The San Francisco call., 1897-07-21
were STRANDED
ON CLIPPERTOn
Shipwrecked Grew Of the
Kinkora Rescued by the
Cruiser Comus.
The Steamer Navarro Gone After
the Men Left Behind on
the Island.
Hawaii Has Now the Fastest Vessel
in the Mail Oompany's Fleet
Under Her Flag.

The British cruiser Comus arrived from
Clipperton Island via Monterey this
morning with the remains OF the casta-
way crew of the British ship Kinkora on
board The story of the wreck has been
told several times, so all that is necessary
to say now is that while on her way from
Puget Sound TO South America with
load of lumber the vessel was caught in a
succession OF gales sprang leak, and to
prevent her from founderlng was anchored
off Clipperton. There the heavy swell
took possession of affairs and the vessel
was run on the reef.
A boats crew was sent to the mainland
and assistance telegraphed for. The Brit
ish Government sent the Comus and she
brought back the men.
1--WE had plenty to eat and drink as all
the ships stores were saved" said one OF
the sailors yesterday. at was horrible
place to live on. but great deal better
than sinking ship. A week or so after
We landed on the island the schooner
Twilight bound for the Galapagos Islands
came along and Captain Murtrie tried to
persuade her master to take US to the
mainland. He asked $500 for the job
and his offer was refused. Then he re-
duced 1t to $1,000 and would go no lower.
Our captain would not give in and the
Twilight sailed away.
"W hen the ComuS came along we had
been SIX weeks on that guano island, and
| tell you we were glad 10 see the nag OF
Old England again. She arrived about
10:30 A. NJ. ana by P. NJ. we were all
aboard and on our way to San Francisco.
We left three representatives OF the
Oceanic Phosphate Company on the is
land. They had been there eight months
all but three days, and every one of them
was sick. The captain of the Comus Of
fered 10 take them Off, but they would not
come as their contract time lacked few
days Of being up and they were afraid OF
losing eight months wages. When Cap
tain Dyke reached Acapulco be at once
telegrap phed the agents OF the concern to
send assistance to the men at once. L
hope the poor fellows will be all right
when thevessel reaches Cipperton."
When the news of the condition OF the
men on Clipperton reached the Oceanic
Phosphate Company the steam schooner
Navarro was al once chartered and will
sail this morning in charge of Captain
Higgins. Governor Freeth of the COM
pany will go down with the steamer, and
besides the men cargo of the fertilizer
will be brought up.
A dispatch from London to the Mer-
chants Exchange states that the Pacific
Mail Companys steamer China has been
placed under the Hawaiian flag. The big
steamer was built IN England and ever
since she was launched has flown the
British flag. This has debarred her from
drawing the mail subsidy earned by the
Peru, City of Rio de Janeiro and the City
of Peking. G. P. Huntington now evil
dently thinks that annexation is an
assured fact, and in that event the China
would be an American bottom. Flying
the stars and stripes and with her speed
of 16 knots an hour the big steamer
would earn subsidy of 81 a knot for
every knot traversed. The cost of put
ting the China under the Hawaiian flag
would be about $500. but should annexa-
ton take place she will earn that amount
five times over in the mail subsidy.
For change the deep-water shipping
has deserted the south end of the water
front and taken possession Of the north.
The British ships Celtic Monarch, Falls
OF Dee and Suaigow, and the Hawaiian
ship John Ena, are all at section of the
seawall
Captains Rasmussen of the red-stack
tug Sea King and Shaw of the Redmond
made very pretty job of docking the
Falls of Dee. They placed her between
the Celtic Monarch and John Ena. Hav-
ing only six feet to come and 60 on, the
big vessel required very careful handling.
In spite of the close quarters she was
docked without a scratch. The sugar
boats Martha Davis and Andrew Welch
are at section of the sea-wall, a, d the
MooItan and Annie Maud are at Union
street. There is not rat on the latter
vessel. The fumigation was kept up at
Angel Island until every rodent on board
was killed. The rats carry the plague,
and DR.. Rosenau was determined that not
one OF the vermin should escape. That
f. a. L. rs 49, h.
was In quarantine.
The gasoline schooper Mary G has been
taken off the coast trade, and will no longer
carry butter and eggs drom Point Reyes
and other points to San Francisco. She
has been placed on the Sacramento route,
and will in future carry fruit to the Oak
land market.
A. E. White of 213 Shotwell street had
his foot badly. hurt by cedar log from
the Martha w. TUFTS falling on it yester-
day, and Martin Van Bergen of 21S Minna
street fractured rib while wrestling on
Howard-street wharf. Both men had
their injuries dressed at the branch Re-
ceiving Hospital on East street.