The herald., 1896-05-11
THE TALBOT OIL BOAT
And the Reason Why the Craft Wen!
North Light
The Redondo Breeze In . Paroxysm Of Rage
and the Reason for It-Oil
News

| In recent issue of the Redondo
| Breeze the following article appeared
anent the statement made some days
ago in the columns of The Herald that
the oil bark Enoch Talbot did not take
from that port as large cargo as was
| intended on account of the shallowness
of the water. She was slated to take
something over 5000 barrels, and in fact
| carried away but little over 1900 1t
was also said that 1000 barrels were left
| on the cars because it could not be load
! ed with safety. The Breeze has taken
! up the assertion and comments on it as
| follows:
The Los Angeles Herald with that
! pertinacity that it seems fated with, es-
pecially when 1t is wrong, states that
the oil vessel Enoch Talbot had to leave
1000 barrels of oil on the wharf at this
place, on account of the Shallowness of
the water
What rot! Everybody that knows
anything about the depth of water at
Redondo Is well aware that the many
| advantages that Redondo has is its ex-
treme depth of water in close proximity
to the shore.
Now. what is the use to mistate
facts? 1t does not benefit the paper in
which it is printed-in fact. it makes it
unreliable in the eyes of the people
and The Herald has this reputation. 1t
would probably be good idea If some
| VI lHe Sldll NIO NIlle dll Tie ull
! liable news would be weeded out
THE Herald would then be able to
build up its reputation. This unfortu-
nate method of getting items upside
down probably has something to do
with the many various changes of that
important paper.
metropolitan sheets should aim to
establish a reputation for veracity, more
so than some of the lesser journals of
smaller circulation, as the former cause
more harm in proportion to their cir
culation.
I'VE do not believe that The Herald
made this statement maliciously (of
course noD, it is merely the ignorance
of the writer Chat makes it different
again) and the least it can do is to cor
rect It,"
The statement made in The Herald
was obtained from no less person than
the secretary of the oil exchange, Mr..
Webber, who is thoroughly conversant
with all matters pertaining to the ship
ments of petroleum thus far made by
the Talbot. When the boat made her
first trip to San Francisco she loaded at
San Pedro. At that time she carried
some 500 barrels of oil. although more
could have been taken aboard had 1t
been considered safe to attempt to cross
the bar deeper laden.
On her return for the second cargo 1t
was debated as to which was the better
place to load Santa Monica, at the long
wharf or Redondo In the words of Mr..
Webber, the Exchange people and own
ers 'were afraid she would tear the
wharf to pieces If moored at Santa Mon
ica" so it was considered advisable to
tie up at Redondo.
During the interim between the first
voyage and commencement of loading
for the second, additional tankage had
been put in the vessel and she was ex-
a GtataH 10 over
5000 barrels. The day before she cleared.
when the statement was made by MIR.
Webber that she would take less than
5000 barrels, he was asked the reason for
the falling off. He replied that no more
oil could be taken aboard the vessel as
she was too low in the water already for
the depth of water at the wharf and al
though there We're 1000 barrels more
ready to be loaded into her they would
not he taken aboard. as if this was done
the captain was afraid ''she would bump
her d bottom out"
This was the foundation of the state
ment as made and Mr.. Webber's verac-
ity cannot be doubted. Whether there
is ten or one hundred feet of water at
Redondo wharf. the reason the Talbot
did not take larger cargo on her last
trip Is as stated above.
News of the arrival of the boat at San
Francisco is expected daily She is now
eleven days out and should be in dock
by Monday at the latest. Her last trip
required fourteen days, but the boat was
delayed by adverse winds Her cargo
is consigned to the Arctic Oil works, who
handled the first load. On receipt of
news of her arrival Mr.. Botsford. the
principal owner, will Immediately leave
for San Francisco to superintend the
delivery and arrange for another cargo.
AT the oil exchange it is reported that
the price of 81 f. o. b. is well maintained,
and producers generally are well salts
fed with sthe tone of the market The
advanced price has stimulated drilling,
and fully thirty holes have the drills
working in them, some being new wells
and some old ones being deepened.
Some two months ago Messrs. Theo-
dOre Clark, A. p. Maginnis. e. l.. Do
heney and his partner Common started
an oil refinery in the city in a small way.
which has proved so satisfactory that
enlargement is shortly contemplated.
Two stills are being run now. One is of
twenty-five barrel and the other of
forty-bar capacity. Two more are
being erected of 120-barrel capacity.
The plant is located at the foot of Ninth
street near the Santa Fe tracks. When
the company gets into full running order
1t will turn out from $50 to 200 barrels
day.