The San Francisco call., 1898-11-09
CRUISER ETNA
 WILL DOCK
 FOR REPAIRS She Will Go to the
 Navy-Yard. A RECEPTION FOR THE CREW ITALIAN COLONY TO ENTER TAIN OFFICERS AND MEN. Steam Whaler Thrasher Brings News From Kotzebue Sound-The
 Miners Were in Win
 ter Quarters.
A RECEPTION FOR THE CREW
ITALIAN COLONY TO ENTER
 TAIN OFFICERS AND MEN.

The officers and majority of the crew of the Italian cruiser Etna came ashore yesterday to see how an election was conducted in America. They visited the polling booths in the vicinity ot the water front in crowds during the day, and both officers and men commented upon the orderly manner in which things were done The Etna will be in port month or six weeks. During that time the Italian colony will give a grand re- ception and ball in honor of the crew Of the warship, and there will be return functions aboard the Etna. During her stay the cruiser will go on the drydock at Mare Island, but as the date on which she will go to the navyyard has not been fixed no time can be set for the projected festivities.
 There was a great outpouring of the Italian colony during the day, and Peter sons launches were kept busy carrying visitors to the warship. No one was taken aboard in the ships boats, but all the visitors who went out were permitted to board and inspect the cruiser. The officers of the Etna are Captain Giovanni Giorillo; Lieutenant Commander Stanis- lois Lorecchio, executive officer; Lieuten- ant Angelo Frank. navigating officer Lieutenant Gionnelli, D. Loreto, Mouray, Lechi; ensign, Coltelletti Contracano; idShipmen GandolfO, Vice. Perce PofSi De Orentis; chief engineer, Montaldo; as siStant engineers, PaStena, PenZo, Yer zeginetti; surgeon, Caforio; paymaster, Pinetti.
 First Lieutenant John B. Bennett of the Seventh Infantry, aid to General Mer- riam, officially called on the commanding officer of the Italian cruiser Etna yester- day morning for the purpose of formally offering to the vessel and it's officers the courtesies of the harbor and neighboring post on the part Of the department com mander. This visit will be formally 1e- turned by the officers of the vessel to- day. from the Arctic yesterday with 15,0o0 pounds of whalebone. She brought down two of the Kotzebue Sound gold hunters Point Hope in the expectation of catch ing whaler bound for San Francisco. They left the other gold hunters in win ter quarters on October ,. The rivers were not frozen then and it looked as though there would be couple more weeks of open weather. Provisions were plentiful and four houses had been erect ed at the mouth of the Kubuck and three SchoonerS were Wintering there. There was. an Indian village and missionary in the vicinity, so the miners will not be lonesome during the winter. There will be a great amount Of prospecting done during the coIu weather. One miner found some rich quartz, but 1t only float rock, and party was searching for the ledge when the camp broke up.
 on a sandbar, has been Shored up for the winter, and it is expected that she will be got off in the spring without any dam age.
 The returned miners bring word that all letters for Kotzebue Sound should be sent via St. Michael, as a dog team is to be sent to that point at different times during the winter
 The river steamers T. c. Walker and DauntleSS were in collision at Benicia early yesterday morning. The Walker was backing out when she took sheer and bore down on the Dauntless. The latter had three or four of her stanchons and a number of timberS broken. The Walker was, not injured to any extent. steamer St. Paul will sail again on the 17th inst. for Manila. She has been char tered by the Government to take down the surplus freight left behind by the other transports.
 Captain J. E. McCuloch lost his vote yesterday. He was detailed to pilot the to sail early in the day he. thought he could take her out and get back in time to cast his ballet on his way home in the evening. Owing to the non-arrival of freight and one or two other matters 1t was after D. m. before the transport left the wharf, and it was nearly p. m. be- fore McCulloch got back to terra flrma. And that was the way Alameda lost one
 The new ferry steamer Berkeley is not what she was cracked up to be-. Either owing to the fact that her engines are not down to their bearings or from some other cause, she is not nearly so fast as she was expected to be. Then she does not steer any better than the law allows and her twin screws are a sad draWback when it comes to entering and leaving the ferry slips. All these defects are be- ing overcome, but 1t will be some time before the Berkeley is put permanently on the run between San franclSco anu Oakland.
 Lawn Tennis Yesterday. The round robin tournament. men