The San Francisco call., 1895-12-15
Narrow Escape of the Schooner
Western Home While Enter.
ing Port.
STOCKTON STEAMERS DELAYED,
The Steam Schooner Scotia Will Enter
the Portland Rate War This
Week.

The schooner Western Home, which
arrived from Coos Bay last Thursday
night, had very narrow escape as she
was passing in. Toward dusk the wind
fell light and the vessel drifted into the
blight between the Cliff House and Fort
Point. The captain let go one of his
anchors, but it would not hold. When
the schooner drifted into the breakers the
kedge was let go, and luckily it caught in
the rocky bottom. A few minutes later
the tug Reliance showed up and Captain
Silovich offered to tow the schooner to a
place of safety. The skipper of the Western
Home wanted the job done for $25, but the
captain of the tug wanted more.
No agreement could be reached, and the
schooner's crew dropped another anchor
and proceeded 10 warp the vessel out. A
slant of wind and the turn of the tide
helped them, ard after an hours hard
work they got the Western Home out of
her dangerous predicament. Captain Silo-
vich says he never saw schooner have
such narrow escape.
The steam schooner Alice Blanchard,
that has been running in opposition to
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany's steamers to Portland, is to have
dangerous rival The steam schooner
Scotia is to be put on the route, and she
Will sail on the same days as the Alice
| Blanchard. On her way up the coast she
will call at Humboldt and Coos Bay and
the rates to all points will be cut. No one
seems to know who the agents of the
Scotia are, but merchants and shippers
| who claim to be we'll informed say that
the rate on freight to Portland will be cut
| to so cents a ton. Passengers will be car
ried at an equally low rate.
Some time ago it was rumored along the
i front that the Southern Pacific was going
| to put a steamer on the Portland route.
! AT the time J. c. Stubbs, speaking for the
corporation, said there was no truth in
! the rumor, but now it has been revived
again with the advent of the Scotia.
! The schooner Tampa, from Tacoma for
! Guaymas, was compelled to put into this
port yesterday. The patent screw by
! which the rudder is worked broke and dis
| abled the vessel. A new one was put in
| place and the Tampa proceeded TO sea.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company S
| Corona will be laid off for trip and the
Mexico will take her place on the San
| Diego run. The Corona requires some
| slight repairs to her new system OF forced
draft. The same company'S Gipsy, after
| fifteen years of continuous service, is to be
Withdrawn after this trip. cold perpetual
mo tion,'' as she is called, is as good and
stanch steamer as when new, but there is
nothing for her to do until the beet-sugar
/ factories are purchasing beets again. To
make up for the withdrawal of the Gypsy
the Coos Bay will make two trips week
leaving Tuesdays and Fridays.
Work is progressing rapidly on the
steamer Zealandia. When placed on the
drydock grass a foot long was found on her
bottom, but not a barnacle. 1t was all
spaded off and left the hull without a
single pit or mark on it. The sailing date
has been postponed to the 18th inst, and
that of the Aztec TO. the Goth inst.
All the Stockton river steamers were de-
layed eight hours yesterday, and it was
1890 P. NJ. before they got to their docks.
The low state of the river and the heavy
| fog was the cause of the delay.