The San Francisco call., 1895-10-10
ALONG THE WATER FRONT.
The Ship Benjamin SewaIl
Had Narrow Escape Yes
terday Morning.
HER TUGBoAT BADLY DAMAGED
Hopes of Saving the Belgic Are Inn
proVing-Sale of the Hum
boldt's Remains.

The Oceanic Steamship Company's
steamer Australia arrived from Honolulu
early yesterday morning. She brought
up 81 cabin passengers, 80 bags OF mail
and 1912 bags of sugar. The run was m ade
in six days and twelve hours.
One of the tugs of the Ship-owners' and
Merchants Towboat Company broughtth the
ship Benz jamin Sewali into port yesterday
and moved her from point to point while
she was unloading and discharginS. When
the bill for towing was made out the cap
tain thought it was excessive and deter
mined not to pay it but fight the matter
out at long range. He accordingly engaged
the tug Ida w to tow him to sea and fixed
the hour at A. NJ yesterday. The tug
was on time and made fast to the big
ship while lying at Union-street wharf.
In backing out both ship and tug got foul
of the Glory of the Seas
The Sewalls rail was badly damaged
and the Ida W lost her smokestack and
steampipe that led to the whistle. The
steam began TO escape with roaring noise
that brought all the crews of the adjoin-
ing vessels on deck. Things were patched
I'D on the tug and the ships were got into the
| stream. There the Ida WIS steam gave oat
and in order to save his vessel from drift
| ing into the seawal the captain had to
| come to an anchor. The tug got back to
! her dock Later in the day the captain
settled his differences with the tugboat
| COMPANY.
! DR.. Mcdonald ofSausalito and Quarantine
| Officer Chalmers are still at war. The
! former succeeded in getting two or three of
/ the ship-owners to hold q meeting yester-
/ day and indorse his method of attending
| to British ships that enter this port. This
I Iay will ri 4n Ennfann n n
| some scathing criticisms in Fairplay.
The Quarantine Officer has always had
the privilege of attending all foreign ves-
! sells that came to San Francisco, and the
! charge has always been $40 for the term
the ship remains here. Mcdonald asserts
! that $40 of this sum was always refunded
| TO the captain, and so represented to the
! owners. On this showing he secured many
vessels at a so rate Now all ships that
have contracted with Mcdonald are made
! 10 obey every title of the law by the Quar-
antine Officer, and there is great dissatis-
| faction in English shipping circles in con-
sequence. Captain Parker of the Crofton
Hall refused to recognize DR.. Mcdonald
and would not honor his bill. Mcdonald
threatened TO libel the ship, and sooner
| than have his vessel detained the skipper
paid $40 into the treasury of the Seamen':
| Relief Association.
The steamer a. c. Freese was towed bach
! to Stockton by the Leader last night She
was brought down to Sausahto for the ac-
commodation of Governor Budd. but as
the latter never got further than Antioch
during his run toward San Francisco the
steamer was never required. She lad been
| tastefully fitted out for the occasion by the
! California Navigation and Improvement
! Company, and it was a great disappoint
ment when the Governor could not lind il
! convenient to use her,
A telegraphic report to the Merchants
Exchange states that the chances OF float
ing the steamer Belgic are more favorable.
The men engineering the work are only
waiting for high water.
| The wreck OF the steamer Humboldt was
| sold at auction in the Mechanics Ex-
change yesterday for $40. 1t was pur-
chased by rancher named Stearn, who
| lives near the place where the vessel went
ashore. Spectators in San Francisco
would not bid 20 cents for the remains, but
the rancher will probably make money out
| of his venture.