The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-04
WHEAT SHIPS
IN DEMAND
Only Two Disengaged Grain
Vessels Now Left
in Port.
The Flintshire Was Chartered
Yesterday After Lying
Idle a Year.
Kitterman's New Gasoline Yacht
America to Be Launched at
North Beach To-Day.

There are only two disengaged wheat
ships In port, the Heathbank and Spoke,
and as both of them are handy vessels
their agents are holding out for 35s
fire ght. The tonnage on the way is
IS 900 tons less than it was at this time in
1896, so the chances are that the vessels in
question will get their owners figure.
Up to yesterday the British shIp Flint
shire was among the dsengaged fleet.
She arrived here from Cardiff Decemoe
II, 1896. and after discharging went to
MARTINEZ, where she has been lying ever
since. When freights were at 25s an at
tempt was made to secure her, but the
offer was refused. Then 27s Cd was
offered, then 30s, and early this week
32s 81 was bid. The charter was finally
made yesterday at better" than 32s Cd,
so the owners of the vessel Will be par
TALLY reimbursed for her year of idle
ness
The engaged tonnage in port is gradu-
ally getting away, and there is now the
smallest feet in the bay that has been
here IN years.
The Italian bark Emelia Ciampa and
the French bark Jules Verne sailed for
England last Wednesday, and Captain
| Maresca has wagered q case OF wine thai
/ his vessel will beat the Jules Verne into
! port.
Yesterday the British ships Afehanis-
! tan, Brenda and llisand got away for
England also with about 10000 tons
! OF wheat be ween them, and the three
! captains assert that they will beat both
! the French and Italian vessels into port
| The three British vessels are very evenly
matched. but the Afghanistan has the
| call in The betting.
/ Wk,yt IL
! schooner Catalina in tow arrived from
| Pigeon Point yesterday. The wrecker
brought up all of the steamer CoIum bl a
/ that could be recovered from her rocky
resting place off Pigeon Point. The
| WhItelaw had new propeller put on yes
tarday, and to-day she is to assist in the
Launching of J. KIttermar's palatial gaso-
/ line boat. The latter IS on the ways al
! North Beach, and the Whitelaw, by
means of her derricks, will lift her up
! bodily out OF her resting place and low er
| her into the water. The new boat is TO be
called America. She is so feet long, 10
feet broad, 6 feet deep and will have 90
| horsepower gasoline engine.
The American ship John A. Briggs
sailed for Puget Sound yesterday to load
lumber for Sydney, n. s. w. Captain
Balch had considerable trouble in keep
| ing his crew. and had 1t not been for the
police some OF them would have got away
an hour before sailing time The chances
are that the men will all desert on the
Sound, and the captain will have to pay
"bloodmoney' in order to secure another
crew.
A big whale almost got stranded yes
terday between Fort Point ana the Pre-
sidio shoal buoy. As it tnrashed the
water in its efforts to escape II provided a
| fine spectacle for the las -engers on the
! steamer Umatilla, which was passing in.
Finally the levlathan got into deep water
| and at once headed for the ocean. The
waters in and around the bay are alive
| with herring and sardines, and the
| whales. sea hons and guls are having a
| right royal time OF il.
Antoine Convlncia picked up a l7-foot
! boat yesterday off the Alameda shore
and brought 1t to Fisherman's wharf
He thinks it belongs to some parties over
| in Oakland. The boat is painted green
on the outside and has a red deck
The unfortunate tram D steamer Amara-
poora is loading at Hakodate for San
Francisco. 1t will be remembered that
after many delays she got away for China
with load OF lumber, but her propeller
got out of gear and she had TO put into
Yokohama in distress. Her load of ium-
Der has probably beeu sold, and she is now
getting ready to return to San Francisco
once more.
The coast-defense boat Monterey is
anchored off SausaliIo and will not start
for San Diego until next week. When
leaving tie hayward she collided with a
dolphin and one of the life boats was
smashed. As soon as il is replaced the
warship will go to sea.