The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-04

ExIW "a ness at 80 to 40 per cent,
which shows that they.
at least. are hopeful. Offers of $3.50 to $50
that the Peking would come in all right
were freely quoted on the floor of the Mer-
chants Exchange yesterday and found few
takers.
at the same time there are many old
timers who point their finger downward
and look grave.
The question is often and Indignantly
asked what the Rush and the Corwin are
kept idle in port for when matter infinitely
more important than the preservation of
seal Ii fe is al stake.
What good are these revenue cutters p"
said a water. front boatman with a flush in
his face and an air of being angry with
Uncle Sam. They do about tour months
easy work and lie here idle for the rest of
the year. Why not send them out, all OF
them? 1t would cost nothing, except the
coal"
When CALL reporter INTERVENE a
mum Der OF prominent men, well versed in
marine affairs and marine insurance. he
ELECTED the following answers:
Barry Baldwin-The Picking will come
along all right. 1t is only breakdown of
the machinery. l was once on a Peninsular
and Oriental steamer, the Salsette, which
was delayed sixteen days between Suez and
Bombay. 1t was broken shaft. 1 have
been there. The Picking is all right.
Captain Rawley (Spreckels towboats)-
My opinion is that the first news we shall
get OF the Pekng is by way of Honolulu
when the Australia arrives. The Picking is
all right. | would like TO have the valuation
If har md "a oh n hap lll mill
get in or not. She is a strong ship. With
any kind If wind she can make four or five
knots easily.
Port Warden John W. Gage-What do
think about the Picking? l think she is
somewhere between here and Yokohama
coming along all right under sail.
Captain John Lee. formerly first officer of
the Anchor liner CiTcaSsan: The Picking
is all right. When l was on the Circassian
We picked up the City Of Richmond on the
Atlantic. She had a broken shaft. We
t0wed her into Halifax. but she could have
made her way 10 without US That was the
decision OF the court when they awarded
the salvage The City OF Richmond was a
full-rigged ship, nearly as large as the
Picking My opinion Is that il the Peking
could not see her way TO get to San Fran
cisco she would try TO get to Honolulu. The
winds on the trip in the winter time are
mostly northeasterly. At this season they
are variable. If the Picking was as far east
as the Hawaiian Islands. 1t would be fair
wind here In some seasons of the year, but
she might get head winds now. Ii she has
dropped her propeller. of course she would
DO better under sail than if she was dragging
the propeller along. Much depends on that.
Captain Gray of the Merchants and Ship
owners Tug Company think the Picking
bas broken down, and is making temporary
repairs al sea. She will come in all right.
Some part of her machinery has broken
down and that causes the delay.
Captain Erskine OF the steamer st. Paul
| think the Picking has broken down'at sea.
She Will get here all right Ike the City If
Toxic did ten years ago.
Captain Henry Lund of Henry Lund &
Col think the Picking will come in all
right. Something has happened to her ma
chInery. II is not a rare occurrence. |
think the Picking is sound ship. her cap
tain and chief engineer are irst-class men.
As TO her having only four wateT-tight COM
partments, there is nothing for her to run
against. If the Peking is coming on the
southern route she would GET the benefit Of
TIT usual west winds, but il would lie slow
work. She might make hundred miles a
day.
j. NJ. Hays. shipping master. Alaska
Commercial Company think the Picking
has broken her shaft and is coming in under
sail She is too sound a ship and too we'll
handled to nave gone down in a typhoop.
same storm in which the Box was lost
Captain c. /. Taylor of the Sun Marine
Insurance C0mpany-The whereabouts of
The Picking is mere matter Of conjecture
There Is nothing against her In marine in-
surance circles. and business is being done
az rates below 40 per cent. But think that
all vessels engaged in a lonR-dIsiance trade
like that Of the Pacific Mail to China should
be spared and rugged, 10 carry sufficient
canvas to be able To make fair Roadway in
ordinary weather. l also think that such
vessels should have duplicate machinery
and two screws. Some years ago the Picking
had her canvas very much reduced and is
therefore not IN good condition to make
time under Sail.
A. 4. Pryor of Piper, Alden & Col don't
think the Peking is lost or that there Is any
thing serious the matter with her. She is
beyond the reach Of the telegraph, that is
all.
d. Brown, an old Pacific mariner-If the
Peking has been on fire or has foundered
she is we'll supplied with boats, and some
Of these boats VIII soon be picked up |
look for tldings by the next steamer from
Honolulu.
The telephone at the Merchants Ex-
change was kept ringing all day yesterday
by anxious inquirers and a very gloomy
view OF the situation was taken by the late
arrivals.
People who are very apprehensive OF the
overdue steamer City Of Picking should re-
member the case Of the San Pablo in 1885"
said Ed Rock yesterday, Mr.. Rock was for
years the night clerk of the Merchants Ex-
change, and was one OF lis most efficient
officers. j. ID. Spreekels, recognizing Mr.
Rocks abilities. took him from the ex-
change aud engaged him in his own employ
at large salary about year ago. There
is very little in the Pacific shipping busi-
ness that Mr.. Rock does not know.
1.-THE San Pablo on one of her trims
in 1885, said Mr.. Rock, left this port for
Yokohama. She was a good steamer, but,
of course. not in the modern class as far as
speed was concerned. Her ordinary voy-
age was made in twenty days, but now
fourteen days is considered good trip. She
was due IN Yokohama twenty days after
leaving San Francisco, but ten days after
that time she had not been heard OF. Fiji
teen and twenty days after her time passed
by, and still no news was heard of the
missing and overdue steamer. Everybody
gave the San Pablo up for lost. | remem-
Der, as night clerk in the exchange at that
time, | was called at l and o'clock in the
morning by anxious shippers ana by people
who had friends and relatives on board.
The greatest excitement prevailed among
these interested people.
after the twentieth day everybody gave
the San Pablo up for lost. When ali hope
was gone and no insurance could be got on
the steamer, she surprised every body by
steaming into Yokohama as If nothing had
happened. She had occupied forty-seven
days on the trip, and was about twenty-five
or twenty-siX days overdue.
"The cause of the delay of the San Pablo
was an insufficient supply Of coal, and she
had to put In TO the Bottom Islands for fuel.
She could not obtain any coal at the islands
and was compelled to take large quantity
of wood.
II am surprised that the case Of the San
Pablo has not been mentioned before in all
the accounts which have been given Of the
City Of PekiDg 10 create a scare. The case
OF the San Pablo was an instance Of the
length of time it takes a large and heavily
laden steamer to- proceed under sail. In
rough weather perhaps twenty or thirty
miles would be all that could be accom-
plished.
IF the City of Picking has been disabled
IN any way and has been compelled to pro-
coed under sail there is no reason whatever
to feel alarm at her delay, or coursa vnn