The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-26
SAN FRANCISCO BAR.
Is 1t Getting More Shallow, Is the
Question.

san Francisco Gail.
lis the bar outside the Golden Gate
shoaling or not?" Is II question that is
Worrying pilots, towboat men and cap
tains just now.
In 1874 Professor George Davidson. ~
the United States coast and geodetlc
survey. made a thorough examination
OF the entrance to the port and sound
lngs marked ON the present chart were
all made by his assistants. In 1881
Lieutenant f. u. Tuassig made cur
sorry examination and reported no
change in the state of affairs, Thus, In
fact. since 1874 there has been no OIL
cial snundlugs made and just what
state the bar is In no one really knows.
A couple OF years ago the ship Pales-
Itine. coal laden. from Nanalmo, Il. c.,
struck on the bar and went down. Her
remains are still lying to the south of
the whlstling buoy. The captain at
the time asserted that he was In the
regular channel.
on December l3 last the British four
masted ship Ccntesima struck when be-
ing towed in and had not the tugs
hawser held she would have shared
the fate OF the Palestine.
IL was neither the Palestine nor Cen
tesima that started the inquiry, how
ever. 1t was the case OF the Pacific
Mail Company's City Of Peking. The
big steamer sailed from here for the
! Orient on December /. and crossing the
bar through the main channel with all
the elements in her favor. struck hcav-
lily. In fact, 80 heavy was the contact
that everybody rushed on deck and the
vessel hove To for an hour I'm order "a
ascertain what damage had been done
For quite while Captain Smith. the
pilot, and the officers OF the vesse
discussed the advlsability OF returning
10 port. When II was learend that the
vessel was making no water and that
apparently no damage had been done
the pilot was put aboard the pilot boat
and Ccptain Smith started away foi
his destination. A cursory cxamina
ton Of the hull was made at Hongkong
but no injury could be found. Never
theless when the vessel gets back t
san Francisco she will go on the Hun
ter's Point drydOck
The City Of Peklng Is one OF the hes
built ships ahoat, and not many vessels
would have stood the bump she go
and have escaped without injury. Sh'
Is 4Os feet long, AZ feet broad and Il
feet inches deep, and j,079.G2 gros
tonnage. She had an unusually heav!
cargo aboard and a large passenger lis
so when she struck It can be easil!
imagined what CONSERVATION ther
must have been aboard.
Many Of the pilots were lntervlewe'
yesterday in regard to the changes ol
the bar, but one and all seemed to thinl
. It was in just the same condition tina
! it was twenty years ago. I'm place
changes have taken place" said Cap
tain Jordan, but they do not amour
to a great deal. The main channe
} may have shOaled little, but | don
think there Is any perceptible chang
. in the north and south channels. A
TO the striking Of the City Of Pekine
don't know anything about 1t and
don't know which pilot took her out"
1--WE have the government chart I
go by" said Captain Barber, 'and "
e can't 70 behind that. The sailing d.
rections are given on II, and II a pilo
] follows those instructions he cannot b
blamed. / think 1t was Captain Smith
who has since resigned from the pilo
: service, who had charge Of the City q
Peking. If there Is any shoallng q
coarse the United Statse Coast an
Geodetic Survey office would at ono
notify US"
HAS the bar shoaled? / really ear
not tell" was the answer CaptainWesI
hom, the authority on such matters j
the office Of the United States COas
and Geodetlc Survey, gave. After CIV
ing his answer ne went 10 a pile {
charts, and taking out the only on
on that section ever made, he sprea
It out on the table. Then he remarked
you say the city Of Peklng went Ou
through the main channel Well, thei
It must have been fine day and n