The San Francisco call., 1896-04-10

fused to talk, and the chances are that
nothing outside of what has already been
printed will be given out until the COM
panv takes some action. CAPTAIN Russell
says that after "bucking'' head sea for
days and trying oil to calm the waves he
gave 1T up in despair, set the fore staysail
and turning around, headed for Honolulu.
In the matter OF burning up the state
rooms he says it was a case OF necessity
and Will so prove to the board OF inquiry
The schooner r. w. Bartlett has clear ed
for Russian territory, and among the pas
sengers will be c. Simon. a young native
son, who has task in front OF him which
might make the boldest man quail.
The schooner is laden with steel barges
for the Amoor River, and will reach Nicol-
aefsk about the lst of June, just as the ice
is breaking.
The town is little place, near the mouth
OF the river, away in the dreary north of
Siberia. There are not half dozen people
in the whole settlement who speak Eng
lish, and there is work to be done on the
barges which would take forty skilled men
al least eight weeks to accomplish, and
one part of the work is the heating and
driving Of million and a half of steel
rivets.
c. Simon, the young California engineer
who has gone out with the title of super
intendent of the reconstruction of barges
reconstruction done as best he can by a
band OF Russian convicts, who are not
skilled at all and who have q rooted aver
sion to work of any kind. Another diff
Guilty will be that the English language is
not an accomplishments taught the con-
victs, and the California engineer knows
no Russian.
However he expects to worry along
comfortably enough with his convicts
when he once gets used to them, and he
says he is resolved that if he can help it
they will not be urged to increased ACTIVITY
by the use of the knout.
1t is about ten months since the Union
Iron Works obtained the contract to sup
ply the Amoor Steam Trading and Navi-
cation Com pany with eleven steel barges
for use on the Amoor River in transport
ing material for the Siberian Railroad.
The bids were open to the whole orid,
and the European press commented a
good deal on the fact that California.
where labor was much dearer, should
have been able to underbid the older coun-
tries. Five hundred men have been work
ing for the last eight months on the
barges. Each IS 1876 teet over all, $50 feet
on deck and 35-foot beam. They will be
used to carry construction materials, as
we'll as cattle and provisions, for the work
mn on the trans-Siberiau line.
Nine Of the barees went this morning in
the K. W. Bartlett and the remaining two
will shortly follow IN the James NJ. Cole
man, which will also take the boiler and
machinery for sternwheeI steamer to run
on the hmoor. The contract only calls
for the delivery of the material at the
wharf in San Francisco, but the Amoor
Steam Trading Company has chartered
the steamers and has engaged the Califor-
mia engineer to superintend the construc-
ton OF the barges. He goes alone to super
intend the work, his contract calling for
the completion of the work in not less
than six nor more than ten months.
C. Simon, no is not more than twenty
three years of age, is well known and pop
ular in the Potrero. He is president OF
the Christian Endeavor Society at Olivet
Presbyterian Church and last Monday was
given a grand fare we'll reception by the
young people of Rev. DR.. Mathena's con-
prepatiOn