The San Francisco call., 1898-02-09
SOUTHERLY WIND HELD
 THEM BACK Overdue Sailing V Ves- sels and Steamers
 Arrive. A Gale From the Cold Regions Sent Them
 Into Port. Ten Steam CTS for the Klondika Trade Coming Here From
 the East. THE WATERFRONT NEWS. Owing to the Scarcity of Vessels Lumber Freights Have Taken
 Big Jump.
Ten Steam CTS for the Klondike Trade Coming Here From
 the East.
THE WATERFRONT NEWS
Owing to the Scarcity of Vessels Lumber Freights Have Taken
 a Big Jump.

The wind chopped around to the northwest yesterday and blew fourteen miles an hour at Point Reyes. In con- sequence steamers and sailing vessels that have been bucking heave souther- ly weather for the last week managed to reach port at last. The steamers North Fork and Jennie had a terrible time of 1t, and their passengers, on sev- eral occasions, gave up hope. The big collier Burma was away behind time. and the ship Santa Clara and schooner Marion report a succession of storms lasting from Cape FIattery to San Francisco.
 The North Fork left Eureka last Sun day at 10 a. m and did not reach port until yesterday morning. The big seas swept her from stem to stern, and dur ing the entire trip the passengers were confined to their staterooms. Off Cape Mendocino she was hove to- and in spite of everything she drifted back about thirty miles. Yesterday she ran into a lot of wreckage and Captain Bash thinks that some coaster has lost her deckload of railroad ties.
 The Jennie was four days getting here from Coquille River, and the Bur ma took five days ten hours to come down from Nanaimo, B. C. The Presi- dent left Yaquina Bay last Friday, and under ordinary circumstances she ought to have got in Sunday afternoon. But the head winds and heavy seas were too much for the stout vessel, and several times Captain Nelson had to heaye her to until the squalls were over. The schooner Marion was nine teen days coming from Everett, and the ship Santa Clara, fifteen days from De- parture Bay. In reality the sailing yes sels made both better time and better weather of it than the steamers. The captain of the President reports that the red buoy on Channel rock in Va Quina Bay has been washed away.
 Ten big steamers for the Klondike trade are now on their way here from the East, and two more from Liverpool, England. The latest addition to the Eastern contingent are the Conemaugh, Ohio and Illinois. All three are load ing for this port and are consigned to Williams, Dimond & Go and James F. Chapman & Co. The Conemaugh will get away about March l from New York, and the Ohio and Illinois from Philadelphia about the same date. On arrival here they will go into the Klon- dike trade, probably under the John son-Locke Company's flag.
 Other steamers from New York are: Morgan City built in 1876; Brixham, built in 1885; South Portland, built in 1883: New Orleans, built in 1872; City of Columbia, built in 1880. and State of Texas built in 1873 From Baltimore comes the Valencia. built in 1882, and the Curacoa. built in 1895.
 The steam collier Czarina is to be used as a freight boat between here and Dyea. Yesterday cattle pens were built on her deck, and she will be hur- ried north as quickly as possible to re- lieve the glut in the Pacific Coast Steamship Company's business on Pu- get Sound.
 The bark Oakland was sold at auc- tion yesterday for s1650 to the Portland Alaska Trading Company. She is at present waterlogged at Port Hadlock.
 During this month the river steamer Sunol will run excursions to Vallejo and Mare Island every Sunday. Quite a number of visitors to the Mining Fair in the city will take advantage of the opportunity next Sunday to visit the navy yard
 Owing to the scarcity of vessels rates on lumber took a jump yesterday. Owners of vessels are now asking 75 cents a thousand feet, whereas a few days ago the ruling figure was 50 cents from Eureka points, while from Puget Sound the raise is $1 per thousand.
 The sale of the bark Star of Italy has not yet been consummated. She will have to be docked and thoroughly ex- amined before J. J. Moore & Co. will accept her. The inspection will take place at Hunters Point next Friday.
 The schooner General Banning, now in Oakland Creek, is being trans formed from centerboard to keel boat. When the alterations are com pleted she will be put in the Mexican trade.
 The bark Alaska for Kotzebue Sound has not a spare berth left, and the Northern Light, which is to follow her is now almost full.
 Captain Wainwright of the British ship Spoke is playing in hard iuck He arrived here November IS, and at that time his vessel could have been chartered at 40s a ton to load wheat The owners held out for 45s, but freights never reached that figure. h.