The San Francisco call., 1895-12-14

feet. CAPTAIN Won Oterendorf was then in
command and he stayed by the ship until
Captain Morses resignation from the
Alameda made it necessary to cali him
into active service again.
AT various times rumors to the effect
that the Zealandia was going into COM
mission were circulated. They were all
without foundation. however. but on this
occasion the big steamer has come out of
the mud for good. The tugs Fearless and
Active towed her down yesterday after
noon, and she was placed on the Union
Iron Works drydock. While there she
will be cleaned and receive a thorough
overhauhng in order to be ready to sail on
the 18th inst. The Acapulco was sched-
uled to sail on that date, but she will now
be placed on the drYdock for extensive re-
pairs and alterations.
All kinds of specuIatlons as to the eau Sc
OF the charter of the Zealandia are rife
along the front. The following telegram
from New York seems to throw some light
on the subject:
NEW YORK, N. Y, Dec. 13.-It has been ex-
pected in the street for several days that
formal agreement between the Pacific Mail
steamship line and the Panama Railroad
would be definitely concluded at any moment
Such reports are again current to-day. Presi-
dent ]. Edward Simmons of the Panama Rail-
way made the following statement this after
noon:
1.-The contract has not been signed The
directors of the Panama Railroad met yester-
day and authorized me to sign an agreement
when the Pacific Mail people were ready to
sign. expect everything will be settled early
next week, or as soon the directors of the
Pacific Mail steamship line authorize Mr..
Huntington to sign"
Agent Center of the Pacific Mail and
General Agent Hinton of the Panama
Railroad profess to have no knowledge of
any agreement. eve were short of a
steamer" said Mr.. Center, "and the Zea-
landia being the only one available we
chartered her. Just how long she will
remain on the Panama route 1 don't
know"
The Panama Railway Company has been
lighting the Pacific Mail for over two
years At present it is running the
steamers Washtenaw, Progreso and City
OF Everett. The Progreso is on her way
from Panama, the Washtenaw, now in port,
is to sail on the 18th inst, and the City of
Everett left with very light freight over
week ago. The railroad company has
lost money right along on the fight, owing
to the fact that it could not enter into the
way-port trade. When 1t attempted to do
that an injunction was granted by the
New York courts, and since t. at time the
been that between New York and San
Francisco. While it lost this traffic the
Mail company still had all the Central
American states to draw upon, and in
consequence its losses have not been so
very heavy.
The Zealandia is better carrier and has
far and away better cabin accommodations
than any of the Mail pany's steamers
now on the route. She is nearly twice the
size of the Acapulco and will take away
lib tons of freight. The Aztec, which is
scheduled to sail a day after the
Zealandia, will probably be withdrawn
for time as the big steamer
will be able to take all the cargo
offering. She is to stop at every way port
between San Francisco and Panama and
big crowd of passengers are booked to sail
on her.
The Zealandia is under the Hawaiian flag
and was built by j. Elder & Co. OF Glasgow.
She is 377 feet feet long, 81 feet broad and
lo feet inches deep, rugged as four
masted steamer and is classed 100 Al at
Lloyds.