The San Francisco call., 1897-01-12
STRUCK THE BAR
ON HER WAY OUT
The City of Peking Had
a Very Narrow
Escape.
Will BE Dccked When She
Returns Here From China
This Month.
4 Resurvy Of the Bar Demanded, as
Many Mariners Think It Is
ShcaIing.

'sIs the bar outside the Golden Gate
zhoaIfng or not2# Is question that is
worrying pilots towboat men and captains
Just now.
In 1874 Professor George Davidson of
the 9 HIted States Coast ana Geodetic Sur2
vey made a thorough examination Of the
entrance TO the port and soundings marked
on the present chart were all made BY his
assistants. In 1854 Lie4tenaut e. D. Tuas-
sig made eursory examination aud re-
ported 10 change IN the state of affairs,
Thus, IN fact. since 1874 there has been no
official souEdIags made and Just what
state the bar Is IN no one really knows.
A couple of years ago the ship Palestine.
coal laden, from Nsnaimo, B. C., struck
on the bar ana went down Her remains
are still iying 70 the south Of the whIstiing
buoy. The captain at the time asserted
that be waa IN the regular channel
On December 1s last the British four
masted ship CentesEma struck when being
towed IN and had not the tugs hawser
held she would have shared the fate Of the
Palestine.
II was neither the Palestine nor Centes-
ina that started the inquiry, however. 1t
was the case of the Pacific Mail Com pauy's
City Of Peking. The big steamer sailed
from here for the Orient on Deeen Der 1
and crossing the bar through the main
channel with al the elements in
her favor struck heavily. In fact SO
heavy was the contact that every
body rushed On deck and the vessel hove
to for an hour IN order to ascertain what
damage had been done. For quite while
Captain Smith. the pilot, and the Office rs
Of the vessel discussed the advisaEiIitv OF
returning to port. When it was learned
that the vessel was making no water and
that apparently no damage had been done
the pilot was put aboard the pilot boat
and Captain Smith started away for his
destination A cursory examination Of
the hull was made at Hongkoug. but no
IN Jury could be found. Nevertheless when
the vessel gets back to San Francisco she
VIII go on the Hunters Point drydock
The City OF Pskfng IS one Of the best
built ships afoat, and not many vessels
would have stood the bump she got and
have escaped without In niury. She Is 4JS
feet long, IL feet bread and IS feet 5 inches
deep, and 507a So gross tonnage. She had
an unusually heavy cargo aboard and
large passenger LIST. so when she struck it
can easily be imagined what couskerua-
ton there mast have been aboard
Many of the pilots wers interviewed
yesterday IN regard to the changes on the
bar, but one ana all seemed to think it
was IN Just the same condition that il was
twenty years age. "In places changes
have taken place" said Captain Jordan,
l'hut they do not amount to great deal
The main channel may have shoaIed q
little. but don't think there IS any per-
eeptible change in the north and south
channels. AS tc the striking Of the City
OF Peking, don't know anything ABOUT it
and I don't know which pilot took her
out
I'VE have the Government chart to 90
hv, said Captain Barber, sard we can't
60 behind that. The sailing directions
are given On it and if pilot follows those
Instructions he cannot be blamed I
think 1t was Captain Smith. who has
since resigned from the pilot service, who
had charge of the City of Peking- Ii
there IS any shoaIIng of course the United
States Coast and Geodetic Survey Office
would st once Eotffy u"
HAS the bar shoaled2 really cannet
tel" was the answer Captain Westhoff,
the authority on such matters in the Of
fee of the United States Coast and Geo
detie Survey, gave. After giving his
answer be went to a pile of charts and
taking out the only one on that section
ever made be spread it out on table
Then he remarked. @You say the CITY of
Peking went out through the main chan
mel. Well. then, II must have been . fine