The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-20
Narrow Escape of the
Clan MacfarIane.
MORE LUMBER RATS COMING
TWO OF THEM NOW ON THEIR
WAY FROM ASTORIA.
Second Mate Olsen OF the Schooner
Albert Meyer Badly Beaten
in Whitehall Race by
J. Barrie.

Captain Lowell came in from the light
ship yesterday and told Of the narrow es-
cape of the British ship Clan Macfarlane.
The vessel left here with load Of wheat
for Europe. She was lowed outside and
when a good southeast breeze was en-
countered the tug let go and all sail
was set In a little while the wind fell
light, and then the big Britisher began
to drift. She passed the station buoy,
which has been placed there to guide the
lightship back to her mornings should
stress of weather force her to sea. and
bore steadily down on Captain Lowell s
vessel. All was excitement on the light
ship. The Clan Macfarlane was less than
700 feet away and collision seemed i'm
minent. The lightship was steamed up
to her moorings, and just as everything
was ready for a hasty departure a cur
rent caught the ship and turned her
around. For two hours she continued to
drift back through the Golden Gate, and
then breeze sprang up from the west
ward which carried the ship and her
valuable cargo out to sea.
Captain Lowell says there must be a
fleet of vessels kept outside by the fog.
Night and day they can hear on board
the iightship the ringing of bells and the
fog lies low on the water and then, here
and there, can be seen the skysails of diff
ferent vessels sharply defined against the
sky but not a sign of the lower yards
and hull. On other occasions the lines
of the hull can be seen and not q trace
Of the spars, while yet again neither hull
nor spars can be deserted, and yet the
conversation carried on by the crews of
the different vessels can be distinctly
heard. Captain Lowell says that the ex-
perience of hearing voices coming from
apparently nowhere is a weird one. and
the men do not like it.
In spite of the disaster that has over.
taken previous RATS, two more Of the
structures are now on their way to San
Francisco. The tug Relief and collier Pro
gress are towing one down from Astoria
containing 100000 feet of lumber in piles,
while the Rescue and Monarch are
bringing down from the same place 4,5O0, :
Of sawn timbers that have gone to pieces,
and this one has been strengthened fore
and aft by two and a half inch steel ca
bles to prevent it breaking in two.
People living in the coast towns are
very thankful to the raft owners. Round
about Point Reyes the Branchers have
been enriched by about 10000 feet Of lum-
Der which has come ashore there. Many
flotsam and jetsam, while old ones have
been repaired. At Moss Landing nearly
another 100000 feet have drifted ashore
been remembered. The people from Coos
Bay to San Pedro have great hopes from
the two RATS now on the way, but they
The steamer Czarina finished discharg-
ing coal yesterday and went to Howard
No. 2 to load general merchandise for
Seattle and Tacoma. She was to have
500 tons of freight waiting for her she
did not get away until this morning.
Owing to the fog outside and on the bay
an exaspesrating mistake AXE was Ha, made yes
was coming in from Nanaimo, B. c., and
the lookout from Point Lobos mistook
her for the Mail steamer Australia from
Honolulu. The customs officers and the
quarantine doctors went out to meet the
incoming vessel and crowd of people
gathered on Paciac-street wharf to well
come their friends when the steamer
locked. In about half an hour. or when
the vessel was nearly up to Meiggs
wharf, the mistake vas va discovered and
natural one, as nothing but the loom of
the vessel could be seen through the fog.
Charles j. Webster, who for nineteen
the Government steamer Mcdowell in a
manner that has made him host of
friends, has been slated for the position
of forage master" to, the United States
troops at Honolulu and will leave for the
Paradise of the Pacific on the next
Second Mate Olsen of the schooner Al
bert Meyer does not think as much of
his abilities as a rover as. he did last
Sunday. Yesterday he issued a challenge
to all mariners to row race to his yes
SCI, WHICH Is lying OlSOIu street, ana
back. Jim Barrie took up the challenge
and the two men started in Whitehalls
from Peterson's boathouse. Olsen for
got about the ebb. tide and never looked
up until he thought he was nearing the
schooner. Then he discovered that the
current had carried him down to. Clay
found Barrie waiting for, him on the
something about the bay. of San Fran
cisco before he rows another race
10 VII f mo hos ~
sausalito to be overhauled and painted.
She had narrow escape last Saturday
While working her way In through the
fog an outgoing vessel nearly ran her
rigging was carried away; but she was
vessel that caused the trouble could not
be ascertained.
The italian bark Mario, from New
castle, N. S. w, late the British bark
Carleton and the British ship GarsdaIe
from Antwerp made their way into port
through the fog yesterday.
II dreams are Of no earthly use they
at least don't bother man when he's
busy.