The San Francisco call., 1897-02-11
A New Steamer, Almost
Completed, to Have Her
Trial Saturday.
Captain Sterling Tells the Story
of the Loss of the
Patrician.
She Went Down in a Hurricane Off
the Coast Of Australia Last
August.

receiving the finishing touches at Folsom
street wharf, and will be ready for her
trial trip next Saturday. She has very
| light draft but an immense beam, and
should prove to be not only a good sea
boat, but splendid carrier. The comfort
OF passengers has been well looked out
for and the steamer should be favorlte
on the line between here and the Coquille
River. The dimensions and general plan
of the vessel have already been published
in THE CALL.
In publishing an account of the robbery
on the schooner Alcalde yesterday a mis-
| take was made in the name of the master.
The man who was robbed was Captain
| Weitkanet, formerly of the schooner
American Girl, ana not Captain Wirsch-
lieut.. The latter's life has been made
miserable by constant inquiries as to his
losses and how he managed to reach home
without shoes or stockings. Captain
| Weitkanet Is still in hopes of recovering
some OF his stolen property as the police
have clew to the thieves.
The hay wharf AT the foot of Third
street was on fire again early Yesterday
morning. Coaloil had been stolen from
the schooner Montezuma lying in the
dock and poured over the hay. When
the blazing mass was put out a swarm of
peddlers appeared on the scene anxious to
purchase the damaged fodder. A dozen
| alarms have been turned in from the hay
wharf during the past six months, and in
every case incendiarism has been sus-
pected. The officers of the Fire Depart
ment and Chief Wharfnger Root are now
confident that all the fires have been de-
hberate attempts to destroy the wharf and
the hay stored on il.
Oscar Christensen, sailor on the G. D.
Bryant, had an experience yesterday that
he wlll hot want to duplicate in hurry.
DE was ordered by Captain Lee 10 take
| out the ships stores, and while laden
down with hall sheep, several porter
| house steaks and a sack of onions he at
tempted TO step into the ships boat. He
MADE misstep and all the provisions
| went into the bay. Oscar al once pulled
| off MS coat and vest and dived down after
the mutton and beef. He failed TO re-
| cover either and then spent fifteen or
/ twenty minutes in swimming around
picking up the onions that came 10 the
surface. Finally he gave up the hunt and
rowed out to the vessel and changed his
clothes. He then pulled back to Folsom
street wharf TO await the arrival of Cap
tain Lee. AS Christensen has his pay for
the round trip coming to him the chances
are that he will find the value of the lost
goods stopped out of his bill.
The American ship Sterling, which ar
n. S. W., has as her chief officer Captain
Sterling, late of the American ship
Patrician. The latter vessel went down in
one of the worst gales syer experienced on
| the Australian coast, and had it not been
| for the gallantry of the crew OF the Brit
| ish steamer Flfeshire every soul on board
would have perished.
1.-The Patrician sailed from Newcastle
for Lyttleton, n. h., with cargo of coal,
and when 400 miles east of the Australian
coast we encountered terrific gale" said
Captain Sterling yesterday. 1.-TWO of the
men were washed overheard, and after
forty-two hours of buffeting the vessel
began to settle Then l ordered the top
masts cut away, and in their fall they
| stove in the boats. That night l came to
the conclusion that our case was hopeless
and l wrote down the particulars of the
| disaster, placed it in bottle and threw it
| overheard. Next morning the Fifeshire
hove in sight and came to our assistance.
| The first boat that was lowered was stove
| in and Chief Officer Ross was injured.
Notwithstanding his Injuries he insisted
| on taking command OF the second boat
| that was launched.
Gone may imagine the sea that was run
ming, when at times the hull of the Fife
shire, as seen from the wreck, would en-
| tirely disappear in the trough of the sea.
| This may convey to the mind the magnl-
| tude of the undertaking, and | must say
had 1t not been for the great bravery and
heroism displayed by the crew of the Fife
shire and the risks they ran, being willing
to sacrifice both life and limb, we would
certainly have perished, Tor it was solely
due TO their wonderful courage and per-
severance and the skillful manner in which
Mr.. Ross and his crew handled the boat
| that they reached the wreck, as IL was q
most dangerous and difficult task. Had
| it not been for Captain Wilson, VINO
| ah in n ful
seamanship-like manner, thus rendering
valuable assistance 10 the lifeboat, all
efforts would have proved fruitIess, as the
Fifeshire is very large ship, and having
| heavy gale and high sea to contend with
| it was extre mely difficult to keep her in
| posi- ton. Captain Wilson and his crew
are credit 10 the Shire line and an honor
to the British flag, under which they sail. i"
The brig Percy Edwards is on the dry
! dock receiving thorough overhauling.
| When all the repairs are completed she
| will sail for the southern seas with the
members of the Reinhart colony aboard.
The men are confident OF success, but old
| South Sea Island traders consider the ven
ture chimerical.
Harbor Commissioner D. T. Coles term
! of Office will expire March IA, and all nds
| of speculations are rife as 10 who will be
his successor. The latest name mentioned
| is that of Rudolph Uerold Jr. Those who
I
pointment, but that it will not be made
until after the adjournment of the Legis-
| lature. This move will be N ade in order
| that the confirmation of the Governor s
action shall not come up for two years.
Recent advices from Valparaiso. Chile,
tell OF a remarkable trip of the big Ger
man ship Potosi from Hamburg to the
port first mentioned.
| The Potosi is one of the largest sailing
vessels afioat, being five- master of over
| 5000 tons and with record for speed sell
dom if ever excelled by wind jammer."
She left Hamburg on November IL last
| and arrived in the Chilean port on Janu-
ary ID, beating the best previous record
! by two days. At times during the trip
she logged I6N knots-remarkabl bic time
for sailing vessel and a record not often
excelled by steamers. Her average speed
during the entire voyage was six knots
| and fraction.
/ Captain Hilgendorf, who commands the
Potosi, has made wonderful record.
rive years ago he capsized the German
| ship Parsiial in which he had made sew
eral fast voyages from Hamburg to the
| nitrate ports. All on board were saved.
Though no particular blame attached to
the SKIPPER he was given ship that was
consldeted about the sIowsst of the Ham
burg fleet as sort OF penance.
10 the surprise of the owners he beat
out number of crack ships and repeated
| the operation on the run home. Then ne