The San Francisco call., 1896-11-24
THE OLD EMMA
AND THE NEW ONE
One Was in the Gale Satur-
day Night and the Other
Is in Embryo.
With Her Propeller Amidships
the New Boat Will Be
a Sensation.
More Steamers Are Wanted on the
Stockton Route to Carry Valley
Road Freight.

The question as to the date of the heavi-
est southeaster that has made trouble on
the bay during the past week has often
arisen. In regard to the matter the ferry
boat captains seem to be in doubt. Some
say it was last Thursday and others assert
that last Saturday was the toughest occa-
sion on which any of the boats have had to
cross the bay. Captain Johnson of the
steamer Emma says that never in his
experience did he see as heavy a sea as
then ragged on the bay. During her last
trip from Oakland Greek to San Francisco
the little stern-wheeler was almost en-
quilted, and one of Piper, Alden, Goodall &
Co.'s schooners appeared in the distance
as though she was going out of sight.
Chief Engineer Roland of the Emma is
an old-timer on the Stockton route, but
nevertheless the weather was too much
for him, and, strange to say, he was sea-
sick. Yesterday he was explaining to
his friends that it was case of bilious
ness, but all and sundry accepted the expla-
nation with credulous smile. Roland is
an old-timer, but when the Emma struck
the heavy swell that came in from the sea
he had to cry ''peccavi," and the first as
sistant took his place. Roland is certain
that never in the history of the bay has
such a heavy sea prevailed as that which
rolled in last Saturday night.
The old stern wheeler will not remain
on the Oakland route many months. A
new Emma is to take her place, and she is
expected to make at least twelve knots an
hour. The new boat is departure from
the style OF craft now plying on the Stock
ton and Sacramento route, and, in fact,
will be the only vessel of her class in the
world outside of those plying on the
Mississippi. Her propeller will be amid
of the strongest vessels in the bay. The
present Emma with southeaster almost
rolling her gunwales under and the new
Emma with her wheel amidship make
pretty picture of the past and the present.
Many moons ago Chief Engineer Ro-
land, then of the Stockton boat T. c.
Walker, A. B. Darrell of the Stockton
steamer j. d. Peters and P. A. Johnson,
captain of the Daisy Kimball, combined |
and started an opposition freight boat to |
Alameda. The new boat was the old |
Emma, and for three years they have |
kept up the fight and made living. Now
business has improved to such an extent |
that a new Emma is required and the ves- |
sci is to be built at once.
"How can / explain the plan on which |
theanew vessel is to be built 2' said Chief
Engineer Roland yesterday. ''There is
the model and from it you can see what |
we expect to make. The propeller will be |
amidships and will not take up more room |
than the walklng-bea on a ferry steamer. |
''Just imagine two separate ships Joined |
together. They lie side by side, and there |
is of course considerable space between |
he two hulls. Make those two hulls fast |
tog gether and put big paddle wheel in the |
intervening space and then you have an |
idea of the new boat.
IF our idea be correct, and we are all |
old Mississippi men, the new boat should |
make about twelve knots an hour, and |
thus beat any Southern Pacific boat on |
the bay. She will be 150 feet long, AZ feet |
broad on the floor and A feet beam, and |
10 feet deep.
The old Emma is only IS feet long, % |
feet 6 inches broad and 4 feet inches
deep. We expect to have the new Emma |
on the route between the foot of |
foot OF Franklin street, Oakland, next |
March. In that event we will carry both |
passengers and cargo"
When completed the new Emma will |
look like the Piedmont, only she will |
have no sidewheels, and in the place |
where is the Oakland's walking beam
will be plain, ordinary house. which |
will keep the spray thrown up from the |
wheel away from the upper deck When |
com pleted the new steamer will have ac-
for at least twentv.six
teams on the lower deck, and all the gem |
eral freight that comes along will be mt |
on the upper deck. Cabin accommodation
will be ample, and when ready for her
trial trip the new Emma should attract
universal attraction.
The California Navigation and Improve
ment Company's steamers are having a |
hard time of it carrying the Valley road |
freight. Hundreds of tons of general
merchandise are left over every night.
and although four steamers are running
where two used to fill the bill, still they
cannot carry all the goods, and in conse- |
quence the company's towboat has been
pressed into the service. At the present |
time the I. c. Walker, J. d. Peters, Mary
Garratt and the City of Stockton are run.
ming night and day, and latterly the |
Leader has been taken off the barge route |
and is now carving cargo for the Valley
road. In consequences the Navigation
company is very short Of steamers and