The San Francisco call., 1896-04-23
Fears Entertained for the Safety
Of the British Ship
Republic.
HER CARGO DANGEROUS COAL.
The Brabloch and Alexandra With
Similar Cargoes Arrived Here
on Fire.

Grave fears are entertained ior the safety
of the British ship Republic, now out
ninety-two days from Newcastle, n. s. W.,
and Is per cent reinsurance has been paid
on her. Longer voyages than the above
have been made and no danger antici-
pated, but, then, the Republic is very
fast vessel, and on her last voyage from
Newcastle to San francisco made the run
in fifty-five days.
1t is not the length of time that she is
out that is frightening the underwriters,
however, but the fact that she is loaded
with Cardiff Colliery coal. The Holm
wood, with cargo from the same mine,
had to put into a New Zealand port with
the coal on fire. On March % last the
Alexandra, with Cardiff coal, reached here
with the cargo on fire and had to be
scuttled in Mission Bay. On the 7th inst
the Bra bloch, with the same coal in her
hold, arrived off the heads on fire and had
to be scuttled off Sausalito. All these
facts weigh with the underwriters, and
they propose to do all the reinsuring they
can at once.
The schooner Lizzie Vance now at Oak
land left Newcastle, n. S. W., nearly a
week after the Republic, but she has now
been in port nearly fortnight. and Cap
tain Hardwick reports that he encountered
nothing but fair weather during his run
OF seventy-six days. Captain Hughes OF
the Republic is well known in San Fran
cisco, and his many friends will wait
anxiousiy for further develo pments. His
vessel is 2347 tons burden. 294 feet long, 43
feet broad and "a feet deep. She was built
in Sunderland, England, five years ago,
and has always been considered one of the
crack ships of the English feet.
In the list of subscribers to the fund fo-
the relatives of the deceased sailors of the
Blairmore The CALL gave Mcpherson d
Fuckers subscription as 81. This was a
misprint, as the firm generously gave S..
Captain Smith OF the Sophia Sutherland
is trying to get men for a trip to Alaska
for $50 month. The ruling rate is $50,
and as men are scarce along the front, he
is not meeting with very good success.
The tug Reliance is now on the Spreckles
drydock, where her new patent wheel has
been put in. She will have her trial trip
in few days and it will then be seen what
the new invention is worth. A descrip-
ton OF the new screw has already been
published in THE CALL.
Quite feet of vessels arrived in port
yesterday. The Morven got in from New
castle, n. S. W. after a passage of 81
days; the CoDishead in II days from Sgd
ney. n. s. W.. the Consuelo from MANU-
kona, the Annie Johnson from Hilo, and
the Dora Bluhm from Grays Harbor.
The Mercury made the run from Port
Blakeley in six days, and James A. Gar
field came down from WilIapa in five
days, thus making the round trip in the
remarkably fast time of II days. The
Orion got in from Newcastle. England,
about sundown, and there was still a
number of vessels in the offing when
darkness fell.
The British ship Lucipara is taking a
new departure. She is going from here to
the Sound in ballast, and at Port Blakeley
she will load lumber for Calcutta. This is
one of the few, if not only occasion, in
which lumber has been shipped from this
coast to that far off port.
The steamer Dora arrived from Alaska
yesterday and her reports confirm the
news brought of the Excelsior. Snow was
four feet deep at Cooks Inlet when the
steamer sailei, and many of the miners
were destitute.