The morning call., 1892-12-29
RACkED BY STORM.
More Battered Victims of
the Recent Gale.
HARD TITLES MAKING PORT.
The Steamer Empress Had Her Fire
Room Flooded-The Ship High
lander Badly Smashed.

II was the liyeliest day on the front yes
terday for week past, and tugboats mad 9
up for the most of the business they have
lost. From early morning until late at
night ships. schooners, barks aud steamers
came In so fast they formed seemingly
endless procession.
Nearly twenty vessels arrived, all with
stories of the bad treatment they received
from the storm. Most of these are about
alike, but the experience of the stea mer En-
pire. which arrived last night, is the worst
yet reported. She seems to have got the
very worst there was. and il Is mo re like a
telegram from New York than happening
on the PacifeiCoast.
She left Departure Bay at O'clock p. NJ,
on Monday, December 20, with 79S tons OF
coal, ana fought her way through heavy
sDowstorms aud heavy seas until arriving
off Cape Flattery, at $3.50 O'clock p. NJ. on
gale from the east with heavy snow. The
temperature was very low and the steamer
was covered with ice.
On Wednesday the wind blew from the
southeast harder than ever, with very
heavy sea running. From time to time ii
washed over the steamer. The wind mod
Grated at midnight of the 23d, but the sea
continued TO rise, and at 2:i5 A. NJ. of the
oath. in latitude 45 deg. u min. north, and
longitude 125 deg. min. west. tremen-
u,
merging the vessel.
The forward bulwarks, pilot house.
eDgine-rOom doors and skylights were all
smashed in, letting down large body OF
water which covered the treroOm plates to
a depth of two feet, and mado things decid-
edly interesting for the engineers.
The latter stuck manfully TO their job, and
by passing dry fuel by hand cOntTived TO
keep up steam. All the steam pumps were
set to work and the vessel was soon cleared
of water.
The sea as it rushed off carried away the
boats from their fastenings, smashed in the
saloon skylight and carried the butcher
shop overheard. 1t also swept away the
companion hatch and completely flooded
the saloon.
All hands worked hard to Gear away
the wreck, batten down the hascLes aud
skylights and secure everything movable.
Christmas day the Empire ran into another
southeasterly gale and was hove to for four
teen hours till the gale moderated.
The American ship Parthia got in after a
voyage Of 1S5 days from New York, four Of
which were spent just outside the heads.
After Pilot Murphy was put on board
Christmas morning the gale took her far out
70 sea and then died away altogether, leav-
Ing her in calm. where she remained until
Yesterday, when she managed to make the
Farallones and was picked uD by tug.
The British ship Eaton Hall, Captain
Lowrieson, arrived after a passage OF l3S
days from LIVERPOOL. The voyage was an
average one. with about an even amount of
good and bad weather. She was off port
since Saturday last In the gale and fog and
put in her time lodging Point Reyes.
The British ship Pinmore, which left
Liverpool FIVE days later. had almost exact
ly the same experience. She was off port
since December q. but got a tow at 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The ship Highlander arrived from Bel
linSbam Bay last night very badly battered
up. She was towed in by the red-stac K
tugs Monarch and Sea Queen. On Decem-
Der "a. in latitude 80 deg. As min. north and
longitude 129 deg. 10 min. west, she ran
into heavy southeasterly gale, which car
ried away her cUtwater and fgurehead,
stove in her two forward boats, the forward
hOnse aud the bulwarks on the port side.
The German ship Louise. which put into
Rio de Janeiro last July with her cargo on
fire, also got in. At that port she extin-
gnished the fire In the coal by pumping in
water, but was not allowed to proceed with
II. The surveyor ordered the cargo sold
aud ballast taken aboard. The rest of the
cargo was not damaged to any extent. The
Louise was also outside the heads for sew
eral days before getting In.
Two British ships bumped each other yes
terday morning but did no more damage
than TO compel them both TO defer their
time OF sailing for one dav. Both vessels
were ready to 90, but the British Princess
dragged her anchor and swung around in
the tide onto the Gosford. She broke few
ropes and Knocked off part or the stern rail
and sustained about as much injury herself.
She was pulled of by the tug Monarch.
The brig John ID. Sprecse's fnished a fly
ing trip from Honolulu yesterday afternoon.
She left that port on December II and had
variety of weather. including wind, rain.
thunder and lightning. But most of the
wind was In her favor and she made the ten
and hall days run without an accident Of
III h, eh.a,
was within short diStarce of tie Faral-
lones, but struck calm and fog and had to
walt for wind.
The little steamer Silver Spring started
10 sea Tuesday morning, but when she
struck the breakers on the bar aud the fog
things became mixed up. The captain did
all he could 10 keep her where he wanted
her, but the fog was so thick he did not
succeed. He thought he was keeping close
to port, but the first glimpse of land he had
was Point Bonita, which showed him TO be
far of his calculations, so be turned around
and came back TO port TO await more favor
able weather.
The brig Pitcairn almost met with a seri-
Gus accident at the Merchants drydock
yesterday morning. She was being raised
and was considerably out of water when
some OF the keel blocks slipped and she
keeled over TO one side. The dock was low
cred again and the mistake remedied
Ihe Dark Eclipse, which cleared from
Nanaimo for this port, has changed her
destination and will 80 tn Honolulu instead.
The steamer Walla Walla arrived twenty
four hours late from Puget Sound ports
She struck the bad part of the gale, but
Christmas day was enloyably spent by all
on board.
The steamer Pomona, which sailed yes
terday. had on board the remains of the late
Robert Searles. who died last Wednesday at
Paso Robles. The widow Of the deceased
accompanied the remains.
The bark Detroit, hence December % 70 r
Nanaimo, got into gale off Point Arena,
blew away several sails aud shifted ballast.
She returned last night. She has a nOn-
union crew on board and is being watched
to prevent trouble.
The bark Snow and Burgess arrived late
last night, thirteen days from Seattle, On
December %, when seventy miles from
Point Arena, the wind blew at the rate of
seventy-five miles an hour, and a heavy sea
came aboard and filled the decks and did
considerable damage to the galley and car
penter shop. The fore lower topmast was
split by the force of the wind.