The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-07
Disastrous Experience of the C.
C. Funk During the South
Easter.
CREW FLED TO THE RIGGING.
Troubl Brewing Between the Ship.
Owners and the Boarding
Masters.

The barkentine G. G. Funk, which put
in here yesterday in distress, had disas
trous experience of it during the recent
storms. She was on her way from De-
parture Bay for Honolulu and was dis
masted and almost lost. In his report the
captain says:
While in latitude AZ deg. 50 min. north
longitude 131 deg. 20 min. west and twenty
four hours after leaving Cape Flattery, encoun-
tered severe gale which lasted for three days,
starting from southeast TO southwest and in
creaslng TO hurricane, thereby making an
enormous heavy and cross sea. Vessel labored
heavily from side to side and was con-
stantly under water, breaking adrift water
caskets and everything movable above deck.
On the 31St day of January, when at her
worst and just turning dark, the crew hanging
in the rigging TO save themselves from being
washed overheard, she rolled the fore and
maintopmast overheard, the wreckage hang
ing alongside, threatening TO break up the
hull.
The crew worked forty-eight hours to repair
damage and rig up as much sail as possible.
Had the c. c. Funk not been good vessel she
would have gone 10 pieces, for nothing
but a good ship could weather gale like that.
at first squared OFF for the Sound, but as did
not have sail enough she filed herself up, and
as the seas were running like mountains and
most OF the sails were blown to pieces,
therefore changed my course for San Francisco
The Ship-owners' Association and the
boarding masters are at outs over new
rule LAID down by the association some
months ago. In order to secure share OF
the shipping controlled by the concern
the boarding masters had to put up $50
guarantee that they would stand by the
ASSOCIATION when there was strike, and
not only supply men when they were
wanted, but discipline the union men.
The boarding masters put up the money,
but now that times are bad they are hard
up and want 1T back again. The ship
owners refuse to give up the deposit except
on the understanding that the man who
makes the withdrawal gets no more
chances OF shipping men in the company's
boats. The relations between the two
bodies are, consequently, very strained,
and a rupture may occur at any time
The tug Sea King was out on the bay
with an excursion party yesterday. She
lowered around in the vicinity of where
the City of Chester went down after her
collision with the Oceanic, and it is said
that the party was composed of experts
who were sent out to take soundings in
the interest of the plaintiff in the case
now pending before Judge Hunt in order
TO offset that taken by the defense last
Wednesday.
There was an exciting chase along East
street yesterday, and had it not been for
Fred Slocker, the starter for the Ferries
and Cliff House Railroad, the chances are
1t might have ended IN a suicide. A we'll
dressed man walked rapidly across Market
street on East and few moments later an
elderly woman came running after him
shouting 'Stopl StopI" Slocker, thinking
the man was a thief, held him until the
woman came up. She at once began to
cry, and putting her arms around the man,
she said: You won't kill yourself, will
you? can't live if you do"
The man did not speak, but when a
young man who was apparently his son
came along few minutes later he gave in
and went away with them. The last seen
of them they were in a Haight-street car
and as the husband and wife kissed each
other before starting the chances are the
trouble that led to talk of suicide was all
forgotten.
The American ship Roanoke is probably
the only American vessel of her class that
has come to San Francisco with a negro
officer on board. William P Calender.
the second mate, is the man. He was
shipped at Rio de Janeiro and was formerly
second officer of the British ship Lord Ran
dolph. He is a full blooded negro and a
thorough seaman. He will remain with
the Roanoke until she returns to New
York.