The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-28

The Tacoma Ledger thus describes the
coating of piles with O teredo proof COM
position. This is in progress under
the Commercial wharf. and the plant
used is one put in by the Northern Pa
cihc railroad to prepare all plies 10 De
used in the new wharves: "A large STOCK
of timber is placed on two trucks, one at
each end. and run under the shed The
stick is lacked up so that It rests on
wheels on each truck making 1t easy TO
turn 1t over Between the trucks, on
track. are two cars; one filled with hot
sand. and the other with the boiling COM
position, made chiefly of coal tar. Be
fore being placed on the trucks the STICK
is barked and dressed down. Five men
begin operations on 1t when 1t is in place,
a man at each end with cant hook
revolving the log for the men doing the
coating. Two, armed with steel hooks,
grab a section of burlap with the hooks
and throw 1t into the boiling composition.
1t emerges dripping with the black COM
position and is placed on the log. The
fifth man, with broad wooden hoe,
smooths the burlap on the log and scrapes
the surplus composition back into the
cauldron as the log is revolved. Section
after section of the burlap is placed on
until the log is covered for the desired
distance. Each man then fills his mouth
with taclIs, seizes a hammer, and In three
minutes the burlap is securely tackled IN
place, The car of boiling tar is moved
to one side, and the car of hot sand cakes
its place. Two men with swabs give the
burlap another coat of composition and
then the entire surface is busted with the
sand. This completes the process of coat
ing. The log Is hauled away to dry and
another takes its place.
The San Francisco line of steamers to
the Orient is evidently feeling very large
ly the present competition of the Column
bia river, Tacoma and Victoria with their
three opposition lines. The Examiner
shows this anxiety very plainly. 1t says:
aTha Pacific Mail Steamship Company is
casting about for some WY of improving
the China and the Panama lines. The
steamship line established by the Cana
dian Pacific railroad company from VAN
couyer, the Northern Pacific railroads
line from Tacoma, and now the new line
from Portland have all cut into the Pa
cific Mail company's China trade so that
something will have to be done to save
trade for this port. The officials OF the
company have been figuring for some
months on improving the service, ana
while they have agreed upon plan, the
details are yet to be completed. Two new
vessels are to be added to the China line
and two Of the present China line vessels
are to be put on the Panama line. The
average tonnage Of the vessels on the
Panama line is less than $500, while the
China line steamers run from 1000 to
5000 The China and City Of Pekin of the
China line are good vessels of the larger
tonnage, while the Peru and City of Rio
Janeiro are smaller. The latter are the
two vessels that will fall to the Panama
line when the change is made. Owing to
the shorter route the Canadian Pacific
is enabled to make better time and 1t is
rapidly coaxing away from San Francisco
the through travel to and from the ORR
ent. No one was quicker to see this than
General Manager Schwerin, and he was
determined to improve the China line.
To do this properly will require the build
ing Of two new fast vessels. This will
take a year or more, so Mr.. Schewerin
will charter suitable vessels until the
new ones can be constructed. The diff
Guilty that has been experienced has been
in securing vessels that meet the de-
mand. When the proper steamers can
be found the change will be made. The
| Doric will take the place of the Oceanic
On the Occidental and Oriental line. She
is a steel steamer 49O feet 44xS1.6; carries
four masts, schooner rugged, and has
three decks two Of which are steel.