The San Francisco call., 1898-01-01
4 TORPEDO
 BOAT HERE The Virago Arrives in Convoy of the Cruiser
 Leander. Both Are British warships for the Pacific Coast Sta
 ton. 
Called Here on Their Way From England to the Esquinaalt, B. C., -..<
 Navy Yard.

The British cruiser Leander and tor destroyer Virago arrived from England ell route to Esquimalt, B. C., yesterday This is their first visit to this port, and they will be followed in day or two by the cruiser Phaeton and torpedo destroyer Sparrow Hawk, all of which vessels are intended for the enforcement of the British squadron on the Pacific. The Virago is the first vessel. of her class ever seen. in the bay of San Francisco, and every wharf along the front was: crowded with people anxious to get a look at her. The Leander is not modern yes sel, and simply came out as convoy for the Virago. They both left. Ply mouth, Eng, some months ago, and came here via the Straits of Magellan. stopping at a number of ports for coal on the way. Their last stopping place was San Diego, where the Leander took on 400 tons and the Nirago ninety tons of fuel. .:~ .@:
 Captain Fred r. Fegan had consider able trouble in finding an anchorage for the two warships. He first of all steamed slowly up as far as Hunters Point, and then, changing his mind, came slowly back again. Off the fer ries both boats came to a stop for a few minutes while a consultation was held While this was going on the ferry steamers Garden City and Oak land had also come to a stop, and their captains, finding that the Britishers were likely to remain at a standstill for while, they made d circle around the Leander and made their landing in .r- Al way of the Bay City and Encinal. They also had to stop their engines and go astern, but, instead of having to go around the torpedO-destroyer, the 2 latter got out of their way. At one time there were three scoWS, three ferry boats, a collier and the two warships all in bunch, and trouble was mo mentarily expected but none came. Finally the Leander was brought to anchor off JacksOn-street wharf and the Nirago anchored astern of her.
 The Leander is a second-claSs cruiser of 4300 tons, or little larger than the Charleston, but not so modern. She was built in 1886, and is 300 feet long 40 feet beam, 20:6 feet draft, and has room in her bunkers for 1000 tons of coal. Her maximum speed is IS knots and her average nearly r knots She carries ten 6-inch breech-loading rifle guns, six 6-pounders and a number of machine guns. She carries a crew of 321 men all told. Her officers are: Cap tain, Fred F. Fegan; first lieutenant Louis F. Hutchins; navigating officer Lieutenant Danreuther; lieutenants. C. P. Mansel, George J. Todd, Walter c Buxton; chief engineer, Henry Wallis surgeon H. W. Burke; Payinaster,e c B. Dawes.
 The Virago is a0 most peculiar-Iook. ing craft. Forward she has the ap- pearance of a miniature whaleback while aft her row of four smokestakes gives her a most unwarlike appear ance. Her engines are able to develop 5000 horsepower under pressure, and she is said to be able to beat thirty knots an hour. The vessel is 213 feet long, 21 feet inches broad and 10 feet deep. Her displacement is APO tons She moves through the water without ripple and raises no foam before her nor leaves any in her wake. She cuts the water like a knife and apparently without any effort. She carries sixty ~ six men all told. Her officers are: Commander. Baird; lieutenant-com- mander, Castle; chief engineer Pounds, and chief gunner. Weeks. The two vessels will remain in port a few days and will then proceed to British ('oIur1bia