The San Francisco call., 1896-01-15
ALONG THE WATER FRONT,
The American Ship Iceberg
Burned in a Chilean
Port.
Peculiar Experience of Two Sailors
on the Schooner Laura
MadSen.

The barkentine Omega, now lying at
Howard d-street wharf, brought a tale of
disaster from Junin, Chile, on her last trip.
She was lying close to the American
ship Iceberg, the latter being ready for sea
and the Omega being only partially
loaded About 1 o'clock on the morning
of November % last every body on the
barkentine was aroused by the cry of fire.
Rushing on deck they saw that the Ice
berg was on fire, and the flames were roll
ing out of the lazarette. As the vessel
was loaded with nitrate the captain
thought the best thing he could do was to
move. The Omega's cables were slipped
and she dropped astern.
1t was only a very short time before the
Iceberg was mass of flame. The mizzen-
mast went by the board, and when the
flames reached the nitrate it was all over
with the ship. The matches blew out and
shortly afterward the Iceberg broke in two
and went down. The British ship Cam
brian Prince, which was close to her, had
her rigging set on fire and some of her
sails went up in smoke. She was hauled
to O place OF safety and the fire put out.
The captain of the Britisher afterward
took the officers and crew OF the Iceberg to
an English port.
The Iceberg was an old vessel, built in
Boston in 1877. She was 1127 tons burden,
l75 feet long. 81 feet broad and "a feet deep.
The captain and officers lost everything,
and some of them barely escaped with their
lives.
Mate Christianson and one of the crew
of the schooner Laura Madsen had a re-
markable experience last night. The
vessel is lying at Fourth and Channel
streets and during the night some one got
aboard and stole both the mems clothes,
$40 in cash, gold watch and chain and
sundry other articles. At the police sta
ton Christianson said they had both been
doubts the story. One thing is certain
| the men were so sound asleep that they
did not feel the thieves stealing the clothes
from off their backs.
| The figurehead on the ship Rhoderick
| Dhu had bad time of it last night. She
| is at Spear street, and there is Just room
for her, with only few feet 10 spare.
! When the tide began to fall the figure
| head was jammed against the wharf The
representation of Rhoderick Dhu suffered
| greatly during the strain and the chances
! are it will have to be removed and another
one made in its place. The lowest tide of
the year was last night, and it was so much
the worse for the ship.
| Owing to the rain of last Monday
steamers for Astoria and Puget Sound
could not take on freight. In consequence
| the State of California went out very light
yesterday, and IN fact was delayed an hour
and half taking in enough cargo to act
as stiffening. The Umatilla that sails this
morning for Puget Sound will also 60 out
very light.
| Work has already begun on the revenue
cutters Rush, Perry and Bear. The former
is to have her decks recaulked and an en-.
tire new deck is to be put in the Perry
The crew are grunbling at this as they
wonder where they will find quarters while
the work is being done. The Bear is tc
have a new propeller. The inquiry into
the conduct of Captain Healy Will begin al
| 10 A. NJ. to-day. The court will convene
but no work may be done as it is not GER
tain that Captains Hodgson and Stoddel
| have arrived.
The Monterey came down from Mare
Island yesterday and will enlist about