was te rrifC and swept the ships decks
several tunes. The ship was hove to The
| sail, and even that threatened TO leave the
bolt ropes every minute. The vessel sighted
| the Farallon Islands on the 2Sth, but was
driven out again by the northwest wind.
Engineer Manson and Harbor Comm is
! sioner Brown paid visit to the man trap
at the ferry landing about IL o'clock yeSter-
! day. 1t is understood that the place Will be
| fenced as soon as possible.
Tire Commissioners have rejected all the
bids sent in for the work on the belt rail
| nd no bids will he called A :
| things now stand no work will be done I'M
| til well on in May.
During the week one of the steamers will
| dock at The new slip at Lombard street, III
| order TO test the working Of the apron. The
slip is now completed, but will not be in
! general use for some days.
THE SAN FRANCISCO.
The new cruiser San Francisco may be
| looked for to-day. She will come down
from Mare Island to the stream, and 1t is
| thought 90 to sea on Saturday. Although
nothing is positively known of her future
movements it Is almost certain she will go to
Chile. She will take down large quantities
of stores for the vessels on the station, as
none can be procured at any Of the Chilean
ports.
The three British tramp steamers, Sus-
sex, Eton and Hounslow, brought over
1900 tons of sugar to this port. They all
arrived inside of forty-e ght hours.
SHIP DISABLED.
A dispatch to the Merchants Exchange
states that the Thor, from Tacoma for
Geestemunde passed Prawle Point March
26th, having lost fore-topmaSt and main
| topgalantmast
The arrivals yesterday were the steamer
Pomona from san Diego with 90 passen-
gers, and the British steamer Sussex from
Honolulu with 80, so bags of sugar.
The coal fleet was large and was made up
OF the following vessels: The steamer Em-
pre with 800 tons, the steamer Costa Rica
| with 2400 IONS, the steamer willamette with
200 tons, the ship Crown of England with
2715 tons, and the bark Richard Ill with
1850 tons, making total of 1880 tons of
coal inside of twenty-four hours.
The ship Falls of Alton went to Port
| Costa yesterday to load wheat.
The steamer CIeUne is on the Merchants
Dry-d0ck having new stern 5earing put
in. The tug Tiger is also on the dock get
ting overhauled and painted.
The weather yesterday was haZy The
wind shifted from tie south to- the north
west and increased from to "a miles an
hour, while the barometer took u drop OF
| five points, going down to 10.
Pilot Commission Changed,
At a meeting of the Pilot Commissioners
yesterday morning Captain Buiger in the
chair, the credentials of Alden Y. Trask.
| the recent appointee of Governor Markham,
were received and read Captain William
| Young, another new appointee, who was to
have been present, was absent in the morn
ing, but during the afternoon pres ented his
| credentials
Ex-senator p. j. Murphy, the retiring
Secretary. read a letter from Philip Caduc.
expressing his regrets that he could not be
present at the last meeting OF the presen.
board and wishing the new board would
never be cast on the lee shore of adyersity.
Captain Brown was elected President and
T. A. Phillips Secretary of the new board.