Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-08
THE STEAMER PROGRESO
NOW DIsCHARGING CARGO AT THE
REDONDO WHARF.
A Reconstructed Sea Tramp-A Colli-
sion in the Hudson River Sends
British Freighter to
the Bottom.

looking steamer was decried in the
offing from the broad piazza of the
Redondo hotel, by Dan O'Neill, the
clerk OF that hostelry, who put in thirty
of the best years of bis life on the
Columbia, before coming to these parts.
"I can't make her out" said he to
Manager Lynch, "she is heading right
in shore for this very dock, as straight
as ever saw one come; and yet she is
a blahsted Britisher, if ever there was
one afoat."
"Nonsense" cried bystander;
"don't you know that foreign vessel
ca mot make coasting voyages? That's
against our laws"
Every true" replied the clerk, "but
foreign vessels sometimes derange their
machinery at sea, and have to put into
coastwise ports to repair damages.'
Just then the minds of the parties were
set at rest by the unfurling of burgee
from the steamers fore truck, bearing
the name of ''Progreso." 1t was the
steamer from New York, from "der
Horn aroundt," and fonr days overdue,
with the first cargo of general merchan-
disc shipped direct from New York to
Southern California port, of which 750
tons were for the city of the angels.
Just then she came a little more a. broad
side to the spectators and from a short
verge-staf at her stern hoated
the stars and stripes. "Where's your
Britisher now? LOCKER that flag"
But the veteran clerk was obdurate. He
had lived fifteen years in Australia, and
was quite familiar with that class of
vessels. His prognostications were
right, even if the ship did fly the star
wrought mantle of Fort McHenry. The
Progreso was originally built in Scot
land, and designed for the Mediter-
ranean trade. She is about 300 feet
long, and a bigger carrier than either
the Santa Rosa or Queen, each of
which is forty feet longer than
her. She came to New York
about four years ago, and while
lying at anchor in the North River was
run into by another vessel and sunk.
When resurrected from her submerged
condition, it required about two-thirds
of her original cost to make her sea-
worthy again; and this having been ex-
pended on her, there was no difficulty
in procuring an American register. She
is British to the core, in all her
equipments however, having triple
expansion engines that were built
seven years ago, when that prin-
ciple of mechanism was in its
infancy. She is very economical of fuel
for so large carrier, and has great
storage room for cargo, her entire load
being 2,6o0 tons. of which 1890 tons are
for San Francisco. We were in error
about her having $50 tons for
San Diego, the order to ship by
her having been countermanded on
the last day before she sailed. Her
dischargipg power is not of the best,
and it will take her three days to finish
unloading what either the Santa Rosa
or Queen could put out in fourteen
hours' consecutive work. Her waist is
flushed, there being house forward
and another one aft; and this open
space between them gives her chance
to carry large deckload of lumber, if
go desired. Instead of pilot house
forward, like our ships have, che has
"bridge deck" amidships, with steam
steering gear Immediately under it.
A boiler iron deck, just good thing
to cripple five men per day in storm
off Cape Horn, in June or July, ia an
other pecularity of this odd-looking
craft. Her houses are of India teak. like
most British vessels. She has two masts,
the foremost being square-rigged, and
must spread some canvas when before
the wind. She has one funnel, painted
a dingy yellow, and like most
British built steamers, looks long
and low. The Progreso is commanded
by middle-aged salt, who rejoices in
the good old Yankee name of Pillsbury.
He and his officers will be the recipients
of banquet at the Redondo hotel, on
Tuesday night, on which occasion the
city officers and members of the cham
ber Of commerce will be invited to meet
them. The 9th day of August marks
new era in our commercial history, and
that the Progreso should have been the
lucky ship to open out this trade is cor
roborative of "the eternal fitness of
things"
A Brooklyn housewife took her cook
to task the other day for carelessness
81,