The San Francisco call., 1897-09-26
WAS RBCALKED
and RIVETBD
The British Ship Toxteth
Was Twice Placed on
the Drydock.
Her Damages Found to Be
Greater Than Was at
First Suspected,
More Trouble on the Bark 0loncaird.
Her Crew Was Taken to
Sea in Irons.

The British ship Toxteth came off the
Merchants drydock yesterday, after a
thorough overhauIing. Including small
amount OF ballast the saip weighed 2200
tons, and force of engineers watched her
night and day TO make sure that the huge
mass did not take q list. Had she done
so both vessel and foatingdock would
have been wrecked. AI's well that ends
we'll, however, and the Toxteth is now
safely moored at Harrisons street W harf.
Besides being one OF the largest vessels
that has ever been handed on the Mer-
chants drydock she has the distinction of
being the first iron or steel vessel that has
been recaiked here in :he ordinary course
of events. All of her bottom to the seam
above the turn of the bilge has been al
tended to, and also the decks and the &C.
ment in the lower hold. The Toxteth is
now as good as new, and as soon a. she Is
out of the hands of the marine surveyors
will be ready for charter.
The Toxteth has been a very unlucky
ship OF late. Sue left Newcastle, n. S. W..
for Panama in charge of Captain Dunn
with a cargo of coal. On March last she
went ashore in Parita Bay at low water.
When the tide made she was kedged off,
but went on again next day at A. NJ. at
the top of high water. On this occasion
she remained on the beach wi n over 1000
tons If coal in her hold for q fortnight.
Captain John q. Bromley was in Panama
and the owners of the ship cabled him to
take charge of affairs. He at once sent
schooner with thirty FIVE men aboard to
the scene TO lighter the ship and was pro-
ceeding to Parita Bay with the steamer
AnconA when the news came that the
IoXtetn was off the beach and on her way
TO Panama. On her arrival Captain Brom-
ley took command and Captain Dunn re-
turned to England via San Francisco.
AT Panama the crew of the ship deserted
in body and Captain Bromley had to get
men TO supply their places the best way
he could. They were a motley crowd and
only lasted for the trip to this port The
Toxteth arrived here on August IA last
and q few days later went on the dry
dock. The marine surveyors looked her
over and decided that all she needed was
a cleaning and coat OF paint. This was
quickly done and the vessel WAS then
supposed to be ready for charter. She
was given another overhauling in the
stream, and when the cement in the hold
was removed 1t was found that the vessel
was more severely strained than was al
first suspe cted. Many of the rlVets were
sprdng, some of the beams were bent and
il wes evident that the vessel would leak
in a seawav.
Wednesday last she was put on the dry
dock again and over 100 men were put to
work on her. During the three DAYS she
has been on the dock over $50, 900 has
been spent on her, nearly all of which
went out in wages. Ever since the first
survey men have been at work on the yes
sci, and now Captain Bromley considers
his ship the equal of any vessel af1oat as
far as seawortniness is concerned.
Captain Bromley is well known in San
Francisco, having been here in a number
of vessels, his last command being the
clipper ship Conishead.