The San Francisco call., 1897-12-22
Attended the Funeral Of
a Stranger Through
Mistake.
Thought 1t Was His Most In
innate Friend He Was
BUrying.
The Steamer Santa Cruz, That Went
Ashore on Her Way to Alaska,
Is in No Danger.

The Pacific Coast Steamship Com
pany is not very much concerned over
the stranding Of the steamer Santa
Cruz. She was on her way to Dyea
when she went ashore on a sandy spit
near Bella COola. THE vessel is in no
danger said Captain c. Miner Good
all yesterday She is resting easy and
viii get off with the assistance Of the
steamer George W. Elder, now on her
way to Portland The chances are that
the Santa Cruz went ashore in the fog.
The captain was feeling his way at a
slow rate of speed and therefore the
hull would sustain no damage. A dis
patch Just received says she is almost
high and dry at low water, but as there
is a rise and fall Of about twenty five
feet each tide there should be no diff
Guilty in getting her off; that is, If the
inrushing tide does not drive her fur
ther ashore. The next news from her
should be to the effect that she has ar
rived in safety at her destination"
Captain James Brooks Of the North
Pacific Coast ferry system was the
victim Of a grewsome, yet laughable,
mistake the other day. The denoue-
ment almost caused him to faint, but
the after joy more than compensated
for the shock. A particular friend Of
the gallant skipper makes his home in
SausalftO during the summer, and on
this side Of the bay at other times.
Brooks visits him at both his city and
country homes, and on his last call
was shocked to learn that his friend
was dangerously ILL., In fact the doc
tors told him that the chances were
that he would not live the night out
When Brooks opened his paper the
next morning his first glance was at
the death notices. There he saw re-
corded, as he thought, the demise Of
his friend. The announcement con-
tained the information that the funeral
would take place from the home of the
deceaSed's sister in the Richmond dis
trict. To the address given Captain
Brooks dispatched a beautiful floral
piece, and on the day of the funeral
went himself TO attend the last rites.
When he got to the house the funeral
cOrtege was there, but in the parlors
the captain failed to see one of the
hundreds who had been intimate
friends Of the deceaseo when m life.
Brooks got over his surprise, shed A
few tears over the remains, remarked
upon the strangely altered appearance
Of the corpse, and then followed the
remains to the cemetery.
The next day lady who was a par
ticular friend Of the man whom can
tain Brooks supposed he had buried
on the previous day was q passenger
on the ferry steamer San Rafael. To
her the captain remarked: We'll, our
friend has gone at last" She looked
at him in surprise and said:
on, you must be mistaken. can
tain, he was getting better when I
saw him last"
1t was then Brooks turn to look as
tonished, and he remarked. why. 7
attended his funeral yesterday" Each
tnought the other was dreaming, and
they parted without an EXPLANATION
Half an hour later, in the ferry depot.
Brooks met the man whose funeral he
thought he had attended the day
previously, and the shock was so
great that he tainted. The explanation
was simple one: Brooks had wasted
his time, tears and sorrow on the
funeral Of the wrong man.
The appointment of Captain W. 7.
Merry as United States Consul to Cen
tral America has caused a vacancy
in the examining board of the Cham
Der or Commerce, which was filed
yesterday by the appointment Of Cap
tain Horace z. Howard, superintend-
ent Of the Oceanic Steamship Com
pany. The following have received
certificates from the Chamber Of Com
merce as captains: o. T Olsan, VIII
liam Kendell, George Wester; as
mates-E. Bersing, c. H. Davis, Elmer
Thomson and G. o. Soderal
Captain Drisko and Lorentz Foard
returned from the wreck of the ship
Potrimpos yesterday. They say they
had a most remarkable escape during
the southeaster that capsized the yes
sci. The waves broke clean over the
wreck and they only escaped by a
miracle. They have not given up hope
of saving the ship yet, and will re-
turn to Astoria in a few days pre-
pared to begin all over again. When
the storm came up they had the
Potrimpos afioat, and another twenty
four hours Of fine weather would have
seen her at sea- AS 1t is now, new appli-
ances will have TO be taken up and the
work begun all over again.
The State Board Of Trade and the
Harbor Commissioners had confer