The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-05
NOW ELEVEN DAYS
The San Juan to Search
for the Peking.
PACIFIC MAIL MEN ANXIOUS.
The S. N. Castle From Honolulu Met
No Trace of the Overdue Steamer.
Her Valuable Cargo.

There Is no use Disgusting the fact that
there Is considerable anxiety on the part of
the Pacific Mail officials regarding the con-
tlnued delay of the China steamer City Of
Picking.
Up to yesterday the leading officers of the
company, in response to hundreds Of daily
inquiries, expressed the greatest confidence
in the steamer being all right. Those who
anxiously asked questions we're told to have
no apprehension about the steamers safety,
that probably the machinery had become
disabled through the breaking of crank
pin or cross-bsarng. and that the Picking
had been compelled TO resort to the use Of
sails in order to proceed.
But yesterday it was hard TO see any OF
the leading officers of the company. They
were very busy, and the reason leaked out
later, when it was announced that the CON-
pany had ordered the San Juan, which
arrived on Friday from Panama. to proceed
across the ocean In search of the overdue
City Of Peking.
1t was only decided yesterday morning to
dispatch the San Juan in search of the
Picking, and the fact that she is going on
such mission, considering the expense, is
sufficient evidence that the Pacific Mail
Company Is getting anxious about tie safety
Of the delayed vessel.
When questioned yesterday about the dis
patch OF the San Juan in search of the
overdue steamer PekiDg. a leading Pacific
Mail officer said:
" IS. IL has been determined to send the
San Juan out. If the Picking is not heard
from by II o'clock tonight the San Juan
VIII steam out toward the heads in search of
the overdue steamer
his Is not done because the company is
unduiy apprebensiye of the Peking's safety,
but because IL Is thought better to be on the
safe side. The San Juan is not booked 10
leave until February 10. and from now until
that time she would have been living idle at
the dock. SO 1t was thought better to utii-
lie her services and send her out. We have
given positive instructions that no one shall
be allowed to go out on the San Jnan with
the exception OF Captain Pitts and his
crew."
During all yesterday large force of
workmen were engaged in coaling the San
Juan. Besides taking more than enough
Tor herself an extra quantity was placed on
beard In case It should be needed by the
Picking should she be found.
The San Juan has orders to proceed over
the southern route In search of the Picking.
The searching steamer is we'll designed for
the work She has undertaken, having very
powerful machinery in frstcass shape,
which Will make her valuable In case she
VIII have TO tow the Pekng. The San Juan
is 2o3 feet long, 80 feet inches broad and
% feet inches in depth. She can steam
about fourteen knots an hour.
The Pacific Mail officials have also pro-
vided for all emeI geneies in ease the Picking
Is discovered with her machinery broken.
Three competent extra engineers with all
the necessary tools for repairing machinery
breaks have been ordered TO the San Juan,
and they Will form the only passengers out
side OF the crew.
The San Imam hos haan orTarad 70 pro
coed IN the direction of Honolulu and TO
Zigzag her course as much as possible. The
searching steamer Will also eudeayor TO
speak the incoming steamer Australia,
which is due next Wednesday, and VIII ch
was scheduled to leave Honolulu on the 1st
inst.
A Pacific Mail official was asked why the
company did not wait until the arrival OF
the Australia before sending the San Juan
out and he replied that the officers had COR
sldered the question fully, and believed,
from all the advices that had been received
from yokohama. that the Picking could not
have got 10 Honolulu by the time the Aus
tralia left that port. Although the
officer mentioned was very retieent on the
subject, he did not hesitate to say that it
was the belief Of the company that the
Picking lad been disabled by the breaking
OF her machinery IN storm, and that the
accident had occurred on the other side of
Honolulu. This is why il IS believed that
tho Peking made for Honolulu under sail,
and Is the reason why the San Juan is or
dered TO proceed ID that port In case the
missing steamer Is not met.
The cargo on board the Picking is very
valuable one, and Is estimated to be worth
S2000,0o0. Collector of the Port Phelps es-
Inmates the amount OF opium on hoard alone
to be worth $3.50. 600 At the Mail dock the
statement was made Yesterday that there Is
$500, 900, on board. The value of the tea
and silk on board is said 10 be over
S1,000.000. Besides various other articles
there is a large quantity of fireworks on
board which we're being specially imported
Tor the celebration OF the Chinese New
Year. In ease of fire breaking out on the
Pekirg the presence of these fireworks
wonld have greatly increased the danger.
There was no rise in the insurance rates on
the Picking yesterday. She is now eleven
days overdue.
The barkentine s. n. Castle, Captain
Hubbard, arrived ia port last night twenty
two days from Honolulu. ana brought
large consignment of sugar to Weeh Il Co.
The Castle did not see any trace OF the
Picking on the trip. neither did she bring
any news OF Hawaiian revolutionary al
fairs for the reason that she left Honolulu
on January - just three DAYS before the
coup d'etat which overthrow Queen Liliuo-
kalani.
The British ship Sierra Nevada, Captain
Scott. seventy-fiye days from Newcastle, n.
S. W.. also arrived in port last night She
brought 2164 tons of coal. Her captain
stated that he saw no trace of the Peking
while nearing port. During the last three
days the Sierra Nevada experienced very
heavy rains.