The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-04
HER MA|nMAST
IS HER FUNNEL
Missionary Vessel Morning
Star Is Queerly
Rugged.
She Made a Very Peculiar Show
ing in the Bay Last
Sunday Morning.
Miss Daisy Towd Braved the Far all on
Breakers in Order TO Board
the Oracle S.

L 6 DaTkentAhC @"OAAA-N'S
Star is curio. When here six years ago
she was the one attraction OF the wafer
front and her auxiliary screw was a con-
tinual source of wonder. The screw was
always in evidence, but no smokestack
could ever be seen. Still the barkentlne
can always make from four to hVe knots
in calm, but just how she makes 1t has
| been mystery TO many Of the natives IN
the southern seas.
The mainmast of the missionary vessel
| is hollow as far as the truck and II serves
as the funnel.
When the barkentine was bucking the
tide yesterday, with all her sails furled
and the smoke pouring out OF the main
mast she presented peculiar appearance.
Many of the boatmen insisted that she
was on fire, but as soon as Mike Fitzgerald
made her out he set all doubts at rest by
explaining the phenomenon.
Among the arrivals yesterday was the
British ship Atom Alaw, 1873 days from
Swansea. Captain Thomas considers it a
fair passage, but ii does not begin to COM
pare with the record OF 96 days he made
in the Merioneth. AT that time John D.
Spreckels presented him with the cham
pionship flag and the Merioneth still flies
it. Captain Thomas is welded to his new
love, however, and, according to him,
finer. ship than the Afon Alaw was never
launched. When rounding the Horn the
good ship had terrible time of it. The
cargo shifted and on one occasion the YES
sci was on her beam ends Another roll
in the trough of the sea put her on an
even keel, however, and then when q little
sail was made on the fore she gathered
way and ran into safety.
The British ship Caradoc, 119 days from
Calcutta, also made port. She was hove
! to for three days off port, and the captain
| says the norther was very heavy one.
| The old side-wheel tug Tiger so well
known on the Sausalito freight route a
| year ago, got back 10 port yesterday. She
started for San Francisco with a barge in
tow, but when the gale came up she had
| to cut adrift and make port alone. The
| barge is now drifting around somewhere
! off the coast, and the chances are that one
! of the steam schooners now due from Men
docino will bring it in.
| The bar is breaking and Miss Daisy
! Dowd, the ''school marin" at the Faral-
| Ions, had rough time of it coming in on
the Oracle S. The handsome little pilot
| boat had to stand on and off while Miss
| Dowd was put aboard through the break
ers- Not only she, but the entire boats
crew got good ducking, and the women
lolks in particular are living in anticipa-
! ton of the return trip.
The mem bers of the Grand Court OF the
| Foresters of America started for Marys-
vile yesterday. There was big crowd at
! the P. II. boat to see them off and the
expectation is that all will have a most
| enjoyable time.
The schooner Mary and Ida will go out
| again on another cod fishing cruise this
week. The last venture was success and
the captain thinks that another cruise to
| Boring Sea will more than pay expenses
| The Mary and Ida docks at Hunters
! Point, where q new codfshing estab-
lishment has been put up, while
the other vessels put their cargoes ashore
| at California City.
| John White and William Duggan were
| locked up al the Harbor police station by
| Officer John Dover yesterday on a charge
| of disturb ing the peace. They got into a
| conversation at The Clay-street landing
| and Duggan invited White across the
! street 10 have beer. During the CONVEX
| sation " hite put down quarter and Dug
! gan, picking up the change, put it in his
| pocket. A row followed, names were
| called, blows were struck and now both
men must answer to charge OF disturb
! ing the peace.
| Officer John Aitken of the harbo police
is the 'peddlers' terror" Hardly day
passes but that ne runs in one or more Of
| the gentry" and invariably secures a
conviction. Many of the prisoners have
stolen goods in their possession, and as
| they are returned 10 the owners the har-
| Dor police have another goUd showing to
| their record.
The revenue cutters will sail shortly on
| their regular monthly cruise. The Cor
! win will get away for Alaska to-day and
| the Rush will sail tomorrow. Both cut
tiers will keep close watch over the seal
| ing grounds.
| Many an improvement has been intro
duced on the water front during the past
| twenty years, but the man VINO as saved
! the State the most money during his in
cumbency and who has done more toward
making the port of San Francisco a
model for other ports in the United
States. is Howard C. Holmes, the
present chief engineer of the Board
! of Harbor Commissioners. 1t was he
that introduced the present method
| of concrete piling. and be is still perfect.
| ing the system. When the iron cylinders
were driven over the piles and the work Of
filling in began, Mr.. Holmes saw that the
rock went to the bottom, that the sand
came next and the cement made top
| dressing. After weeks of study he solved
| the problem The three ingredients were
! mixed in a gunny-sack and sunk in pile
at LON bard-street wharf. To-day the
mass is as solid as q rock and q sledge-
hammer couldn't break it. The traces of
| the gunny-sacks can be followed with a
| pencil, but even when the mass of con-
crete is placed at an angle the &c can
not make any impression.
At present the donkey engine and
"borer" are at work making at least
twenty holes eight inches in diameter in
the flooring of TIE new depot. These
will connect with the water pipes and the
| toilet-rooms of the structure, and consid-
cradle trouble is being found in making
the connection. One of the diamond
drills was lost yesterday and delay of
over an hour resulted.
| Mr.. Holmes says that good progress is
being made on the depot, and if he is
satisfied, why then there is no kick COM
inpn