The San Francisco call., 1897-05-29
THE OREGON WAS
IN A HURRICANE
Another Mystery of the
Southern Seas Ex-
planned.
Lumber Washed Ashore at
Samoa Was Part of the
Vessels Deckload.
Mem bers of the Naval Battalion Are
to Have Week of Drill
Aboard the Camanche,

Another mystery of the Southern seas
has been explained. Two months ago
news came from Apia, Samoa, that a guam
THY of Oregon pine Ium ber marked "B. B.
B.. and part of a vessels mast had been
washed ashore at different points on the
group. The supposition was that some
vessel had gone down with all hands, and
grave fears were felt for the bark Oregon
that left here for Sydney, n. S. W., on De-
cember last. To complicate matters,
news from Port Townsend had previously
arrived stating that lumber marked in q
similar manner had been passed off Cape
Flattery. This however, was later found
to be part of the cargo OF the Chilean bark
Antoinette, from Puget Sound for Austria
liza, which has since been given up as lost.
The supposition is that the Antoinette and
Samaria were in collision during a storm
and both went down with all on board.
The pre- sence of the wreckage at Samoa
was explained in letter to w. E. Mighel
which reached here few days ago. 1t
was written by Captain Parker of the bark
| Oregon, and in it he says that on January
15 last the vessel ran into terrific hurrI-
cane. Heavy seas broke aboard and time
and again it looked as il the bark would
go down. The deckload of lum ber-40, 900
feet all marked B. B. B.-was swept over
board and with it went the mizzen top
mast ana part OF the miZzen ri ging.
After a most trying experience Captain
Parker worked his way out Of the storm
and finally reached Sydney. His vessel
was docked and repaired and is now on
her way back to San Francisco again.
James Hallinan was arrested by Officer
Bean of the Harbor Police a. ne was board
ing the steamer State of California yester-
day. He is wanted in Sacramento, where
he worked in the railroad shops, for sell
ing q spurious warrant for $780, He was
about leaving for Portland when caught.
The gunboat Wheeling had another test
over the measured mile yesterday. 1t
was called "standardizing the screw" and
tests were made at various speeds. The
runs at speed of seven and eight knots
were once down and back over the mile
course. while at a nine, ten, eleven and
twelve knots speed the gunboat had to 60
down twice and back twice. The tests
were satisfactory in every respect, and the
guneoat will have her official trial trip
to-day.
1t was a mistake in stating that the
Piper, AQen, Goodall Company had
abandoned their ''silver mine' The
place where the Sunol turned over and
dumped the bullion into the bay is we'll
known to the mem bers of the firm, and
they propose renewing operations in the
I0 al IuluLS 4Ol tbC 1SCOtCIJ VI Iflo AlSS-
ing bars,
TIE boys of the Naval Battalion are to
have week of drill ashore and afioat
next July. The Camanche will be put in
commission and the men will be taken TO
some suitable place up the river. Tents
will be taken along and after disem bark
| ing camp will be pitched. All the drills
! in the book OF tactics will be gone through
and then camp will be struck and the
! Camanche will be headed for Hunters
| Point. Somewhere in that locality the
anchor will be dropped again and another
camp will be formed ashore and the same
drills gone through with. The cruise will
| last a week and Captain Turner expects it
to be OF great benefit to the men. During
June Lieutenant Gum will go out in the
barge Mayhower to select one Of the
camping places and on his return the
| battalion ordnance officer will be de tailed
to go out in search OF the second.
The steam schooner Tilamook came in
yesterday with a cargo OF beans from Ven
tura for the starving natives of India.
She will go TO Port Costa with it, and put
it aboard the City of Everett.
The steamer Greenwood while on her
way to San Diego had to put in here yes
terday. One of the passengers was very
SICK, and was landed at Mi:sion-street
wharf, after which the vessel put to sea
again.