The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-06
THE RESCUE OF THE PICKING.

The Pacific Mail steamer San Juan sailed
at an early hour yesterday morning IN
search of the missing City Of Picking. She
was supplied with an ample stock OF provi-
sions-it having been discovered that the
story about the Picking having SIX months
stores on board was a fiction; she carried
duplicates of many pieces OF machinery
which may have broken On the Picking,
supply Of steel, and a picked crew OF ma
chnists and steel-workeTs. quantity OF
rocket signal lights was included among
her furnishings.
The plan Of the company, which Captain
Pitts has been directed to carry cut, con-
templates, FIST. an INQUIRY whether the
Picking has reached Honolulu. This he
expects to ascertain from the Australia,
which was scheduled to leave the islands
on the 1st, and which therefore tie San
Juan should meet to-day or tomorrow.
There is a possibility that the two ships
may not sight each other, hut this is I'M
likely; on approaching port the Australia
would not vary far from a direct line from
the islands TO latitude IS degrees If the
Australia reports that the Picking is at
Honolulu. and needs assistance, the San
juan Will pursue Der voyage to the islands;
there The rescue ship Wiz return to port. II
The Picking las not reached tie islands she
viii go on. The first question which is ere
atng anxiety in this city will thus be solved
not later than Wednesday next
Falling TO find the Picking at Honolulu
the San Juan will proceed on voyage Of
exploration as far as the one hundredth and
six,ieth parallel east. Such voyages are
10 in
which steamer from Japan sails or voy-
age TO this port is not less than hundred
miles wide and may be two hundred. This
is allowing nothing for involuntary drift
ing. In clear weather lookout on mast
head can see a vessel about twenty-fv
miles of, and a rocket may be seen at night
at a distance OF forty miles. To explore
the lane from 100 degrees west to 100 east
the San Juan viii have to proceed by a
series Of short tacks zigzagging as nearly
as Iossible from tie north edge Of the lane
to the south edge. If the Picking is in the
lane, laboring along under sail. tie chances
are in favor Of tie san Juan finding her.
But il must be borne in nina that she Is
liable to have been driven in o westerly
direction by the equatorial current flowing
toward the coast Of Asia, and may have
been carried ont Of the lane.
Should the San Juan fail to find the
Picking or any trace of her east of the one
huudred,h and sixtieth parallel OF east
longitude il is understood that she is TO re-
turn home. leaving the search between that
parallel and japan TO be prosecuted from
the eastern end Mariners seem TO incline
10 the belief that tie accident which befell
the belated ship occurred in the seas ad-
! jaceDt to JapaD. as rough weather is known
! t. have prevailed in those waters al the
/ time they were trayersed by the Pekng
/ If that is the case tie rescue may be ac-
! complishrd by some one Of the many
steamers which navigate japanese waters
/ The japanese are skiilful and daring mar
! liners, and the amount OF salvage in this case
is likely to stimulate enterprise.
! Thus far the gr uuds for alarm are slight
/ The missing ship is only two weeks over
! due. a dozen different accidents can be
! imagined which would account for such 2
delay. Il M ht take two weeks TO repair &
! shaft or crank pin in midocean. II more
serious accident occurred, requiring thG
! abandonment Of the ship, all hands would
take to the boats, aud II tie disaster befel z
! thousand miles from land, it might take
over four weeks for one OF the boats Il
/ reach port IN Geographic communication
with the world. The boats all might reach
/ Port Lloyd on the Bonins, and still be
ten DAYS from the nearest telegraph station
or all the accidents which may have &C.
Cured the most terrifying is fire. Such q
! disaster is most unlikely. On the Pacific
Mail ships, the crew 90 through a fire drill
| once a week, and the machinery for the ex
tnguishIng OF fires is ample Still III,
Cinnamon Of the crew and in the Steeragt
are inyeterate cigarette smokers and throw
the lighted ends anywhere. a fire Is among
the possib BILE mishaps which may have taken
place. In such a case an experienced cap
tain like Searle always has time, by bat
tening down his matches. to provision and
launch his boats. and on a peaceful sea like
the Pacific there is no reason why any oil
them should be lost. On the maps thai
ocean appears TO be vacant waste o.
waters But in reality it is studded witt
small islands, volcanic peaks and cora
atols. where water can be ba0 and boat
repaired. II will be time enough to thinl
Of despair when six weeks have elapsed