The San Francisco call., 1895-10-07
Return of the Revenue Cutter
Richard Rush From Ber-
ing Sea.
THE SEASONS SEAL CATCH
Skipper Erickson's Weird
Visitor.

tain c. l.. Hooper, arrived yesterday nine
days from Bering Sea. She is the first OF
the Government patrolling fleet to leave
the sealing grounds and reports that the
cutters General Grant, Perry and Corwin
are now on their way to this port. The
revenue steamer Wolcott is at Sitka, where
she will remain during the winter, and the
steamer Bear is at Oonalaska and will sail
for San Francisco November /. The Of
ficers of the Rush are Captain c. L.
Hooper, Lieutenants F. G. L. Wadsworth,
F. NJ. Dunmoody, F. S. Van Boskerek Jr.
and J. G. Ballinger, Chief Engineer F. B.
Randall, First Assistant E. W. Pedrick,
Second Assistant W. c. Myers, Assistant
Surgeon J. H. Oakley.
The Rush reports that about 81, 900 skins
were taken by pelagic sealers, which, added
to the $1,000 taken at the rookeries, makes
$4,000 caught in the season.
The catch of the revenue cutters were
the schooners Beatrice, Shelby, Louis
Olsen and E. B. Marvin. The Beatrice
was taken because her log, in which her
movements and sealing exploits were re-
corded, had evidently been written to de-
ceive the revenue officers. She was a
British vessel and was sent to Victoria.
The Olsen was first overhauled by the Cor
win when two miles inside the prescribed
limits. She was notified to make tracks
out of the sea. A few days after she was
caught by the Rush ten miles inside. Her
captains plea of false reckoning was not
satisfactory andthe schooner was taken to
Sltka, as she was an American.
The British schooner Shelby was found
without the necessary number of gun
shells on board and was turned over to the
English cruiser Pheasant. The shortage
in the official and recorded amount of
shells proved that they had been used in
the sea, presumably in killing seals, and
the Shelby'S work was cut short, for the
season at least. The E. B. Marvin had
several skins that showed shot-holes and,
being British, was also turned over to the
Pheasant for transfer to Victoria.
The officers of the Rush state as an un-
deniable indication that the seal herds are
rapidly decreasing that in many places al
the rookeries the grass is growing Iuxuri-
antly where once countless numbers OF
seals besported themselves, the "hauling-
up" localities or spots where the animals
go ashore always being bare, sandy wastes
from the visits of the herds.
The crew of the wrecked brig W. II.
Meyers came down on the cutter Rush.
They thought that Captain Hansen
anchored too close in shore and On poor
holding ground, and when the gale struck
his vessel there was no chance to save her.
ne crew VI the revenue cutter complain
bitterly of the manner in which their ra-
tions are served out. The Government al
lows each enlisted man 80 cents a day for
food, and the privilege of supplying the
treasury vessels is farmed out to contract
ors, who feed the sailors for 1415 cents q
day. The food at this figure is not calcu-
lated to make the men dyspeptic and they
naturally want to know who gets that lost
151I cents.
The new tug FL Quizai, now lying at
Main-street wharf, is a peculiarly con-
structed craft. Her hull was built by
George Kneass of this City for service at
San Jose de Guatemala hauling lighters
through the surf. Several towboats have
been lost in the heavy breakers at that
port, and this little steamer is intended to
solve the surf problem.
She viii also compete with the Pacific
Mail Company tugs, which have had the
monopoly of the towing business in San
Jose de Guatemala.
She is decked completely over, even the
helmsman and engineer standing outside,
the latter handling his machinery from
the top of the deckhouse. No one is below
except the fireman, who is tightly impris-
oned with his furnace in the vessel. But
he is perfectly safe because there are two
great air tanks running iengthwise, the
vessel having a buoyancy of thirty-five
tons. If the Ell QuiZal does not roll over
ducking through the surf he will be able
10 hold down his job quite successfully.
The vessel is 46 feet long, u feet beam
and draws about six feet of water. Her
engine is of forty horsepower, and manu-
factured by G. H. Evans & Co. of this City.
The hull is pretty model and put to-
gether in the strongest possible manner
Skipper Erickson of the wave-defying
schooner Elvina from Eureka unfolds q
tale of startling WeirdneSs. Coming down
the coast he was boarded one dark night
by visitant from the watery realms OF
the sea-serpent. 1t had body, so he says,
about four inches long, six legs, two arms,
nine fingers on each hand, and had only
one eye. The night was dark and few
pallid stars gave out ghostly light-just
the sort of time for marine spooks and old
spirits to be abroad. Bold Skipper Erick-
son of the wave-defying schooner EIvina
caught the creature and preserved II in
alcohol for the savants of Stockholm to
ponder over.