The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-11
THINGS HUMMED
ON THE FRONT.
The Thunder and Lightning
5. Caused a Scare in Some
Places.
ELECTRIC WIRES SUFFER
Three Tugs Towing Vessels Pass
Meiggs Wharf Almost
Together.
CLEVER sTEvEDoRING WORK.
The Steamers Colon and City of Peking
Loaded at the Mail Dock in
Three Days.
CLEVER sTEvEDoRING WORK.

Matters in shipping circles were quite
busy Yesterday. Although nearly all the
wharves are deserted there were quite a
number of movements and about P. NJ.
three deep-water vessels were being towed
to sea. The brig Lurline, in tow of the
Monarch, and the bark Colum bia, in tow
of the Reliance, were almost in collision
when passing the seawall The Columb ia
was in ballast and the Lurline heavily
laden, so the Reliance gradually forged
ahead in the run to the heads. This is
the first voyage the Columbia will have
made in some time. Latterly there has
been nothing for her TO do, so she was tied
UP in Mission Bay. In the old DAYS she
ranked as clipper and many fast run
has she made between New York and
Liverpool. When started coming around
the Horn she kept up her record and since
she has been in the coasting trade her
voyages have all been fast ones.
Right behind the Reliance and Monarch
came the Sea King with the Rufus E..
Wood in tow. She made good time, but
was only off Lombard street when the
others were abreast of Alcatraz. The tugs
and their lows made the first lively scene
that has been seen on the bay in weeks.
Yesterday mornings thunderstorm
played havoc on the water front. The
lightning fash injured one or two people
and scared half dozen others half to
death. Chief Wharfinger Root, Sergeant
Jack Hayes of the State Harbor Police
and Dave Creamer were discussing the
! gold find in Hurricane Gulch when the
lightning struck. 1t put out the electric
lights and the wires began to sputter,
while the telephone bells rang a merry
tune. Hayes did not wait to find out
what was the matter, and he and Dreamer
nearly broke their necks in getting over
the dividing rail- and through the door on
to the wharf. Chief Root got caught be-
tween his chair and the desk and yelled
frantically to the flying twain not to
desert. When the clap of thunder came
he broke away and finally reached the
street. The rain drove them indoors
/ again and their damages were repaired.
On Washington street wharf Frank
Piper was using the telephone in the
branch Office of the Piper Alden GoodalI
Comp any when the storm broke. The
lightning struck the wire and almost
knocked Mr.. Piper senseless. Captain
George Gibson of the Eta B had hold oil
the steel shrouds OF the schooner and was
! knocked to the deck. A man known as
Handwriting Tom" was injured on
Jackson street, and Amos Rohls was
knocked senseless while at work on the
ferry foundation. Rohls had a steel rod
in his hand and was in connection with
an iron girder when the fash came. All
who were injured soon recovered from the
effects of the shock and went to work
again.
Captain Sumner of the Monadnock will
| inspect the Naval Battalion on board the
! Comanche to-day at 2 P. NJ. Officers from
the engineers department of the Monad-
mock will get up steam on the aged mon
itor and the battalion will be taught how
| to work the turrets and ire the machine
guns. The drill will probably last two
hours, and every mem Der of the COM
panies is expected to be in attendance.
! Some very smart stevedoring work has
been done on the Mail dock during the
past three days. In that time the steam
ers Colon and City of Peking have both
been loaded, and the former is now on her
way TO Panama, while the latter sails for
China this afternoon. The Colon has the
largest cargo aboard she ever took out OF
this port, while the Peking has nearly 5000
tons under her matches. OF this quantity
2200 tons is -four for Yokohama and Hong
kong. In order to load both vessels, the
men worked night and day in two shifts OF
twelve hours each.
Hughey Smith of the State dredger
added another TO his long list of rescues
yesterday. A man named Andrew John
son fell from tie coal chutes at Beale street
into the bay. and as he could not swim
came near drowning. Smith jumped in
and helped him to the dredger, where he
was pulled aboard. In their eagerness to
help Smith the deckhands threw over an
entire coil of rope and the swimmer got
tangled up in it. Finally another was
tnrown and he was hauled aboard.
A big feet of ships will soon be on its
way from Australia. Private advices re-
ceived yesterday state that the strike in
the New South Wales collieries is over and
that the men will return to work on Mon
day. There are 101 vessels in Newcastle,
N. S. W., alones awaiting cargoes, and
many of them are listed for San Francisco.
After twenty years of continuous service
Captain Henry s. Ackley of the steamer
State of California has retired. and Captain
Green of the st. Paul will take his place.
During all the years he has been a master
Captain Ackley never had an accident
happen to his vessel. He is now 70 years
of age, and considers himself entitled to q
rest.
Work on the new ferry depot has at last
begun and. now that Judge Slack has de-
cided that Colusa stone can be used, rapid
progress should be made. The first two
glroers were put in place yesterday, and
! the contractors say 1t will not take them
long to make good showing. Commits
sloners Chadbourne ana Colnon started
lot STOCKTON yesterday to be present at a
review OF National Guardsmen that is TO
be held by Governor Budd to-day.
r announcer Austrian war-vessel will visit
San francisco in a few weeks. She is the
framing brig Artemisia, and is coming
mere rom China via Honolulu. The vessel
only carries two guns, and is used solely
iof training sailors for the navy. She will
| remain here probably month, and the
boys Will receive considerable shore lib
] erty.
The Spring Valley Water Company is
the water 'front.' Two special policemen
patrol the front every night to make sure
that no one shall steal water under cover
OF darkness. Notice has also been served
on all shipping companies to report at the
new once on mission street and make con-
| tracts Gnoda1i Parl-ins e. r. -