The San Francisco call., 1896-11-13
AN INFLUX OF
WHEAT VESSELS
Over Two Dozen of Them
Arrived in Port
Yesterday.
Some Are Chartered so Arrive" "
but Others Are Here on
"Spec."
SEVERAL IN THE PARKWAY.
The Monowai and Rio de Janeiro
Will Have a Race to Homo.
SEVERAL IN THE PARKWAY

Never since the days of '49 has the har-
bor been so crowded as it is at present.
All classes of vessels are here, and seven
out of every ten are seeking a charter.
Many of them are in ballast, ana some
have brought coal from Australia for a
nominal sum in order to make expenses.
All the captains are excited over the ad-
vance in wheat, and some of the new ar
rivals are holding out for 35- shilling rate
to Cork Tor ORDERS"
A few days ago the disengaged ton
mage in port aggregated 6S, ,535 tons, while
in 1895 it was only 1864 tons. At the
same time the engaged tonnage was 103,-
828, while in '95 it was only go, AIS Since
the above figures were made up quite a
number of vessels from foreign ports have
arrived, and in consequence the olsen
gagged list has been largely increased.
Among the vessels lying in the stream
is the American ship Francis. Early in
the morning the tug Alert wentout to her
and brought ashore funeral party. Cap
tain Smiths wife died when twelve days
from port and he brought the remains
here for interment The American vessel
stood up among the forty or fifty British
ere, the only one that flew the stars and
stripes, and it was at half mast. When
the tug landed the mourners the remains
were at once taken to Laurel Hill, where
the in,erment took place.
Several of the vessels that got in an
chored in the fairway, and Assistant
Chief Wharfinger Scott was kept busy or
derinc them to move. The Alcinous got
in last night and mas been on the move
ever since. The captain would not accept
the services of a tug, and sailed up the
bay from Meiggs wharf. In the first
place he had anchored right in the way OF
the Tiburon and SaEsalitO ferry boats,
and on the second occasion he was in the
fairway of the Oakland Creek boats. A
second warning was gwen and Captain
McCormaig had to again hoist up his an
chor and move on.
The ship is now we'll up in Mission Bay
and out of harms way. The Inverneill
and the Pierre Corneiile were also in the
falrway, and NJ. Scott went out on the
Governor Irwin and ordered them to
move this morning. The Larnaca, which
was in collision with the Pierre Corneille.
was also in the fairway, bnt was moved
last evening.
The Lancing. which started for the gas
works and ran on mud bank, will be
hauled off and docked at Fremont street
wharf to-day. There was considera bic
trouble in finding berth for her, as she
occupies the space usually assigned to two
ships Her cargo of coal will be dis
charged into scows and lightered to its
destination.
The waterfront thieves are still at work.
Their ingenuity is remarkable. While
they can steal 200-pound bell from a
ship, they are also equal to rif1ing a
nickel-in-th -the-slot machine Yesterday
two OF them went into the Dundon Tim
ber-preserving Company's office and got
away with about Sc in nickels. One of
them had a coil of wire in his hand and
the other had a bag of. tools. They told
Dundon that his telephone was out of
order and that they were going to fix it.
They did fix it, and at the same time got
away with a weeks collections. Several
other nicEei-in-th the-slot telephones along
the front were also tapped, and now the
police are looking for the thieves.
The whaling bark Cape Horn Pigeon is
having new mainmast put in, and the
California viii go on the drydock. As
soon as the repairs on the two vessels are
completed they will sail for the southern
seas after the sperm whales. The Pigeon
is the most successful ail-round wnaler
af1oat, and her captain expects to make a
big catch Dext season.
The new boilers for the Spreckels col
lier CZarina were put IN yesterday. When
in position and the machinery KEYED up
the vessel will he one of the best of her
class on the coast. She will carry Beaver
Hill coal to this port, and then there will
be a chance OF supplying the demand for
that class OF coal. AT present the bunkers
are empty half the time. The Czarina
will have her trial about the first week in
December.
The Oceanic Steamship Company's
Monowai and the Pacific Mail Company's s
Rio de Janeiro both sailed for Hon
olulu yesterday. The Monowai is en-
route for Sydney, N. S. W.. via Honolulu,
Apia and Auckland, and the Rio Tor
Honekong via Honolulu and Yoko-
hama. Chief Engineer McCaig OF the
Monowai says that with the "retards'' now
in use in the boilers he can beat the Rio
into Honolulu twelve hours. The Pacific
Mail people laugh at the idea, so the out
come of the run will be looked for with
much interest. The passengers on the
Monowai are:
For Honolulu-Miss L. A. Banning, w. II.
Baugh, II. S. Cross <. L. I. Fuhrmann, C. b.
Hall. A. Haas. DR.. G. H. Huddy, w ]. Kane.
J. M. McChesney, wife, three children and
maid, Cantain John Metcalfe. Miss Ruth Me
calfe, J. E. Miller and wife, Miss Patterson, w.