The San Francisco call., 1898-01-07

sea wall the grain shed caught fire, but a few buckets of water put the blaze out At the Tiburon ferry all the company's Sunset wires were burnt out and Oakland was only reached thereafter by way of San Jose. The pole on which the wires rested caught fire and also the ferry waiting room. A still alarm was turned in and the danger of a blaze was soon over. Double forces of men are at work re- pairing the damage and everything will be in good order again this morn ing.
 The electric light people are of the opinion that some person on mischief bent caused all the trouble. The arc light on Washington street wharf is lowered and raised by means of a rope and pulleys. When the cleaner fln- ishes his morning work on the lamp he hauls it into position and fastens it securely. Some one must have loos- ened the rope and let the lamp down with a run. The wharf was crowded with teams at the time and the falling lamp nearly caused a stampede among the horses.
 The Harbor Commissioners held a short session yesterday and paid the Risdon Iron Works the balance of its contract price for the iron work on the new ferry depot. The check was for s25, ,950. and is the second largest ever drawn by the commission.
 The sanitary reduction works will be awarded a wharf at which it can dump garbage into scows as soon as the Board of Health mas passed upon the matter, and not until then. Presi- dent Colnon gave that out as the final decision of the Board yesterday. It, therefore, looks as though the sani- tary reduction works will have to ob- tain some other water front facilities than those controlled by the board, as the managers of the concern stated positively at the last meeting of the commission that they would under no consideration appear before the Board of Health and ask for a permit.
 The work of putting ferry slip in repair is to be rushed in order to have it in readiness for the rush to the races at Oakland, which begin next Monday President Colnon will see to 1t that extra men are put to work on the job, and that everything will be in readiness for an extra boat on Mon- day.
 Boys anxious to join the navy as ap- prentices pour into the rendezvous on California street in dozens daily. Fully fifty boys present themselves daily for examination, but out of that number only about three out of every ten are accepted, the others failing to pass the physical test. The trip around the world in the Mohican has turned near ly every boy in the State into would be sailor, and all are more than anx- ious to take a four years course in seamanship Tommy Reynolds, who lives on Natoma street, Is one of the boys who will not take mo" for an an swer Tommy lacks an inch and a quarter of the necessary height, and every day he goes to the rendezvous and measures himself to see how much he has grown. The officers in charge of the enlisting of the boys have taken a great liking to the lad. and if 1t can be managed in any way Tommy" will be aboard when the Mohican sails The following officers have been assigned to the training ship: G. M. Brock, commander; Lieutenant J. D. McDon- aid, Lieutenants H, M. Dombaugh, M. l.. Wood and T. Porter, and Ensigns H. Laning, G. F. Gelm and c. J. Lang. now on the receiving ship Independ- ence at Mare island.
 The Pacific Mall Company's steamer China sailed for the Orient yesterday with only six passengers, but a full cargo, c. H. Brickwedel Jr., the purser of the steamer, is on the sick list and did not go out this voyage. His place was taken by c. M. Wilbur.