The morning call., 1892-08-10
ALONG The WATER FRONT.
Tug.0f. War Between King George
aud Garibaldi.
Two Hardshell Crabs Matched In a Test
Of ndurance-Powsll-Street Pier
Floating Away.

| Since O'Clock Monday night two full
| grown and robust hard-sheil crabs have SAT
| on board with wrinkled brows and Ilgntly
clenched teeth, their main feelers gripped
| on half-Inch rope and hauling away In
deadlock for prize and side bets put up
| by their respective owners
To date the contest has resulted in moth
ing more exciting than draw, and neither
| crab has shown the least sign of weaken
! ing. So evenly matched are Garibaldi and
| King George, as the crabs are named, that
| time and enurance alone can settle tho tug.
| For over 90 hours they have enjoyed neither
| food rest or sleep. An occasional dash of
salt water revlves their dropping spirits,
and the end is awaited with considerable
| anxiety by interested parties
The crabs. both of which are magnificent
| specimens OF their species, are the property
OF John Proauini and Tony Maui, rival crab
| hunters, who ply their calling outside the
| heads. Proquini, the proprietor OF ''Gari-
| baldi." is an Italian, while King Georges"
owner is lineal descendant of tie ancient
! Greeks and therefore. as sporty as they
| make them. Sunday each hunter captured
| a five-pOund crab and on returning 10 the
| wharf they naturally fell to discussing the
| merits of their captives as fishermen some
| times will.
THEY MADE THE MATCH UP.
This led to discussion which ended In
ProQuini challenging Maui on behalf of the
| crabs. The fishermen had taken part in the
| tugs last winter and hit upon the novel idea
| OF matching the crabs in a tug-Of-war. Ar
engagements were completed on Sunday night
| and the contestants put in training. They
| were putt in a Slated box under the wharf
| with nothing to eat, while their owners
went out ard hustled for backing. Each
| put up $50 on his team and took small bets
| on the side
At o'clock Monday night Proquini and
| Maui met in the shed on the end of the
wharf where fishnets are boiling night and
day in caldrons of bark. The blazing
| wood under the caidrons furnished penty
I of light and threw weird glow over the
| performance.
Both crabs showed fight as soon as they
| we're dumped on the floor. but were sepa-
| rated by mutual friends while Proquini
| and Maui made final preparations for the
| struggle.
An old seachest was dragged into the
middle of the floor, to the lid OF which Carl
| baldi and King George were placed about
three feet apart and facing each other.
| Each crab was firmly fastened to the chest
] by nail driven through his tail In lieu of
| anchorman. Next biz of thin, strong rope
was procured, TO the middle of which was
| tied small chunk Of raw beef as an extra
| lnducement for the contestants 10 exert
| themselves.
NO NEED OF SLACK.
Then the rope was placed in the Jaws OF
| the crabs with the beef midway between
| the two and directly over a mark on the
| chest and the great International tng-of-war
was on. Each team was given a couple of
feet of spare rope in case of emergency. but
| neither has used any Of ii yet. For the first
| few hours the match caused great excite
| ment among the crowd of fishermen that
assembled to see the sport and bets were
| freely offered and taken on the result
AT the start King George and Garibaldi
pulled and hauled and tugged till their eyes
| stuck out. Each used one of his available
| legs to clutch the rope, but the prize in the
| middle remained stationary. Not an eighth
| OF an inch did 1t move toward either of the
| painting crabs. Then they eased for few
minutes and cautiously sized zach other up.
/ ever and anon tightening the grip with one
| big claw while they let go with the other
long enough 10 spit on Ii and grab fresh
| hold.
Immediately they fell to again, and so
| fierce We're their struggles that the play of
| the muscles could be plainly seen beneath
| their shells. The strain was too great to be
long endured, and the contestants relaxed
| only 10 start in again with greater vlgor. In
| this way the tug has lasted one day and the
| greater part Of two nights. but the crabs are
! apparently as fresh as ever and eye each
| other with grim determination. Friends of
| Proquini and Maui are standing watch at
the scene of the struggle until either Carl
baldi or King George succumbs from loss of
sleep or breaks few legs.
BUILDED ON THE MUD.
Unless anchors are used on the new Pow
ell-street pier the structure will float away
before the contractor can finish the work
Two of the girders and some Of the STAN,
dard pieces TO which the caps are bolted
have gone out with the tide, and more are
expected TO follow. The trouble Is either
too much mud or not enough pile. From
the mud to the top Of the pier the distance
is "a feet, and the piles used are only AZ feet
long.
This leaves a mudhoe of three feet fo-
the piles, and the shifting ooZe Is not equal
TO the strain brought to bear upon 1t by the
action of the tide. One Of the tenders gave
way yesterday, one the day before, and sew
| era of the inside supports have washed out
| and fl0ated away. Mahan Il Son, the con-
tractors who have charge Of the work, have
| performed other jobs that did not satisfy
| the Harbor Commissioners.
| The pier is TO be $50 feet long, and $50
feet OF the work has been completed. Yes
| terday Harb0r Commissioner Bassett and
Engineers Manson and Campbell visited
! the work. In company with Chief Wharfin-
| ger Boobar. They found that some of the
| inside piles were securely driven, but the
| most oil them were simply hanging in the
| mud. One payment of $3.50 has been made
| on the contract, and another check for the
| same amount has been drawn and which
| should be collected before the structure
| floats away.
THE NEPTUNE WAS LOADED.
81 The c schooner Neptune sailed Yesterday
rare piece of good luck that she didn't sail
| upward aud onward into the realms beyond
| the skies. She took nOn-union crew, put
| aboard Saturday afternoon along with n
| police officer, who was detailed to see that
the sailors were not molested. The captain.
however, objected to keeping the officer and
| crew aboard as he thought this measure
| would invite trouble.
So the crew was sent ashore again until
4
| night about IL o'clock three boats crews
pulled off TO the Neptune, which was lying
| OH NalleJ0-street wharf, TO commune with
the crew. The men were not there but left
their clothes behind. which were hidden in
| the forepeak. On boarding the schooner
the visitors found no one at home but the
| Waterman. so they concluded to interview
| the bags and bedding Of the absent sailors
:. In order to get at this property the men
| lighted candles and started on still hunt
| through the hold OF the vessel. To and fro
they crawled over 80 kegs of powder with
| their sputtering torches until they finally
found the bags and departed. Had they
known the nature Of the cargo the hunters
| would probably have allowed the seamen
TO depart with change of linen.
An attempt was made yesterday at Fish
erman's wharf to raise the body of little
| Louis Amanda, who was drowned Satur-
day afternoon, by exploding dynamite, but
| the attempt was unsuccessful. A large
| crowd gathered, but quickly dispersed
| when the explosive was set off. The drags
| are still being used. but the body has prob
| ABLY been carried down the bay.
PUT IN FOR COAL.
The British steamer Bushmills from
| Liverpool to Vancouver. put into this port
| yesterday for COAL Her captain reports
| that on August q 13-year-old apprentice
boy named Arthur Spencer died of fever
and was buried at sea. The boy was a ma
| tive of England.
Ed Green and John Murray, who burglar
ha