The San Francisco call., 1896-10-06
CRUISER COMUS
ON MERCY BENT
She Will Search for the
Missing Steamer
Linlithgow.
The Britisher Saluted the Amer.
ican Flag as She Passed
Alcatraz.
SINKING OF a RIVER STEAMER.
A Snag in the Sacramento Made a
Hole in the Alvira and She
Went Down.

The British cruiser Comus arrived. in
port from Esquimalt yesterday. At first
it was the intention to remain here just
long enough to get the mail, and Captain
Dyke thought he would make another
start for the south at P. NJ. The shore
party went back to the cruiser immedi-
ately alter a visit had been paid to the
British consulate. When the hour for de-
parture arrived something had turned up
that caused change in the plans, and the
warship will not get away before this
morning. As.the cruiser steamed past Al
catraz she saluted the American flag and
the fort replied.
The officers Of the Comus are: Captain,
H. II. Dyke; lieutenants, Luard, Watts,
Jones, Wills, Pike and Rake; lieutenant
of marines. II. ]. Crocker; chaplain, Rev.
T. Kane, B.A.; staff surgeon, Corcoran;
paymaster, T. w. Mortimer; first engineer,
]. Lane; sub-lieutenant Speke; assistant
paymaster, Dye; assistant engineer, z. w.
P. Bluett; gunner, G. P. Cooper; boat
swain, R. Hasking; corporal, J. Matheson;
midshipmen, G. Ward, r. Gosseta, A. 9.
Tellowes, R. Backhouse, ]. McHardy, II.
Slynduy; 365 rnen.
From here she goes to South America,
and incidentally will keep sharp lookout
for the disabled steamer Linlithgow. The
latter left here on July 81 with 1886
eentals of barley, valued at S77572, and
broke her propeller shaft off Acapulco.
Captain Petrie sent a boats crew ashore
for assistance, and the news reached here
the ID iddle of last month. Since then the
disabled ship has not been heard from.
Should the Comus pick her up, both ves-
Sc Is will make for Callao.
Another vessel that is among the miss
ing is the Chilean bark Lake Leman. She
was in collision with the Italian bark
Lazzero on September 16 and has not
since been heard from. The authorities
at Victoria, B. c., have sent the light
house boat Quadra out to look for the
missing vessel at the request of the
Chilean Consul at Port Townsend. The
Lazzero reached port couple of weeks
ago.
The California Transportation Com
rany's chartered steamer Alvira Is
sunk in Steamboat Slough. She was
making her way down to the
main channel when snag was
struck and in few minutes the vessel
sank in shallow water. The engine-room
and hold were flooded, but the cargo of
produce on the upper deck did not suffer.
1t will be unloaded into another OF the
company's boats and will reach San Fran
cisco to-day. Captain Nelson, one of the
managers of the company, went up last
night to the scene of the wreck and took
one of Whitelaw's pumps along with him.
1t is his intention to build box around
the hole and then pump the vessel out.
Should this prove success the Alvira
will be towed TO San Francisco for repairs.
The Alvira will be remem bered as the
steamer which Mayor Davie employed in
his fight against the Southern Pacific for
scent fare to Oakland.
The crew OF the sealing schooner Luisa
D are iubilant over the showing made by
their vessel. She beat the entire feet from
Yokohama TO the Bering Sea, and on her
way here passed the Alton, Carlotta g.
in Oonamak Pass. The Luisa d is safe in
port, but the other vessels have not yet
reported.
The hunters on the Luisa D are COM
planning over the way things were han
died in Bering Sea by the patrol feet.
They say American vessels were COM
PEELED to hunt with spears while the Brit
ishers used guns. ION several occasions
when we were out we could see the guns
of the other boats going" said Harry Ker-
lie yesterday, "but we had to depend on
spears. 1t was generally rough and blow
ing hard, so you can imagine what time
we had in getting any seals. Occasionally
we ran across a seal that had been shot
and we secured him, but all around the
catch was poor. Many an English boat
was seized by the American cutters and
turned over to the British gunboats, but
as soon as that ceremony was over the
Britishers released the sealers. Some CT
them went to Victoria, B. c., and gave
themselves up, but many others did not.
I'VE are all wondering about the
schooner Edward A. Webster. On April
% she and the Herman were in company.
1t was blowing a heavy gale from the
ha hrf ha uor
weathered it and reached port. The Web
ster has not been heard from since. Per-
haps some of the incoming fleet will bring
news of her,"
All the hunters on the smart little
schooner are satisfied to make another
venture next season. They did remark
ably well considering the time they were
out, but, nevertheless, did not pay ex-
penses. Still they think skins will be dear
on account of the poor catch of the entire
feet, and that will mean more money for
the hunters.
A. G. Johnson, the boatman, picked up
a yawl about sixteen feet long yesterday.
It is painted blue on the bottom, and has
the appearance of pleasure boat. 1t has
probably got adrift from some yacht.
johnson can be found at 107 jackson street.
Purser Thomas Smith of the steamer
Mariposa was discussing the matter of
losing day and gaining day in going to
and coming from Australia. That is one
of the questions he has to answer every
time the vessel crosses the 180th meridian.
In order to be ready at a moments notice
he has prepared the following and now
knows it by heart:
"The common day, often called the civil
day, lasts from midnight to midnight.
''In order that the civil day may have
the same number or datethe world around
the leading nations have agreed to use the
date OF the days as they begin at the 1SOth
meridian"
For instance, purser travelling west
ward from Greenwich would have TO put
back his time four minutes for everv de-
gree of longitude he travelled, and by the
time he reached the 180th degree of longi-
tude this would amount 70 twelve hours,
which his time would be behind that of
Greenwich. If he continued right on by
the time he reached Greenwich again he
would be exactly twenty-four hours (or
one day. behind Greenwich time.
''To adjust this difference it is the custom
to drop one day entirely on crossing the
1S0th meridian. Thus if you cross that
line on say April 1, which we will pre-
sumo is Monday. the next day will be
Wednesday. April 8, Tuesday the I'd being
omitted entirely. This places the traveller
twelve hours or half q day ahead of