The San Francisco call., 1898-08-11
Captains Say Sea Wed-
 dings Are Legal.
TAKE ISSUE WITH THE COURT
MANY COUPLES MARRIED OFF
 THIS PORT.
Sailing of the British Bark West York Delayed Because Her Deck Load Made Her
 Unseaworthy.

Captains of coasting steamers and mas ters of tugs take issue with the Supreme Court of California on the question Of marriages lon the high seas" They as- sert that the shipping laws of the United States make 1t compulsory for the mas ter of a vessel to make an entry" in the ships log of "all marriages and deaths" that occur during the voyage. A mas ter's certificate of death is accepted, and why, then, should not marriage certlh- cate be also accepted?
 Again, the ceremony, in nearly every case, of marrying a couple is performed three marine leagues from the shore, and, therefore, outside the Jurisdiction of the United States" argued an old salt, who has tied many true lovers knot in his time If a passenger or a sailor dies within three marine leagues of port, continued he, ''the body is brought ashore and the Quarantine Officer passes upon the case. The only way in which 1 can see that Uncle Sam has anything to do with the case is that the marriage takes place under the Stars and Stripes, and that, of course, gives the Federal authori- ties power to act, but l don't see what the State courts have to do with it. as the marriage took place outside the State"
 A great many well-known San Fran cisco shippers have performed the mar riage ceremony lon the high seas, and the decision of the Supreme Court was read with great interest by them. Cap is given the rank of Archbishop" by the chaplains of the fleet. Nearly all his marriages have been performed during his steamers run from San Francisco to San Diego and vice versa. Archbishop AleXander's proud boast Is that ninety nine per cent of marriages performed by him have turned out happy ones.
 Next to Captain Alexander comes Cap tai in nf the Onpan who ranks Bishop of Southern California Captain Dan Haskell, now a pilot, but late of the tug Fearless, who ranks as Bishop ot Northern California. and Dan James of the tug Ida w, who ranks as Arch deacon" Captain Hall, late Of the steamer Corona, but now master of the marrying line when he was on the south ern route, but since he has been pilOting vessels to Dyea. Skaguay and St. Michael he has very few loyesick couples on his hands
 The foregoing masters take precedence owing to the number of marriages per formed by them and duly recorded in the ships log but the following "Chaplains oI the fleet run them close. Captain Glenn Randall, who succeeded Captain Haskell as master of the Fearless, and who is now a pilot in the Alaskan waters, Captain Ike Smith, master Of the tug Sea Queen; Captain Dan" Thompson of the Rescue, Captain George Harvey of the Liberty, Captain "Cil BrOkau of the Re
 
 Captain Henry Peterson of the Amy. and Captain Titchworth of the Annie Besides Inese number of marriages were per formed on the gasoline launches Kettle B and Belyedere, but these boats also went beyond the three marine league limit be- fore their masters performed the marriage ceremony.
 IL is safe to say that during the last five years over five hundred of these tug boat marriages have taken place on the high seas, and the chaplains of the fleet think 1t is very hard lines for the Supreme Court to come in at this late day and say the whole thing was worse than a farce.
 The steamer San Juan arrived from Panama and way ports yesterday. The officers knew very little about the war in Guatemala. In fact they would not have known that a revolution was in progress had it not been for the fact that 325 sol diers took passage on the steamer at San Jose de Guatemala for Champerico. The Albatross is being got ready as quickly as possible to go to the seat of war. Gangs of men were at work all yesterday and last night coaling and provisioning the warship, and she is expected to get away to-day for Guatemala. The crew are all glad to go and hope to see some fighting even if 1t is only an annual revolution.
 The British bark West York was loaded and ready to sail for Sydney, N. s. w. yesterday when the surveyors for the un- derwriters stepped in and stopped her The vessel is lumber laden and the surveyors assert that her deckload makes her cran- ky and unseaworthy. In consequence the deckoad will have to be discharged before she can go to sea.