The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-19

MORAN BrotherS' fleet of river steamers
they were all to go to ST. Michael under
their own steam and after getting into
Bering Sea they must have caught it..
everybody at st. Michael had given
them up for lost, as they were then
more than a month out from Seattle.
There We're twelve of them to ply on
the Yukon, but whether they all left
Seattle or not I do not know. I do
Know, however, that there have been
some terrific storms in Boring Sea. and
IT would require q good steamer to live
through them. OF course, the steamers
may be at anchor in some safe haven
put all l know Is that the people at st.
Michael never expected tc see them"
The Calls correspondent at Seattle
SENDS the following in regard to the
fleet:
The fleet Of twelve Yukon River
steamers which Moran Brothers of Sc
attic constructed left the Sound on June
2 with st. Michael as their destination
Ihelr ocean convoyers were the tugs
Resolute, Captain Tom Kilton, and
Richard Holyoke, Captain Klinger. and
the steam schooner South Coast.
Inc steamers that composed the fleet
(each Vessei manned by a full crew.
were as follows: Pilgrim, Captain
harry *. Struver; j. H. Light, Captain
Frank Grounds; D. r. Campbell, Cap
tain G. d. Brownfield; F. X Gustin,
Captain w. D. Dobbins; st. Michael, J.
L. Fisher; seattle, Captain R. McFar-
land; Victoria, Captain c. F. Gilmore;
Oil City, Captain S. w. Wheeler; Rob
ert Kerr, Captain F. H. Berher; West
ern Star, Captain S. Hodgson; Tacoma.
Captain j. E. Drisco; and Mary e.
Graft, Captain E. E. Stanford.
The flagship of the fleet was the
steamer Pilgrim, on board of which was
Robert Moran and Captain J. E. Len
non, chief pilot, who was to direct the
course Of the boats from the Pilgrim.
The other steamers were to report to
her at stated times by flag and whistle
signals.
The Resolute had no tow and was to
act as messenger steamer between the
Pilgrim and the remainder of the fleet.
The Richard Holyoke had in tow five
big river barges, each of which had $50
tons Of coal aboard. The South Coast
was loaded with coal. At Dutch Har-
Dor it was the intention to pick up the
four boats that the Morans built there
for the North American Trading and
TRANSPORTATION Company. They are
the j. G. Barr, Klondike, Power and
Cunahy
The twelve river boats built by Moran
Brothers were all on the same pattern
and each cost $4,000 In length they
were 175 feet, beam 35 feet and depth
6.5 feet. These boats are intended for
passenger and freight purposes, having
a capacity for $50 passengers and 400
| tons Of freight
"Of the river boats that went up last
year." said Mr.. Don, some of them did
not get along very well. When the river
broke up the steamer Governor Stone
man lost her tow with all its freight
| and nearly was wrecked herself The
old Mare Island, that used to ply be-
| tween Berkeley and San Francisco is
still tied up in the canal where she
made her home for the winter and will
never come out of it. She has been con-
demned and her passengers got up to
Dawson the best way they could The
Seattle No. 1, that went up with the
Wood outfit last fall, went on a sand
bar near Tanana when the river broke
| up and was nearly wrecked. Luckily
she got off again and is now at Dawson.
All in all this is going to be decidedly
| off year for gold hunters and transpor-
| tation companies"
When the st. Paul left st. Michael
the steamer Grace Dollar for Kotzebue
| Sound was there awaiting the arrival
of the steamer Humboldt Among
those who were going to Kotzebue on
her were Captain A H. HERMAN, who
goes up to look after the barkentine
Jane A. Falkenberg; c. Dickey. who
goes up to look after the barkentine
Catherine Sudden, and J. L. Wilson.
OF all the vessels that left here for
Kotzebue the only one sighted was the
Falkenberg, and she was spoken on
June Is by the revenue cutter Bear on
the east end Of st. Lawrence Island.
The captain asked to be reported as
"all WE'LL
If the river steamer James Eva is
lost the passengers who left here on
the Dirigo will be in a bad box. 1t
will be remembered that when the
steamer City of Dawson. which was to
have been towed up by the Dirigo,
was attached, arrangements were
made whereby the James Eva was to
take the gold hunters up the river from
st. Michael. In the event Of the
steamers loss the miners will have to
get UP the Yukon the best way they