The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-19

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The feet Of slGty-six sealing schooners
which were a few weeks ago gathered at
the head OF the harbor Is day by day
getting smaller ard smaller. and now
nearly half OF the number are either
voyaging to Japan or seeking crews along
the west coast Of Vancouver island, rays
the Colunist. Fad wcathe has prevent
I'd several from making u good start
during The past fsw days, but the contin-
gent which got away yesterday will. II Is
expected, be able to clear the Straits.
Among the latest 20 sail are the Vera.
Captain W Shields; Minnie. Captain Vic
tor Jacobson: Agnes Mcdonald. Captain
". l. Gutter: and Charlotte @. Cox. Cap
tain W. D.. B~yers-Rll Of which are des-
tined for the Japanese coast. and all
save the Minnie carrying white crews OF
p and . men respectively. The MIN
nio's crew e. composed OF 5 whites and Is
Indians. Yesterday the sealing schooner
Louis Olsen changed ownership, being
now the property OF Captain Daily in
stead OF Robert Ward & Co, Ltd. who
a short time ago purchased her in AS
toria, II is understood that application
Will be made to have her name changed.
From the accounts brought from Homo
lulu. II appears that the captain Of the
Miowera did everything possible for the
disabled steamer ~Strathneyls. The steel
and MANILA hawsers parts1 three times.
and n fourth time new ones were bent
and put aboard again. a Mr.. Holland,
OF ottawa. one OF the passengers, writing
Of the last attempt, says, under date of
December .:
Between midnight and l a. m. the wind
was blowing a gale. and the ten-inch
---aNt .-.-A -- H.. NA-.aI
We still held our hold with the six-inch
steel wire cable. but inside OF half an
hour n great sea hit the Strathnevis, the
cable parted. and In almost as short a
time as IL takes me to describe IL she
VAS carried away out OF sight on the
wings OF the gale. A shudder went
through the officers and crew. They felt
Il was a hopeless case. In the mean
time we lay TO all night. the seas rolling
clean over our decks. One monster
wave cleaned on the porch that shell
tered the captains cabin door, broke in
the skylight and damaged the alleyway
between the staterooms. Our trunks
we're chasing each other round our state
rooms. but jumped from my berth and
secured them from possible damage by
piiing them in behind q coal chute
The next morning there was no sign
OF inc 0AINAiIltN u.s. Nb AlAt -hANNNAo was
put on her curse for Honolulu.
Mossrs. r. T. Rithet & Co, Ltd, OF
Victoria, in h current Issue OF their
monthly freight and shipping report have
he following review for the year: "Al-
though the hopeful anticipations ex-
pressed in our circular OF a year Z
have hardly been borne out to the fun,
IL may at least be said that during the
period under review an average business
has been done. In all branches steady
progress has been made, the closing
months especially showing a marked
Improvement. The lumber trade has
been prosecuted under the depressing In
flucnce OF low prices, consequently IL has
been neither extensive nor brisk, and the
same may be said OF our coal industry, in
which the exports have fallen of to
some extent. The sealskin catch, too,
proved a disappointment as to quantity,
Through tho prices realized compared
Nsry favorahly with the previous year.
o. salmon, on the other hand, the catch
he, hcen satisfactory as to quantity. but
prices have not changed for the better.
fae pack. however. has been disposed OF
ga advantage. and, so far as the province
/. concerned, we begin the new year with
a stock only sufficient for local require
ments. The establishment of a new
ocoan-golng line of steamers during the
year is an item of more than local in
terest. and places this port in a still more
favorable position than it has Hitherto
occupied. We are now excellently served
by one line to Australia via Honolulu,
and no less than three to Japan and
China"