The San Francisco call., 1897-12-17
Arrival of the Captain and
Some Of the Crew in
San Francisco.
The Vessel Was Out of Her
Course and Went Ashore on
Maiden Island.
Total Loss of the Schooner Vesta
While on Her Way From Hueneme
to Port BIakeley.

steamship Company's Moana yesterday
were CAPITA J. Davidson and part of t.e
crew OF the wrecked American snip Com
modore. The loss of the ship was reported
bY cable, and Captain Dav dson now gives
1ull details. Talking OF he disaster he
SAID: 1--WE sailed from Honolulu for New
ork with a cargo OF su ar and carried
the trades well from the eastward. Some
times the wind hauled TO the southwark,
causing rs 10 stand on the starboard tack,
during which the ship gradually fell to
the leeward of tie regular track.
I've crossed the quator on September
,, and twenty-:our hours later got good
observation. finding the ship in latitude
= 10 south. longitude l54 AZ west. We
had clear weather and a moderate breeze
from the eastward. AT 11:2O o'clock
P. NJ l went below. leaving orders with
the mate to have everything ready to tack
ship al y O'Clock, as the vessel was head
ing nearly in line with Maiden Island.
AT 11:50 O'Clock heard the man at the
wheel call out hard up' in answer to the
mates order. l at once ran on deck and
heard the mate order the wheel hard
down. l looked over the side and found
that we were on a coral reef 1 immedi-
ately ordered everything braced to back,
but the ship would not move her stern,
but instead swung broadside to the reef and
commenced pounding. When l iound it
was Impossible 10 get her off | ordered the
boats provisiOued and launched.
"At daylight l found that we were on
the northeast end OF Maiden Island and
that the ship was nearly full of water
with a heavy list off shore. l saw TWO yes
sells at the west END OF the island. so,
manning one OF our boats, l went 10 them.
They were Loading guano and agreed to
take Us away with them when they sailed
for Australia. We returned to the ship
and saved what stores and ersonal effects
we could. On September s John kreds,
one o our men, shipped on the German
schooner Falcon and the second mate and
the starboard watch sailed in her as pas
ngers for Melbourne. On Septem Der 25
the rest of us left the island on tue Danish
bark Norwester, bound for Dunedin, New
Zealand.
Before leaving saw the wreck on her
beam ends, her port side under wafer.
rigging standing, some OF the sails blown
away. From Dunedin we went TO Auck-
land, y. Il, and there took passage for
San FraaciscO."
Captain Davidson was accompanied
by his wife; G. Ekrun, mate; J. |
Silvin, carpenter; II. Davidson (the |
captains son), third mate; A. Smith, |
When asked as to how it was the ship was
out OF her course, Captain Davidson said:
the only reason l can give is the strong |
current Jhat was running southwark on !
that day. The ship was supposed to be |
about thirty miles north OF the island |
when she stranded"
The Commodore was owned in San
Francisco, but both the vessel and cargo
were fully covered by insurance.
Two steamers from foreign ports ar
rived yesterday via honolulu. The Mcana
came from sydney, n. S. w, via Auck-
land, \. T., Apia. Samoa, and Honolulu, |
h. l., while the Dorlc came from Hong
Kong, via Yokahama and Honolulu. The |
relatives of a. l. Sweets-r, the missing
superintendent OF the Cora la vineyard, !
were down to meet both vessels They |
reasoned that the boat in which the mis-
ing man went fishing had been carried |
out 10 sea and picked up by the steamer |
Rio de Janeiro, which sailed the day
Sweetser was seen fishing off Lime Point |
The Rio arrived at Honolulu on the Sd |
inst, but had seen no trace OF the miss |
ing man. The only vessels now to be |
hearl from are the two British ships |
which sailed for Europe the same day the |
Rio lett for China. Mr.. Sweetser Jr. SAYS |
that every foot of the coast from Point |
Bonita to Point Reyes has peen gone over |
on foot twice and no the slightest trace
of the missing man uld be found.
The portion of the Moana' cargo which |
excited the most interest was the boxes of !
sovereigus " hich came up from Australia |
and New Zealand. They aggregated ia |
value 81 200, 000 and the boxes were at once
placed in wagon and taken to the Mint |
where the sovereigns Will be coined into |
good American gold pieces. The Doric |
brought from Japan very large consign- |
ment OF oranges and many cherry and
plum trees in bloom. Almost every pas
q 81 a al oh
or plum tree as part Of his personal
be ggage, but Quarant. Officer Craw OF
the SIaIe Board of Horticulture would
rot allow them to land, as they were In
fesied with scale. Those that were in the
personal baggage were destroyed at once,
and those that are In the cargo will also
be destroyed when the owners claim
them.
Christmas is beginning early on the
water front this year. Yesterday twenty
five carloads of Christmas trees and
plants u.ed in deCoralio arrived at Inc
Lom bard street wharf on the ferry
steamer Sausalito All OF yesterday
wagons were engaged In distributing them
over the city.
Some time ago the Harbor Commis-
sioners advertised for bids for creoso ed
piles, built piles and piles treated by par
affine paint for use on the water front.
Before the bids were opened an iniunc-
bett & Co. The junct on was dissolved
and last Tuesday bids were opened. but no
action was taken until yesterday, when
all were rejected on account of being too
high.
The American ship Hecla arrived from
Departure Bay, and was at once docked
a Green-street wharf, as her consignees
are in hurry to get her coal cargo. She
came down with a full union crew, all of
whom were paid $40 a month. The Sea-
mems Union say that the Hecla is only
the pioneer, and that in snort time a
The coasters will be carrying union men at
$40 per month.
The storm is still felt along the coast.
The steamers Homer. ATcata, Empire
and Czarina are all barbound at Coos
Bay.
The schooner seen ashore near Car
manah by the steamers City of Puebla
and Empress of India ma been identified.
The Merchants Exchange received the