The San Francisco call., 1896-07-23
An Apprentice Boy Fell From
the Royal Yard and Was
Instantly Killed.
DEATH OF BILLY" DEvL1N.
He Was Well Known in the Mail
Service, and Was Ezeta's
Private Secretary.

The overdue feet is gradually making
port and the general impression is that
the losses rounding the Horn during the
last season of heavy weather will be con-
fined to one ship. That one has gone
seems to be undisputed, but as to whether
it is the American ship Santa Clara from
New York or the Undaunted from Balti-
more remains in doubt. Both vessels
carry general merchandise, and consider
able reinsurance has been placed on them.
Two more of the long-delayed vessels
got in yesterday. Both made unusually
long voyages, the Cambuskenneth being
1S1 days from Ham burg and the Cedar
bank 1877 days from Antwerp. While
rounding the Horn the former lost one of
her crew and the Cedarbank was swept
from stem to stern. TIE storm was an
awful one, and both vessels had a hard
time of it. The captain of the Cambus-
kenneth was the first to tell the tale yes
terday.
I'VE sailed from Hamburg on the 23d of
January" said he. 1--WE crossed the
equator twenty-three days out and had
light, northerly airs to latitude 20 south.
"On March 20 our trouble commenced.
A eavy southwest gale struck the ship
of canvass. High cross-seas were raised,
several of which were shipped, sweeping
the decks fore and aft. The fore end of
the forecastle was stove in, the topsail
halyard vince was carried away and other
slight damage done.
1--WE were thirty six days from so deg.
in the Atlantic to so deg. in the Pacific.
A succession of northerly gales were found
on this side. The balance of the voyage
was uneventful, save for the sad death of
young Camplin."
Samuel Camplin was only 10 years old,
but during the storms he took all the risks
and did more work than the Oldest A. B.
on the vessel. He escaped every danger,
and it was during comparatively calm
weather that he met his death. He was
at work on the royal yard when his foot
slipped and he fell heavily to the deck.
| Every bone in his body was broken and
| he died instantly. He was buried at sea.
! The Cedarbank sailed from Antwerp on
January IL and had fair weather up to
March 2l. On that date she was caught
in gale, was thrown on her beam ends
and nearly toundered. The crew had to
cut away three lower topsails to save the
ship and, although it was work of great
danger, they had to do 1T as it was a case
OF life or death. From 80 south in the
Atlantic to so south in the Pacific the
Cedarbank encountered nothing but heavy
weather. For days it was nothing but a
constant struggle to make headway and
the crew was almost frozen in the ATTEMPT.
On April 81 the Ceoarbank ran into a
hurricane and heavy cross seas swept her
from stem to stern. Part of her rail was
carried away, the harness casks went by
| the board and the port lifeboat was re-
duced to kindling wood. From that time
on the Cedarbank had fair weather. but
| for three days was becalmed off the Faral-
lones in fog. On one occasion the weight
lOf To- 3 ~ h. a.
ship was so great that forty feet of the
! heavy iron bulwark was buIged bv the
strain. Both the Cedarbank ana Camhus-
kenneth had all they could do to round
| the Horn.
The Pacific Mail Company's City of Syd-
ney arrived from Panama and way ports
yesterday two days ahead of time. From
Mazatlan the run was made in 4 days
| Is hours, which is the best on record. saw
| ing the same vessels first run from the
same port, which she made in 4 davs 9
hours and % minutes, In April. 1894.
! When passing Pigeon Point Captain john
| son sighted the wreck of the Colombia
but neither he nor any body else on board
| surmised for an instant what vessel it was
Everybody seemed 10 think it was one of
| the Pacific Coast Steamship Company's 8
vessels and no one ever connected the dis
aster with the Colombia. Captains Clark
and Johnson were warm personal friends
and the latter WAS very much affected
when he heard of the wreck.
The Sydney brings the news of the death
of William G. Billy Devlin at Cham
perico from yellow fever. Billy was
| for years in the employ of the Mail com
pany on the dock and for several trips
went out as freight clerk on the Rio de
Janeiro. When General Antonio Ezeta
went to Panama he went along as his
private secretary and was the chief engi-
neer Of the tilibustering expedition that
ended so disastrously on the coast of Sal
vador. At that time Devlin had chance
to return to San Francisco on the tug
Barclay Golden. but refused, saying he
would stand by Ezeta. The latter's money
began to run short, however, and Billy
! started on a accommodating expedition up
the coast At Champerico he was taken