The San Francisco call., 1898-09-16
WILD NIGHT ABOARD THE
 TRAMP CONDOR Ebb Tide and SWells Make Trouble. STEEL HAWSERS SNAPPED LOMBARD STREET WHARF IS
 BADLY DAMAGED. The Chilean Bark Bertha and Ameri- can Bark Lucille Were Nearly
 Wrecked in a Collision
 Off Flattery.

The tramp steamer Condor was in trouble at Lombard street wharf last Wednesday night In consequence the vessels hawsers suffered and a portion of the wharf was wrecked
 The Condor is under charter to the United States Government to carry stores to Manila. The only inclosed wharf where spare berth could be found was at Lombard street, and there the vessel had to go to load. The tides run like a millrace there, and vessels will not use that wharf unless in an emergency.
 About Il D. m. Wednesday a heavy swell rolled in through the Golden Gate and soon the Condor began to feel the effect of it. Then the tide ebbed and that Kept her away from the wharf and gave the steamer more room in which to roll. At times 1t looked as though the big vessel would go clean over, and all hands were called. The strain on the hawsers was terrific, and some of them snapped like pipe stems. A big steel haWser was got out, and it carried away the mooring pile and about twenty feet Of the stringers of the wharf Other mooring piles showed signs of giving, so the captain had the line put clean across the wharf and securely fastened Even then the steamer was in danger and the entire crew was kept on the go all night. The ebb tide would catch her on the keel, while the swell coming in another direction Would throw her over until she was almost on her beam ends. Then she would suddenly right herself With a jump that would strain the haw- sers almost to the breaking point and make the wharf groan.
 The experience was enough for the cap- tain of the Condor, and yesterday he moved his vessel from Lombard street to Howad street wharf, where she will finish her loading About POO tons of coal is to be put on the Condors deck and then she will sail for Manila via Honolulu There is some talk of her talk ing aboard the horses which left here on the ship Tacoma at Honolulu If this is done 1t will be a bad move on the part Of the Government. The Tacoma is splen, dldly htted for carrying the animals, and at this season of the year she will make better time than the Condor to Manila In order to accommodate the horses stalls will have to be built on the steamer. and that will cost money. Of course by send ing the Tacoma home the Government will save in charter money, but will lose heavily in horse flesh, as the accommo- dations for the equines on the Condor cannot be made what they should be.
 The Merchants Exchange has received word of what might have been disas- trous collision. The Chilean bark Ser tha and the American ship Lucille ran into each other off Cape Flattery, but luckily both were able to make the sound. The Bertha sailed from Moodyville for Valparaiso on the 18th inst, and the Lu- cile was on her way from San Fran cisco to Seattle. When ten miles south of Flattery the two vessels crashed to- gether in a fog. The Bertha was cut through her catheads and had her bow spirit carried away. The Lucille lost all her head gear and was cut through ten of her blanks. She was lowed to Seat tie. The Bertha was leaking badly and was taken to Chemanus for repairs.
 The British ship Duchalburn, which ar August n hon Portland or Tacoma to load wheat for Europe. The prospects for charters do not seem to be very bright, and the own CTS of the Glenmark evidently think there is no chance of an improvement They are sending the ship in ballast from Port land to nitrate port on the west coast of South America to load nitrate for Eng land at 30 shillings a ton.
 The United States steamer Mohican, which arrived from Honolulu early We'd nesday night, is to be overhauled at the navy yard and will then proceed to Sa- moa.
 Reinsurance on the bark George F. Manson advanced to 90 per cent yester- day in London. All hope for the vessel has now practically been abandoned.