The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-24
ALONG THE WATER FRONT.
A Purchasing Agent for State
Harbor Commission
Supplies.
THE FIRE TUG QUESTION
Alviso and San Jose RalIroad-A
Survivor of the Wrecked Ship
Arabia.

The Harbor Commissioners intend to
appoint new officer in the person OF a
purchasing agent, who will attend to the
buying of supplies for the five depart
ments. 1t has been the custom that pro-
curing the needful supplies was left to
the heads of the different departments.
The Commissioners believe that by that
method there was no chance of comparing
or checking the accounts OF the depart
ment that greater care and economy might
be exercised in purchasing. The new OIL
cial will have a storehouse in which every
article not in actual use will be kept, and
where the accounts of all State property,
from hammer to a tug, willsbe kept.
This plan meets the approval of the en-
tire board, who consider it practical and
economical. Mr.. Cole stated yesterday
that he has enormously been made to ap-
pear as ignorant and dissatisfied with the
manner in which the contracts for dredger
repairs were let. He was absent when the
matter was attended to, and, 1t being
urgent, was not delayed. The Califor-
MIA Machine Works being the
lowest bidders the work was awarded
to them for $625. 1t is the intention OF the
board to purchase no article except by
competitive bids, and it will be the duty
of the purchasing agent to keep on hle
list of the bids of the various firms, and
any dealer IN the City may compete for
the said supplies for the State. 1t is
| thought that S. J. Westlake, who has been
in the secretary's office for years, will per-
! form the duties of general purchaser.
The statement of Chief Sullivan OF the
Fire Department to the board at the last
meeting that the State fire tugs were not
| efficient has set the Commissioners
thinking. Boats that draw fifteen feet
! shore or wharves IN the extreme
northern and southern portions OF the
water front are not extremely use
! full things to have around, and when those
boats cannot throw a much greater stream
than the modern fire engines the situation
! is not an agreeable one. How to make
| their tugs more able to cope with possible
waterfront fires, and afford sufficient pro-
| lection to property there, is the yearnlng
desire of the harbor officials.
Yesterday the sealing schooner Bowhead
recently seized by the customs officers for
taking skins in prohibited waters without
| a license, was bonded for $1700 and her
load OF sealskins for $4,000. She will be
taken to Benicia by William Brent and
laid up pending her forfeiture trial in the
! United States courts.
w
| ing yesterday afternoon watching for her
| husband, who kissed her farewell so fondly
and speedily ran away with $780, their all
! leaving her without a cent. They came
| from Sacramento two days ago and put W
at the International Hotel and yesterday
morning Meyer stole down to the transfer
office, where his trunk had been thought
| fully left, and passed with it quite away to
parts unknown. Meyer has deserted his
wife several times before, but she has
hunted him up and at her pleadings he has
promised to run away no more. Sergeant
Tom Mahoney of the Harbor Police, whose
gallant heart is ever open to the supplica-
tons of beauty in distress, watched care
fully for the recreant Meyer without sue
cess.
The articles of incorporation of the San
Jose and Alviso Railroad were signed yes
terday and $40, 900 deposited as a guarantee
of good faith. The stock already sub
scribed amounts to over 10000, and the
work of condemning right of way will
soon commence. The trustees of the new
company are r. J. r. Alden of Vallejo,
Frank Piper H. W. Goodall, III. P.
| Thayer, Andrew Rocca, c.. 4. Shurtleff
and A. E. Pryor of San Francisco. The
road will be q broad-gauge and will run
| from Alviso, or New Chicago, as it is now
called, to San Jose. A regular line OF
steamers will run between the bay end OF
| the road and San francisco, Oakland,
Berkeley and Vallejo.
a survivor of the recent wreck of the
American ship Arabia, Mrs. G. H. Maloon,
wife of the captain of the vessel, arrived in
this City day before yesterday. The Arabia
was lost on the coast near Cape Horn dur
ing her voyage from New York to this
port, becoming unmanageable in furious
gale of wind and drifting on to the beach.
Mrs. Maloon refused TO leave the fast
breaking ship until her husband was ready
to accompany her and was hoisted with
her child into the last boat to leave the
vessel. After tossing about in the cold and
stormy seas for six days they were picked
up and taken to Montevideo. Mrs. Ma.
loon and her little boy is still under the
care of physician, her terrible suffering
having undermined her health.
The members of the naval battalion have
received permission from the City authori
ties to swim in the bay off their boathoust
at Folsom street.