The San Francisco call., 1897-04-08
The Topeka to Be Fitted
With Refrigerators for
Juneau.
She Makes Monthly Trips Be.
tween Alaskan Ice-Fields
and Puget Sound.
Raw Sugar Is Plentiful and Vessels
Clnnot Get Berths at the
R fnery.

The Pacific Coast Steamship Company's
Umatilla got in yesterday after an un-
eventful trip from Puget Sound. After
landing her passengers at Broadway
wharf Captain Hunter took her to Beale
street to discharge her cargo of coal. 1t
was one of the prettlest landings ever
made on the water front. The steamer
had to dock ahead of ship that was
moored at the outer end, and in conse-
quence there was not more than 200 feet
give and take in which the Umatilla could
maneuver. A whitehall was in attend
ance ready to take the lines, but her SER
vices were not required. With mastery
skill Captain Hunter put his vessel alon G.
side, and inside of ten minutes she was
moored and the coal in the holds was be-
ing discharged into the bunkers.
The Umatilla brings the news that the
Alaska steamer City of Topeka is to be
fitted with refrigera,ing machinery.
When old timers in the Alaskan trade
heard of the innovation they laughed, and
one remarked to the other carrying coal
to Newcastle" On the first blush it does
look that way. The Topeka runs up into
the regions of everlasting snow and ice,
and it is 10 see the glaciers, icebergs and
the ice-clad mountains that excursionists
visit the far north. With ice ON all sides
of her it does seem strange that steamer
bound north should be fitted out with re-
frigerating machinery.
The explanation is a simple one, how
ever. Large quantities of fresh meat, but
ter, eggs and vegetables are sent every
month to Sitka and Juneau on the City of
Topeka. 1t all goes from Seattle and Ia
coma, and during the summer months IL
is very hard to keep the goods in condi-
ton. Ice is plentiful in Alaska, but it is
not plentiful in Puget Sound during the
summer. Consequently the steamship
com pany has come to the conclusion to
put IN ice machinery and thus keep all
perishable goods fresh during the trip. a
strange part of The whole matter is the
statement that it is cheaper to make ice
on board the steamer than it is to break ii
from an ice-foe with axes and load it into
the vessels icechest. Such is the fact,
however, and Chief Engineer Lace of the
UmaIilla will remain over at Port Town
send 10 superintend the erection of the
machinery. He will be gone only few
days, and in the meantime First Assistant
J. WoIters will look after the . Umatilla.
The barkentine S. Z. Allen, which ar
rived from Honolulu on March 26 last
with load of sugar has gone to Mission
Rock TO lie up. So many sugar boats
have got in of late that the refinery can
not handle all the cargoes offering. In
consequence the Allen will tie up along
side the rock until she secures a turn at
the sugar refinery wharf.
The brig w. g. Irwin and the schooner
81. Z. Wria ht also arrived from Hawaii
yesterday with sugar, but, as they have to
take their turn after the Allen, it will be
some time before they will have chance
to discharge.
The SC ooner r. W. Bartlett goes to the
Union Iron WORKS to-day to take on board
the iron tanks and boilers for the steamers
now being put together in the Amoor
River. The steamers are stern-wheelers,
and are 10 operate in connection with
the Trans-Siberian Railroad. The vessels
were built here and were sent north in
sections. These boilers are the last con-
signment, ana once they are in place and
tested the stern-wheelers will be put in
commission.
The tug Vigilant picked up direlect
whitehall yesterday. Captain John Silo-
vich says it was bottom up. but that the
sail was still set and that the oars were
lashed to the seats. As none of the boat
men are missing the chances are that it is
a boat whose sail had been set ont to dry
and which during squall broke away
from her moorings.
The new company that is building gaso-
line schooners for the nearby coasting
trade is not letting the grass grow under
It's feet. The Fort Ross trade is already
pre-empted and the schooner Mary c
went out under the new flag yesterday.
She will run regularly until the Call
(named after the owner of Fort Rossl is
ready for the route.
The ship Crown of Denmark was towed
into port by the tug Sea Qneen yester-
day. This is her third consecutive voyage
here and on each occasion Captain Ike
Smith, the popular and efficient master
of the Sea Queen, has towed her into port.
Later in the day the tugs Vigilant and
Active took hold of the Crown of Denmark
and docked her in the mud alongside the
Sausalito ferry, where she will discharge
her cargo of Newcastle IN. s. W. coal.
The Crown of Denmark took eighty-four
days to make the run from Australia to
San Francisco.
Many months ago tho United States
revenue cutter Hartley lost her propeller
while making a landing at one of the
wharves. Later one OF the States dredg-
ers picked it up in one of the buckets and
the men demanded salvage. This Uncle
Sam refused to pay, and war of words
followed. A suit in the United States
courts was about to be filed when the men
on the dredger reconsidered the situation
and yesterday they gave up possession of
the propeller.
The Pacific Coast Steamahip Cor,panv