The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-22
STILL UNSOLVED.
Mystery Deepens Around
the Wreck.
IT MAY NOT BE THE VOLANT.
4 Purlor That She Is a Victoria Smug.
gler With Eighty Chinese
in Her Hold.
UNSOLVED.
IT MAY NOT BE THE VOLANT.

That mysterious schooner lying bottom
cd at Folsom No. l still holds her keel IN
the air. much to the disgust of the curious
crowd waiting for her to be righted.
Another attempt was made yesterday
morning to turn the dereIict over, but the
lines again parted.
The combined efforts OF the three tugs,
Fearless. Reliance and Active, pulling
tandem were too much for the hawser. Ii
snapped when the rail OF the schooner was
almost at the surface. Her keel was under
and another foot would have allowed her
to pass the center Of gravity and right her.
self.
But the big coil hawser parted and the
derelict settled back with her keel again
pointing upward and without disclosing
her identity This deepened tie mystery
surrounding the supposed Volant and
heightened the disgust Of the spectators
who expected to see a great number Of
c0rpses float cut on the tide.
One.man, who had been helping to super
intend the JOB from the deck OF vessel
close by, said there should be Law passed
compelling sbipbuilders TO blow the name
Of their vessels on the bottom or work 10
monogr8ms with large copper tacks. ms
would enable person, he SAID. 10 learn tue
/
Tie i5b has been postponed until Monday
morning. when q. T. Smith. the rigger. viii
underta ke the task. He is building shears
at he end Of Howard No. 3. and viii under
take 10 solve the mystery. Spreckels has
lad TOO tries at IL but his tugs are alto
gether too strong for the gear
When the hawseU parted, the wire cables,
forming the paTbuck!es, dropped to the bot
tom, and the Fearless and her crew put in
-, frf los fltrH
that watched the operation was even greater
than the gathering of the previous day, and
included men, women, children, Chinese
and policemen.
They sat around on the heads Of piles and
m0Orlng posts. hung themselves up IN the
raging Of vessels at adjoining wharyes
and pT0wled upon the wreck in small boats
a barbecue or a hanging could not have
brought out q bigg-T crowd Of interested
people, and the taklrs and peanut mea on
the froat made big money for once.
Ali sorts of rumOrS were at10al concerning
the wreck, aud grave doubts are expressed
a. 10 whetheT or not she Is the k0lant.
Her measurements do not tally with tsGse
Of that craft though the crew Of the vessel
that TeprteG the wreck claimed they read
NolRnt on her bows.
1t is claimed by some that she is a new
schooner, built on Puget Sound and that
size was smuggling eighty Chinese from
victoria 10 this port. Ii this be true the
schooner cRpsized and the bodies are now
floating around in the hold.
The circulation of this rumOr was what
held the crowd in anxious expectancy.
Every body wanted 10 see the Chinese
cnrpses come bobbiuG out or the hatch when
the hull rolled over The conduct of the
Chinese COngregated on the wharf greatly
helped 10 strengthen the smuggling theory.
They gathered in small groups, talking in
low but earnest tones, pointing al the wreck
q =ffn aTafSr,
cited manner Whenever an outsider drew
near hey stopped talking and moved away
out of earshot, only TO renew their excited
i3bbeTing.
Chief Of Police Crowley and Captain Lees
were present all the afternoon viewing the
proceedings from the stern Of the schooner
4. W. Bartlett. which overlooked the wreck.
Several policemen in citizens clothes and
couple Of Chinese interpreters hung about
near tie agitated MOng0s.
They were trying TO pick up something
that would fully confirm the rumOr regard
ing The smuggled heather. or anything else
TO help solve the mystery surrounding the
derelict These mea held frequent consul
tationS, but If they discovered anything il
was not given cut.
Late 10 the evening il was reported that a
man in boat picked up enc Of those cork
suied shoes worn by Chinese. Ii was float
Ing near the wreck, bat whether or not il
came from that mysterious craft could not
be learned.
some Of these mornings the Harbor
Commissioners will find that the new
PoRell-street wharf has been carried away
during the night. Not by q heavy sea. but
by being struck by some steamer.
This is likely TO happen at any time, as
the electric light en- the end Of tie wharf
does not always burn.
The lamp is an old one, with single
carbon. and this either burns out or else the
feel gear fails TO work.
rfrrr rha
lave just barely graZed the END OF the
wharf II the light is not burning the
wharf cannot be seen at all. and the danger
Is increased by the light at the end OF the
seawali, which could very we'll be mistaken
for the other. As ii is on the shore such a
mis~lke would be sure to lead vessel
against the wharf and certain destruction.
A large number OF vessels are now leaF-
ing port 10 ballast, and all are loaded several
feet deeper t6an they used TO be before the
gale turned few over. The owners have
evidently taken warning. How these yes
sells pay Is something of a mystery. They
Lad with ballast here and unload il at
Nanaimo, where they take on coal at 81
ton. Considering the price of ballast and
the expense Of loading and unloading. If
there IS any profit il must be very small.
Captain Tuttle Of the Hartley is very III
at his home in Oakland
Prisoner Price the man who escaped from
AcatTaZ on New Years dav, has been can
tured al San Jose. and two officers went
there Yesterday morning to bring him back
lie was allowed great liberty while at the
Island, and managing 10 get hold OF a
whitehall boat IL was an easy matter for him
TO get away.
A dIligent search was made for him. but
no trace was ever found, and he would still
be al liberty had he not got drunk ana
baasted Of his escape.
Ills little trip Will cost him an extra PEN
atty Of seven days in dungeon and ball
and chain to his ankles for three months
The steamer City of Puebla has been laid
up al SausalitO She will not go on the run
sgain until next April
The schooner Melancthnn arrived vester-
Gay seven days from Grays Harb0r. and
reported passing the wreck of a three
masted schooner with the stump of the
malnmast still standing.
The sealing steamer Alexander went into
the stream yesterday preparatory to sailing
to-day. She has a picked crew, and will
proceed 10 Hawaii. From there she will
proceed to the Arctic.
A. y. Gilmore, chief engineer Of the
steamer Oregon, died suddenly Yesterday
morning in Portland. Mr. Gilmore was an
CID navy engineer, but has been on the Ore.
gou for the last fourteen years He was a
fayorlte with ali who knew MIN. His
brother, j. II. Gilmore, is his only living
relative on this coast