The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
Eight Men on the T. C.
Walker Experience a
Very Dusty Time.
The Vessel Struck a Sandbank
and the Sacks Were Thrown
TO Port.
A Horse Caught in the General Mix.
Up Escaped Without ANY
Injury.

Eight men had a narrow escape for
their lives on the river steamer T. C.
Walker last Saturday night. The vessel
was on her way from Stockton to San
Francisco and in the dark ness the captain
mistook beacon and ran into a mud
bank. Two hundred tons of -four in 100
pound sacks was thrown to port and two
OF the men were buried and horse that
was en- route to Ingleside was SO tangled
up that he could not get his feet free from
the mass of cIinging -four For time
pandemonium reigned, and between the
neighing of the unfortunate horse and the
screams of the men who were under the
flour the deckhands lost their heads and
there was almost panic aboard.
The T. c. Walker teft STOCKTON with a
very heavy cargo last Saturday afternoon.
She was loaded down with -four for the
Pacific Mail Company's steamer Peru,
which leaves for China next Thursday,
and Captain Benson was anxious 10 get
here on time in order to get his cargo
aboard.
The Walker had an extra crew aboard
and consequently there were no berths for
the men who came aboard at the last
minute. BILLY" Farrell, Pat" Dunning,
mike" Dooley, Dan O'Connor. l.. H.
Bevis, William Layton and Pete" Cour-
.neen made their beds among the -four.
When the Walker struck the bank the
flour fell on the sleeping men and almost
buried the horse. All that could be seen
of Dooley was his head and the only
thing that let the remainder of the ship $
crew know that Farrell was alive was a
wiggling foot that stuck out between two
sacks of -four.
The other men could not be seen, but in
few minutes the sacks of flour were re-
moved and all and sundry were rescued
The only man injured was Farrell, and he
was sent to the hospital. His face was
badly scraped and his right side bruised
TO such an extent that it will be months
before he can work again. The Walker
has still big list to port, and it will be
late this afternoon before she is on an
get free the horse ruined quite mum ber
| of sacks OF the -four that somebody will
have to pay for.
1t was reception day on the Oregon yes
! terday, and the men had more than usual
liberty. Ensign Durell was officer of the
day, and he saw to it that while the men
enioyed "iust so much liberty there was
was allowed to have his sweetheart or
wife, aboard, and as they brought their
friends with them the decks of the big
battle ship were thronged.
Many of the visitors brought musical
instruments with them, and the strains
of the "Star Spangled Banner" and
Should Aud Acquaintance Be Forgot
could be heard from forecastle and cabin.
On the main deck the men and their
sweethearts had a quiet little dance, but
of course it was sub rosa, and the sailors
think all the more OF their officers because
they Cooked the other way" when the
dance was going on. A cleaner or more
orderly set of men Uncle Sam has never
sent out than the crew that mans the
Oregon.
There is a big gap between the Oregon
and Comanche. The former is an up to-
date battIe-ship and the latter is an obso-
| lete monitor. She is now being used as a
training ship for the Naval Battalion and
| incidentally as a dovecote for the Mare
Island carrier pigeons. For use in war
time the carriers are now being trained,
and as preliminary they are to be flown
daily between Mare Island end the
Comanche.
The doveeote on the latter is labeled
Constellation, and the one on the island
is marked Hartford. The care takers on
the Comanche assert that the pigeons
aboard their vessel can beat telegraph
time easily.
The oceanie Steamship Company's zea-
landia and the Pacific Mail Company s
Peru both sail for Honolulu next Thurs
day. The former will continue on her
way to Australasia, and the latter will go
to the Orient. The Peru is In splendid
running order, and the Zealandia has not
been overhaued for many months. New
ertheless he betting is that the Zealandia
will beat the Peru to Honolulu. Both
vessels have very popular officers in all
the departments, so it remains to be seen
which will carry the bulk of the Honolulu
passengers.