The San Francisco call., 1896-02-19
Troublous Voyage of the British
Steamer Monowai From
Sydney.
FOUR MEN PLACED IN IRONS.
Two BarkentineS Which Are Sup.
posed to Have Gone Down in
Recent Gales.

IN. S. w to San Francisco, via Auckland
IN. ~, Apia (Samoa) and Honolulu (H.
~ While the vessel was i'll Australia the
men on the steamers of the Union Steam
ship Company were on strike, and as the
Monowai IS owned by that line, but char
tered to the Oceanic Steamship Company
her crew also went out. The vessel was
moved out into the stream and her cargo
put aboard there, while crew was picked
up along the quays.
The men thus shipped were not so good
as they were represented to be. During
the voyage the firemen could not hold the
steam on the boilers, and in consequence
the Monowai only averaged from 26o to
270 knots day, when she should have
made 800 knots. Her being so much be-
hind time is thus explained. Two of the
forecastie hands refused to handle coal
when ordered to dc so by Captain Carey,
but after being twenty-four hours in irons
and fed on bread ana water they gave in
and went to work. A stowaway also re-
fused to work and he also was put in irons.
One of the hremen got insolent and
struck the fourth assistant engineer when
that gentleman reprimanded him, and he
also was subjected to diet of bread and
water. Six Americans, who had failed at
the goldfields of Coolgardie, worked their
way back on the steamer and they proved
themselves to be the best men in the crew.
The steamer Zealandia, under charter to
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
sailed for Panama and way ports yester
day. She had in tow very heavily loaded
lighter, which seemed to carry all the bay
before it. The steamer went out under
slow bell, and waterfront men said there
would be trouble If ever heavy weather
was encountered. The Zealandia took out
full cargo, but very few passengers.
The City OF Peking got IN from Hong
kong via Yokohama early yesterday morn
ing with the following cabin passengers:
Admiral Makaroff, P. B. Mcleod, H. f. La
verge, K. Tshi, Captain Axededo, Contrubo f.
Sharp, q. Ono, Lieutenant Moudes Aleida, J. F.
Bullman and T. Aoki.
There were also fifty Chinese in the
steerage and fifteen japanese. Among
the Chinese there is only one woman and
she is supposed to be consigned to Lee
Gee, the head of the new Chinatown ring.
The City of Peking was "a days and 5
hours from Hongkong. On the first day
out from Yokohama she ran into storm.
Her decks were swept and four of the
headlights were smashed IN. Admiral
Makaroff, the junior admiral of the Rus
sian Aslatic fleet, rendered valuable assist
ance during the gale. He is on his way to
Petersburg on waiting orders.
Captain Wallace OF the steamer Walla
Walla is back from MS trip East. He was
welcomed home by all his waterfront
| friends yesterday. He was the delegate
| from San Francisco harbor to the annual
| convention of the American Association
of Masters and Pilots. Captain Wallace
| will resume command of the Walla WalIa
| on her next trip.
| The rate war now raging betw cen San
Francisco and Portland, and San Francisco
and Puget Sound ports, is to be extended
| 10 Ioc1ru Nha So ~,
| Company is preparing to carry the war into
| Africa, and IN few days a new rate
| schedule will go into effect as follows
| From San Francisco to Sitka, first class,
| $23, second class, $13 so; to Juneau, 500
and SILL to Wrangel, $15 and $40. As the
Lakme is cutting freight rates to Puget
| Sound points, the same com pany has re-
duced its prices from So ton to 81, and in
| future that will be the ruling rate. There
! is now more freight offering for the UNA
tilla than she can carry.
For the Alaska trade the Al-Ki has been
| thoroughly overhauled. The steerage has
been entirely remodeled, and there is now
splendid sleeping quarters, dining-room
and separate sitting-room. The cabin
has been built up, and there is now room
| for seventy additional frst-class passen-
gers. A smoking-room has also been built,
and also social hall. The engines have
| been repaired, and when the new Al-ki
| llcclS llle w lltdpd, HUI Is TuHHluR Ill
| opposition, there will be tug-of-war.
The battleship Oregon will not be ready
| to dock for three months. Her turrets are
| not in place, and until they arrive and are
arranged she will not be got ready for her
trial trip.
Captain Buchanan of the schooner Alex
| ander, which arrived here on January 20
| last. is of the opinion that the barkentine
| Xan.ippe is lost. The latter was on her
way to Victoria, B. c., and Captain Bu-
| chanan says that when the Alexander
passed her the Xantippe had main, mizzen
and jigger topmasts and her foreroyal-
yard down. Captain Buchanan's opinion
| is that the Xantippe, having had passage
| from England to San Jose of $50 Gays. and a
long delay there discharging, her bottom is
foul. This combined with an insutfciency
of ballast, NAV account for her long pass
age. Ballast in San Jose costs SO per ton
in currency at than port, put alongside of
| the ship.
| The barkentine Discovery, now out
| twenty-eight days from Port Gamble, is
also on the doubtful list. She may have
been caught in the recent storms and
| driven out of her course, but her owners
think she will turn up all right. She was
| lum Der laden, and therefore not likely to
| 20 down.