The San Francisco call., 1897-04-27
THE ELEVNIA IS
A TOTAL WRECK
She Went on the Rocks at
the Entrance to
Caspar.
Her Bottom Stove iu, Rudder
Carried Away and Masts
Went by the Board.
Two Gasoline Schcoaers Have Been
Tied Up fnd Others Will
Follow.

Elvenla was towed into port by the steam
schooner Protection yesterday and was
anchored off the seawall in a water-logged
condition. She is com plete wreck and
will never go 10 sea again. The Elvenia
sailed from Caspar Cor San Pedro on
a pril % with $50, 900 feet OF redwood lum-
Der. At the time a fair easterly wind was
blowing and all the conditions seemed
good for successful trip.
"When close inshore an anchor was
dropped, but the weight, holding the El-
venia steady for q few moments only, be-
gan TO drag" said Captain johnson yes
terday. "a heavy swell was running and
II carried the schooner rapidly toward the
beach.
1.-The Elvenia struck the rocks and tore
away her rudder and sternpo>t. She
slowed around slightly and held fast. The
crew then got an anchor astern and hove
The vessel eff the rocks, but she was leak
ing badly and seemed to be severely
strained. The lumber in her hold was al
that kept her afoat.
The second anchor dragged, and for a
second time the schooner travelled land
ward on the crest of big swell. She
struck heavily, smashing in her bottom
planks and sending her main and fore
mast over the side. The vessel was a
complete wreck and was tenn porarIly aban-
doned by the crew. Wnen the swell was
less heavy the hulk was hove off the rocks
for the third time and made fast 10
hu0y. The Protection, Captain Eilefsen,
then took hold OF her and towed her TO
this City,
Nearly half the load of lumber was lost,
and on it there was no insurance. There
"a 1NS hill hn
Elyenia was built at Humboldt in 1872.
She is 1909 tons net burden, ana is owned
by +. Gee OF this City. To-day she will be
run in the hard sand in Oakland Greek,
and the lumber discharged into lighters.
Owners OF gasoline schooners ale very
desPondent over the rulings of the super
vislng inspectors OF hulls and boilers.
Two of the boats have already been with
drawn and others will follow in rapid Sue
cesSlon. j. S. Kim ball, wLo was the first
10 introduce this kind OF craft into the
cossting trade, is very much Incensed over
the matter. 1t is class legislation he
said. "snd looks as though Congress Wa,
trying 10 do all in i.s power to ruin the
shipping trade of the country.
According 10 the new rules each of
these small boats must carry licensed
captain and licensed first mate, licensed
engineer and 8 licensed assistant engi-
neer. Then on top of that we cannot
carry passengers because we use gasoline,
and that, they rule, is carrying com busti-
bIes. l have laid up the Bessie K and the
Chetco, and third boat will follow them
as soon as she gets in from this run.
There is no danger from the use of gaso-
line, and from the time the first one was
introduced until the present there has
never been an accident"
1t is understood that an appeal for the
modification of the present rulings will
be made to the Supervising Inspectors.
Captain Mcneil of the barkentine S. G.
Wilder had a peculiar experience on he
down trip. He encountered heavy
weather and one of the horses that formed
part o. the deck load was drowned in his
stall. The otter animals were consider
ably bruised, and when the vessel reached
Honolulu the captain was arrested for
cruelty to animals. He was tried and ac-
qultteo by the magistrate as soon as the
facts of the case were set forth. The VIII
der is again loading for Honolulu.
The monitor Camanche is TO go to the
Mare Island Navy-yard for an overhaul
ing this week. She will be cleaned and
painted white and on her return the gen.
eral public will hardly be able 10 recog-
nize the old warship.
When she is once again at her anchor
age there Will be change in the Tuesday
drills. Hitherto the officers have dined
alone on board on Tuesdays. In future
on board and all will be in readiness for a
drill at q moments notice.
Tonight the men will drill on Pacific
street wharf and the artillery will te use /.
A :quad OF men will be marched TO Fol-
som-street steps, whence they will go
to the Camanche and BRING the guns
ashore to Pacific street. THIS will be done
in order to see how quickly the artillery
can be landed in case OF an emergency
The stea mer State of California will go
back to the Oregon run tom orrow after
an ove-hauling and the Queen will go on
the Alaskan route in command OF Captain
Carroll.
There will be 10 meeting OF the Harbor
Commission to-day, Commissioners
Chadbourne and Harney, Chief Engine II
Holmes and Architect Swain are going 10
Sites TO inspect the quarry.
More changes are being made by the
Commissioners. j. J. Searcy becomes
chief engineer of the tug Governor Mark
ham, Daniel Fleming chief of dredger
No. and Louis Holden chief of the pile
driver.
The old-time commission-house OF Ross
& Hewlett has at last changed its quar-
ters. For over forty years the same con-
Germ occupied the building at the north
east corner of Clay and Davis streets, and
it is only the pressure Of business that has
forced them into larger quarters on the
southeast corner of Sacramento and Davis
streets. Away back in the SOS the firm
was Bigiey Brothers, and the store was
an old shack built on piles on the water.
and the schooners used to come up to the
door and discharge the freight. Next it
was Heriot, Bigley & Co., with Donald
Ross as the company. Twenty years ago
Heriot and Bigley retired and the firm
beca me Ross & Hewlett. Donald Ross is