The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-11
The Steamship Rio de JaneirO Is ALI
Right.
A SKIPPER GOES ON HIS HONEYMOON.
Captain Mcleod Of the Courtney Ford
Is a Happy Man Now.
Notes.

Lie serious charges dli6g6Q 10 uaV6 Oeen
made by Hugh Craig against T. P. 81.
Whitelaw. the veteran wrecker. fell like
shell in the camp of the latter's friends.
In a brief report of meeting OF the
Chamber of Commerce held Wednesday
afternoon, Mr.. Craig is quoted as having
said that the lost wrecking schooner Sam
son was an ''old scow." and it was init
mated that she was not worth more than
$40. 900.
Mr. Craig criticized Captain Whitelaw's
methods, and added that the anchoring or
the Samson at Point Bonita, where she
was exposed to all the fury of the wind
and wave, was "a matter for police inves-
tgation and little less than manslsugh-
ter"
Furthermore" said the speaker,
"Whitelaw might just as well have put his
men in tub and anchored them in some
exposed place."
1t was rumored along the front yester-
day that in consequence Of the statements
made by Mr.. Craig suit OF some kind
would be instituted by the captain. The
opinion Of nearly everybody who talked
about the matter was that the wrecker
had been woefully slandered.
"The Samson" explained Whitelaw,
was not an old tub. as every seafaring
man is aware. She was a remarkably
powerful vessel and just suited to my
business. The gear on her decks alone
was worth $4,000 and l can easily prove
this. The dragging of her anchor and
going ashore was caused by an accident"
In speaking of the death of his divers
the captain said that all hands would have
been saved had they staid by the vessel
and tried 10 put out the flames: that
men lose their heads and go crazy in the
face of danger. Not only all hands would
have got safely ashore, but the craft might
have been saved If the men had been cool
and collected.
One Of the champions of the cause of the
captain was man who has reason to
know good deal about the Samson. He
declared that she was splendid vessel
and capable of standing lots of hard
knocks. If she had not caught fire she
would have been all right, for it would
have taken thirty days to hammer her to
pieces on the rocks.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company
announced a cut of SIS all around in the
wages OF the seamen employed on their
steamers yesterday morning, The COM
pany was forced to make the cut by its
Eastern stockholders, holding out against
the change till the last moment. Better
wages are paid on the company's line than
on any other coast route. The standard
wage rate has been $40 per month for 4
long time. Other companies only pay $50
and $50. The cut caused no trouble, for
Inc men UNDERSTOOD Tue SITUATION ana ac-
cepted the reduction without murmur.
The steamers of the Oceanic Steamship
Company will make quicker time to Aus
tralian and Hawaiian ports hereafter.
About six days will be saved on round
trip. The Arawa, that was rlaced on the
route by the Union Steamship Company,
and which sails Saturday, IS no such YES
sci for passengers as the Mariposa and
Australia. 1t is hard to beat the Oceanic
Company's own liners for solid comfort
and good service. The Arawa is a mon
ster, but she sis not IN it, with the home
industry However, the Union Company
will substitute fine vessel, 1t IS thought.
in the Arawa's place.
News received from Yokohama yester-
day reported that the steamer City of Rio
de Janeiro of the Pacific Mail line had been
floated with no damage. Like an 'Over-
due" ship the Rio was wrecked by guessers
before she had a chance to give an account
of herself.
The brig Courtney Ford sailed yesterday
morning for Suva. FIJI Islands. Just be-
fore she hove short on her anchor Captain
Mcleod boarded her with his bride-elect.
The captain had been married the night
before. Captain Mcleod is one of the
rising men among young shippers that
sail from this port. The Courtney Ford
is the first sQuare-rigged vessel he has ever
commanded. but he will undoubtedly win
a ship before many years.
A crack trip Is recorded Tor tire Ameri-
can ship Cbarmer. She arrived yesterday
from New York after a 112-day voyage.
From the equator, on the Pacific side, the
vessel made the surprising time Of Is days
to the Farallon Islands. This squirt was
due to good seamanship and tavoring
southerly winds.
The old bark Momentum, which people
thought was doomed to berth in silent
row" is at Seattle. On the way up from
San Francisco she sprung a'leak, and on
January l, when off the Oregon coast, the
leak was SO bad that all hands had to take
a turn at the pumps. On opening the
matches at Seattle it was discovered that
nearly all the cargo between decks was
swimming. Vinegar jars and boxes OF
apples, flour and everything was floating
about In most chaotic condition.
The schooner yacht Vine sails from sec
tiOn of the seawall to-day with an ex-
cursion party to the South Seas. The
Vine has signed fifteen passengers. The
vessel will first visit Guaymas. Mexico,
where she will discharge her deckload OF
lumber. Thence she,will proceed to Homo
lulu and then as far south as Tahiti.
The schooner Charles Hansen sailed
away under difficulties yesterday. Her
crew went ashore and got on glorious
drunk. A scratch crew was picked up on
the beach and taken on board the vessel.
and the DRINKS were deserted.
The British and japanese Consuls are
investiga ting the case Of the murder Of
the Jap Joe Mats, who was dubbed 10
death on the British bark Miliwall on
November 6. Mats tried 10 kill the
boatswain, but in turn was murdered.
The verdict In he case Will not,oe returned
for several days.