The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-21
ALONG THE WATER FRONT
The StoWaway That Frightened
the Crew of the Ship
Lansing.
FLIGHT OF THE CABIN CAT.
A Tale Of the Bering Sealing Fleet
The Sale Of the BaWnmore
and Cargo.

Yesterday the British four-master Lam
sing, Captain Hatfield, arrived, fifty-four
days from Newcastle. Like the American
ship May Flint she was formerly steamer,
and was the Pererie, one of the French
Transatlantique steamers, and once carried
the speed-pennant, her record being IS
knots, About six years ago she was
changed to a ship and registered at $500
tons burden. Her thick iron deck shows
her original steamship character.
She brought from Newcastle stowaway
named William A. Robinson, who is a
dwarf only three feet tall. Billy" as
good Captain Hatfield calls his protege
was stranded with a travelling show and
finding Australia not favorable for barn
storming, concluded to emigrate.
He slipped aboard of the Lansing while
she lay at the wharf just before she sailed
and kept himself hidden away till he was
well away from Newcastle.
When the odd appearing stowaway ap-
peared on deck his uncouth figure wad-
ding along the deck and the picturesque
CRIME on his face and clothes sent the
crew into mysteries. Two Italian sailors
who were enthusiastic patriots dropped on
their knees and prayed frantically when
they caught sight of the dreadful appari-
ton rolling toward them.
The cook, usually very phlegmatic son
of the Rhine, fed from his galley and took
refuge in the forecastle, and swore it was
the "Teufel." The carpenter, who hap
pened to be at work with his ak, took to
the rigging and yelled for the captain to
wear ship and put back to port or he would
go to cutting the upper yards down. The
man at the wheel grew so goggle-eyed at
the awful thing walking toward him that
he let the vessel come up in the wind and
had all the sails f1uttering aback, to the
great danger of carrying away the lighter
spars.
The boatswain left his place on deck and
rushed into the cabin ana begged the cap
tain to call away the boats and abandon
the ship because the "Old Man of the Sea"
was on board.
Captain Hatfield finally got the wits of
his crew Strengthened out and turned in
establishment to interview his strange
visitor. Billy told q plain tale of hardship
and begged so earnestly to be given a
chance to earn his food that the kind
hearted skipper forgave him and the little
dwarf was installed as sort OF cabin-boy's
mate.
He built himself cute little bunk in one
Of the spare staterooms, which looks about
large enough to accommodate big doll.
The little fellow by his jolly ways and
genial manner made friends with all on
board except the cabin cat. who lett her
luxuriant quarters aft and took up her
abode with the rats down in the hold.
He is known as the TON Thumb of
Australia" and to offset his lack of size is
provided with double joints on his knuckhes
and knees. He is 81 years old, in perfect
health, and is very muscular.
Once in Newcastle he rid the hotel of
huge fellow who was making himself dis
agreeable Billy came up behind him,
slipped between his knees, and throwing
his strong little arms around the mans
legs, like Samson with the temple pillars,
carried his big burden out in the street.
He was absolutely so small, comparatively,
that the other couldn't see him.
The sealing schooner Z. Webster came
in yesterday from Bering Sea with 271
skins. She makes the following report of
this seasons catch of the sealing schooner
fleet:
NJ. NJ. Morrell 300 skins, Agnes Nc
Donald 975, Vera 800, Wanderer 246, Black
Diamond 800, Penelope 312, Florence NJ
Smith 10, ]. 6. Swan 60, Sapphire 615,
Walter L. Rich AIS, Rather 30O Bonanza
100, Herman 1865.
The bark Oscar Herrea, which left Port
Blakely for Valparaiso with lumber, put
into this port yesterday. She sprang a
leak on the port bow on September Is,
SIAGy OlI NdpC III d
gale, and the water has been coming into
her at the rate of twenty inches an hour.
She will be repaired here.
The hull and coal of the wrecked steamer
Bawnmore was sold yesterday at auction
in the Merchants Exchange to Lawrence
Foard, the ship chandler, and the cargo
to A. Rudgear for 1905. Captain Woodside
stated that there were several hundred
tons of coal and about 400 ions of cargo
aboard of the vessel. She was insured for
100000 and her cargo for $4,000 at the
time she went ashore.
Five cases of shoes, valued at $780, were
stolen Thursday night from the store
house of the steamer Gold on Pacific-street
wharf. The door was broken down and
the cases carried away, probably by dock
thieves in boats, who have been nightly
raiding the water front lately.
The bark J. d. Peters recently brought
down from Alaska the remains of Samuel
Fulton that his widow might claim the
$1,000 insurance on the life of the deceased
in Oakland Lodge No. 2, Ancient Order of
United WorkmeD. He died last July %
at Prince Williams Land.
First Officer H. c. Townsend of the
schooner J. D. Peters was discharged by
United States Commissioner Heacock yes
terday. He was accused of beating and
wounding Chem Poh, the Chinese cook,
On the high seas. The testimony was very
conflicting, and not sufficient to convict
the prisoner.