The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-24
TRAVEL M|SMANACEMENT.
Overlooking and Bad Loading
as the Rule in the Pacific
Mail Company.
HOW CABIN PASSENGERS FARE.
That Roll Dangerously in
Calm Seas.

Reckless overlooking and dangerous
bad loading of the Pacific Mail steamers
proves not to be the exception, but the
rule, and almost everybody, except the
company's officials, who have been fortu-
nate to escape disaster on those vessels,
appear to have testimony not agreeable to
Mr.. Huntington and Mr.. Scherwin. DR..
L. R. Wagner, dentist of Seattle, who
arrived on the City of Sydney Saturday,
sailed from San Francisco for Central
America on the San Juan last February.
He said:
The San Juan was so crowded with freight
and so topheavy that she rolled from side to
SIDE even in the mildeSt sea. She also had q
bad list to one side.
Abaft of the houses is a large space extending
to the stern and that was packed with lumber
five or six feet high. The lumber extended
well along the railing of the ship, leaving only
small passage-ways next to the Lighthouses on
each side. Wnen the lumber gave out they
piled 500 cases of coal oil along the rails well
forward of the houses. The forecastle of the
vessel was filled with an assorted cargo OF
freight, among which were several heavy pieces
of machinery.
age passengers, with only few feet around
and between those Lighthouses for exercise
In clear weather we roasted IN the lumber
yard, and when it was stormy we kept away
from those piles of boards. They we're secured
with bits OF small rope, so frail that the officers
were constantly warning US 10 keep out of the
passages when the ship rolled. If anything
like gale had struck us during that February,
that lumber and that combustible oil would
have made the vessel our death-trap.
Our trip up on the City of Sydney was not SO
dangerous, but far more unpleasant than our
experience on the San Juan. From the day we
| set foot aboard till we landed we were miser-
able. The passenger accommodations are
wretched. The cabin fares but little better
| than the Steerage in RESPECTS
| l cannot understand why they set such
| shabby tables when food is not high on the
| coast. Good beef can be secured at reasonable
| figures, yet on the Sydney coming up they
brought aboard an old steer whose horns were
| rlnged with many years, and that leathery
| beef we ate all the way up. Fruit and vege
tables are given very sparingly. Wine neve,
| appears on the cabin table unless you pay fol
| 1t three times as much as it would cost on
shore either in California or Spanish America
| When you remember the great number of wine
| drinking people who travel in those boats, and
| who would never eat without their favorite
beverage, you may understand what good re
| tail liquor business the Pacific Mail does.
| One would think coffee on Central Ameri
can coast steamer, passing, as it does, in sigh,
of the groves OF Costa RIGA, would be the bes
always, yet the stuff they gave US to drink or
| got it is mystery. There is only one solution
to the problem. Several months ago a large
part of the sydney's coffee cargo was flooded
with water by the neglect of the engineers and
| the company had to pay for the rotten berries
| 1t is firmly believed by all who have drank O
| the bitter cup in the Sydney's saloon that thu
! Pacific Mail turned that damaged cargo to
| good account.
An amusing thing in connection with oul
fare troubles on the steamer occurred every
meal. While we were trying 10 make mea
out of the poor menu before us we would hea
| the big negro steward and his walters calling
out loudly to the cook. "Beefstake fur d,
| capiu!'' ''po'kchop fur de purseri' "hamaig
| fur de doktuhP' Despite our irritation tn,
| righteousness of this plan of posting the cool
| on the order was amusing, and never failed t.
make US laugh. However, 1t was more salts
| faction to learn that the stewart and butche
| were both detected at San Bias selling provis
| ions 10 an Indian and discharged. Even thu
| water is bad and hardly fit to drink. One o
! the watering places is at Acapulco, and thu
| reservoir is filthy place, and, as the American
| Consul told me, full OF micro-organisms. TIT
| stateroomS are neglected and soiled linen i
permitted to lie around in the saloons ant
| paSsageways all morning 1 took special no
| tice in the matter of washing stateroom towels
| and found that the same soapy water wa
used four days in succession, and Consequent,
| the towels were not only untidy, but had
| disagreeable Odor.
six of us first-class cabin passengers slept il
one room with not enough space out of thu
! berths to dress in. There was an Il-smellin,
| stationary washstand in one corner and
water-closet above our heads. The bed cloth
| ing was not clean and the narrow strip of car
pet on the deck was heavy with dirt, and Il
cap it all the small glass headlights in thu
side OF the ship were kept closed.
|
! the hatred of the people on the Mexican ant
! Central American Coast. The officials of tn
| company know that the inhabitants of thu
Pacific ports are at their mercy and have nj
| relief. Passengers and shippers are put to al
| the inconvenience possible at the agents offic
and on board the steamer. What a blessing
| new freight and passenger service would be t.
| those people. Coming up talked with tn
| three Colima survivors and they freely state,
| that the steamer was badly loaded and TOP
heavy. That is the opinion all along til
| coast.
One strange thing is the way the steamer
have of leaving port No matter when the
| come in; no matter when they finish loadin
| and unloading. they will lie quietly at ancho
| till late at night, even far after midnight. VIII
| do they desire to go out of harbor at such un
| reasonable hours? They will lie for two o
three days in little port perfectly idle in tn
| burning heat. When out at sea we would get
| little air.
| will return to Salvador in October, but viii
| go to New Orleans and by steamer to Guate
| mala.
| Times are good in Central America now
| Free silver is making erybody prosperous.
| went down there gold believer and return
| silver man forever.