The San Francisco call., 1896-12-22
A COLLISION IN
SACRAMENTO RIVER
Two of the Southern Pa
cific's Boats Came
Together.
They Ran Into Each Other Dur
ing Last Sunday Nights
Fog.
The Knight Nc. Was Beached in
Order to Save Her From
Sinking.

The. Southern Paclnc Oom pany SCeam-
ers Modoc and knight No. 2 were in col
lision yesterday morning. The knight
was picking up freight from way points
and the Modoc was on her way TO Sacra-
mento. The latter had the best OF the en-
gagement, as the knight had to be run on
the mud flats in order to save the cargo
and crew. There were over 500 tons OF
potatoes aboard, but as the knight sank
in fresh and shallow water the damage to
them was not great.
The telegraphic news from the scene of
the accident was as follows:
During heavy fog this morning the steamer
Modoc ran into the steamer knight No. 2, cut
ting her to the waters edge. The Knight was
run on the sandbar to prevent sinking.
No lives were lost
The fog was very thick and both vessels
came together in the narrow channel be-
fore warning whistle could be sounded
The Knight will be taken to Sacramento
for repairs
There is another bay mystery and the
police are at work on the case. Early last
week one of the watermen at Meiggs
wharf missed mis- boat, and later Henry
Peterson reported it as being adrifr in
Oakland Greek. Afterward, however, the
found a live sailor aboard.
The story is simple one. Last Thurs
day one of the boys who earn their living
by boating from the Powell street wharf
lost his boat. For weeks he had been
figuring on a Christmas dinner and his
engagements for the next day were
enough TO provide money to buy a goose
and all the accessories. Friday morning
the boat was gone and Saturday morn
ing's papers passed her as they sped up
Oakland Creek in the tugs Mnlie, Amy
and Annie.
The man who stole the Whitehall was
oblivious to all warnings. The Amy
nearly ran the boat down, but he paid no
attention. The Annie ran alongside, but
no answer being given, Captain Itch
worth hurried along. The Mile, Amy aid
Annie had the morning papers aboard. so
they wasted no time, but ali three made
bee line Tor the dereiict as soon as the
mail was on the dock. All three vessels
reached the drifting boat about the same
time, and then there was surprise. The
man. who was asleep under a small sail,
came out ana cursed them all and sundry.
The captains Of the steamers cursed back
and the air of Saturday morning was blue
for a few moments.
That was the end of the matter until to-
day, when the master of the creek steamer
Emma reported that between the north
jetty and the lighthouse a partly filled
boat, with three boards out and a canvas
covering" was passed. The boards were
placed on each side in order to hold the
sail that made houseboat out of a w hite-
hall. The boat was not picked up and the
question is, Was she the one stolen from
MeIggs wharf, and who was the man who
stole her?
The ferry tower is a conspicuous point
at the present time. The distance from
fn hoc hca nj of frN-
veTsy for months, and many bet awaits
its final decision from to-day's puolica-
ton. Looking at the tower from dis
tance men have wagered cigars and drinks
that the distance from floor TO floor is ali
the way from fifteen to thirty feet. The
fifteen feet men win.
From the foundation the first floor will
be sixteen feet, the next twelve feet and
the third fifteen feet From this point
the tower actually begins, and the first
floor will be thirteen feet from the base.
Then there will be five stories of fifteen
feet each and two stories OF sixteen feet
each. Then comes the cupola, which wilt
be five stories of eleven feet, twenty feet,
eighteen feet, twelve feet and six feet
each. Now the Oakland ana Alameda
men can settle their bets among them
selves.
Captain Longmuir of the British ship
Glentinart, who has been on the sick list
for long time at st. Luke's Hospital, is
able to be around again. He is now al
most as well as ever Captain Korff OF
the Grenada has gone to Alameda to re-
cuperate. He has been very sick man
for some time, and now his friends say he
is well on the way to recovery.
Luxe G. Sresovich, the we'll known
trader in South Sea island products, is
having more fun than usual in the dis
charging of the cargoes of his vessels. The
Tropic Bird has an unusually heavy
cargo of cocoauuts, which will later on be
turned into articles OF commerce at an ad-
vanced price. Every "wharf rat" on the
front has congregsted at Mission-street
wharf and cocoanuts are a a premium.
The old-tlme ship-b building firm of Har-
land Wolff has evidently recovered from
the disaster that almost wiped out the
works few months ago. Tne Arabia, a
5450-ton ship built for the Ham burg
American line, has Just been launched.
and as she was one OF the vessels on the
ways when the fire occurred it may be
presumed that some good work was done
bv the Fire Department. The Arcadia,
sister ship to the Arabia, had been
launched and tried week before the
Arabs She proved a success, SO ho one
was surprised when the Arabia beat record
time.
The lighthouse inspectors issue the fol-
AOnAh6 AhStA
Notice is hereby given that a frst-class nun
buoy, red to be known as Clatsop Spit buoy
No o., was established December II, 1896.
The buoy marks the western edge of Clatsop
Spit and is moored in TWENTY-FIVE feet of water
on approximately the following bearings
(magnetie): Cape Disappointment Light
house, n. NE. Il E.; Tangent to North Head,
N 4 w; Point ADAMS Lighthouse, E. e S.
This notice affects the list of beacons, buoys
and daymarks, Pacific Coast of the United
States. December l, 1895, page 40.
An 0ctogenarian Pilot.
The veteran and vigorous pioneer pilot,
Captain William N. Shelly, is being
warmly congratulated on having reached
the eighty-first anniversary of his birth.
Although having lately retired from
active service, he is as fully competent to
steer a deep water craft as skillfully and
safely through the intricate channels of
this bay and estuaries as when he first