The morning call., 1894-06-15
ALL HANDS TO GO.
The City of Sydney's
Crew Discharged.
HER OCCUPATION Is GONE.
The Vessel Will Be Tied Up at
BeniCia
FOR A TIME INDEFINITE.
Nearly Sixty Men Will Be Thrown
Out of Work for a Time at
Least.

Business Is so dull with the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company that the fine iron
steamer City of Sydney, the twin ship OF
the wrecked City of New York. that was
put on the China route during the tea sea-
son, will be withdrawn and hauled off TO
Benicia to lay up for time indefinite.
Yesterday the entire crew of the sgd
ney, numbering perhaps sixty souls, with
the exception OF the chief engineer, car
penter and one other officer, were informed
their services were no longer wanted on
the vessel.
That the Sydney is not going back on
the Panama and waypOrt run is settled.
for it is not customary to discharge men
entirely from the employment of the COM
pany when q vessel is temporarily laid off ;
but the crews are generally kept on the
payrolls until the ship goes back into. COM
mission again.
A number Of the Sydney's crew will
leave the coast altogether; two or three of
them are going to New York
The officers Of the company explain the
comDany's reasons for RELOCATING one of
tho finest vessels owned by the corpora
ton to 'sient row" by saying that an
extra boat Is usually put on betwe en- San
Francisco and the Orient during the tea
season and Withdrawn after the season is
over. This is true to a certain extent. but
never has a vessel been ordered to proceed
up river, there to find a long resting place
among the marine unemployed.
On the Sydney's last trip to and from
China Captain Seabury was in command.
Prior to the time be became her skipper
Captain Frank II. Johnston made a round
trip for the company in her. Captain
Seabury will probably get another ship,
but what ship shall it be?
The three score or more Of men en-
ployed on the Sydney think that the Mail
Company will look out for them, but some
persons seem 10 think that yesterdays
discharges were all permanent.
On the Panama and wayport routes the
Pacific Mail has been steadily losing
money. and instead of increasing its
service in that direction it is more likely
that more steamers will be withdrawn.
The Colima got in yesterday with little or
no freight to speak of, and every one OF
the recent feet that has sailed for the
south has carried but very little cargo
In discussing the situation, an officer of
the SydIey expressed it that he thought
business of the China line by the Can
adian Pacific steamers were damaging the
Pacific Mail great deal.
1--WE have not been carrying cargoes
such as we used to-" said he, land | am
afraid that the wayport and tea business
is thing of the past.
1.-The withdrawal of the Pacific Mail
from the wayport route would hurt San
Francisco at first. but it would benefit it
after q few months. SaIling-ships and
merchant steamers would rush into the
business just as soon as the older company
withdraws."
Inquiry at the Offices OF the company
confirmed the news that the Sydney would
not be in commission for few months.
Not II she lays up at Benicia she won't.
The engineer and carpenter will prob
ably stay by the vessel during her pending
vacation.