The San Francisco call., 1897-02-07
WHERE IS THE
SCHOONER VINE?
The Trader Was Expected
Back Here Last De-
camber.
Her Chronometer Got Out Of
Order and a New One Was
Procured at Corinto.
HIS Net Been Heard of Since Lsav.
iJg the Central American
Port.

Where is the schooner Vine? That is
the question that is being debated bv the
members OF the J. F. Cunningham Com
pany and also by the friends and rela-
lives of Captain Luttrell. She is slow
saiier, but, giving her all due allowances,
the vessel should have reached the Caro-
line group early in November, but on
December TO- when j. V. Mellapder left
Kusai for Hongxong, there had been no
| news from the Vine. The general suppo-
sltion is that she has been becelmed in
the southern seas, and that in a few days
| Captain Luttreh will be heard from.
| The schooner Vine sailed from San
Francisco on June II last. At the time OF
| her charter there was some cargo engaged
for Central America, and, as it had TO be
carried, the vessel stopped at Guaymas.
At that ume Captain Luttrell cabled In at
hls chronometer was useless, the main
! spring having broken, and asked that the
! Pacific Mail Steamship Company be IN
| structed to either loan or sell him one
The agent of the Vine saw Mr.. Schwerin,
| and that gentleman declined to lend any
| assistance. the reasons he gave could not
! be gain said, and Mr.. Cunningham had
| to retire without any prospect OF securing
| a chronometer.
In his explanation Mr.. Sch werin said /:
! EdCn O1 luS racine Mall OOm pany
| boats carries two chronometerS. Should
one get out of order there is always the
| second to fall back upon. If we loaned
one to the Vine and the other one during
the run up the coast got out. OF oruer
where would the company be in the event
OF an accident and the subsequent law
| suits?"
Seeing that nothing could be done, and
that every day delay meant a loss OF hun
| dreds OF dollars, Agent Cunning ham
! cabIed to Captain Lultrell to use his own
! judgment and do the best he could in the
circumstances. The latter used his watch
as chronometer and reached Corinto,
where he was able 10 purchase the desired
! timeplece. After leaving Corinto the
! Vine has never been spoken, and the cap
| tain's friends assert that the instrument
| bought in Corinto was useless. and that
| the schooner may be hundreds of miles out
! of her course.
The Cunningham Company fully ex-
| pected to receive favora bic news by the
City OF Peking, but their hopes were
| dashed to the ground when J. Y. Mel
| lander, the island trader, informed them
| that up to December 10 last there had been
nothing heard of the Vine. Nevertheless
the owners have every confidence in the
| safety of the vessel and expect her back al
any time. They reason that Gains and
| iignt winds have prevailed and that The
chronometer purchaser By Captain Lut.-
rell may not have been correct. In that
event he would not only have gone out of
his Course, but would have b.en unable
to make time. The relatives and friends
OF the men on the schooner are neverthe-
less anxious over her non-appearance.
Henry Powers had narrow escape on
the water front yesterday. He and an as
sistant were on staging calking the
sides of the bark Colusa. One OF the men
made a move and the staging gave way
~ araNn
could not swim and was going down for
the third time when c. c. Pratt, collector
for the Harbor Commissioners, seized a
lie buoy and almost threw it over the
drowning mans head.
Powers seized it and held on until Pratt
with long pick pole managed to get him
alongside The wharf, ailer hich he was
ha2!ed up on the wharf. The Colusa sails
tor Puget Sound to load lumber for Sgd
nev, n. S. W., tomorrow, but Powers
says he will sue the captain for damages
! before the vessel gets away. According to
him the staging on which he was working
was insecure and the rope that held il de-
fective.
The tug Vigilant was put on the dry
dock yesterday for general overhauling.
! She will be in com mission again to- NOR
row and then Captain John SIIovich says
| he will be ready to give any boat IN the
| bay brush.
| 1Ue OZaIl0d COLI plelcQ DeT Hrst TOcnQ
| trip with the Whitram wheel yesterday.
| Unusually heavy weather was experienced,
| but nevertheless the steamer did well. On
| the run down the coast she overhauled the
steam schooner Alliance, but the wind
shifted around and the latter setting all
SAIL was able 10 draw away again. Should
| line weather prevail during the next voy-
age the new wheel will be given a thor
! ough test.
The old pilot house of the revenue cut
ter Perry, that was recently overhauied,
now adorns the deck of the tramp steamer
| Progreso. 1t is q decided i'm mprovement,
and the helmsmen OF the tramp are more
| than glad that Providence sent the house
! their way.
The steam schooner Cleone got in from
San Pedro in ballast yesterday, and left a
few hours later for Crescent City to load
Iumoe for San Francisco. The Cleone is
regular trader to this port, but when a
load of piles and lum Der were required az
San fedro her owners sent her there direct
from Crescent City.
The steam schooner Pasadena was
caught IN the northwester yesterday and
had to seek shelter in brakes Bay. Later
on the wind died out little and she pro.
ceeded on her way.
| Dunsmulr d Co. are minus valuable
horse. Yesterday the animal became
| fractlous and backed the cart to which il
was attached off the wharf. The animal
and cart sank to the bottom, and later the
wrecker Whitelaw hauled everythinp to
The surface again. The horse was nm
| hltcned ana lowed out into the stream
| and cast acrift. The wagon and harness
| were taken TO the stables.
1