The San Francisco call., 1898-05-01
DELAYED BY HEAVY WEATHER Steamer Gaelic Caught in a Severe North
 wester.
Henry J. Barker, the Vessels Butcher, Committed Suicide
 at Sea.
A. Bottle of Iodoforr1l ontlle Governor Perkins Almost Created
 Riot.


 The steamer Gaelic, which arrived from Hongkong yesterday, via Yoko-. hama and Honolulu, had q hard time off the coast. She was expected last Thursday, and would have made port had it net been for the nor'wester she ran into Friday night the sea was still running. mountains high, and the cap tain would not venture oyer the bar in consequence When the big steamer did get in it was so rough on the bay that the conrpanys tug could not lie alongside to transfer the Chinese, and in consequence the. vessel had to go to the quarantine station: '.
 The. Gaelic brought over 651 Chinese, and of this number 450 are for the: Omaha Exposition. They have an enor- nous amount of baggage with them and it took long time to get them ashore Once the MongGlians were landed op the island the steamer went to the Mail deck and landed her cabin passengers. .-.. ...:: :. When a day out from Hongkong H. J. Barker, butcher on the Gaelic, conn mitted suicide He had been despond-. ent from the time the steamer left San Francisco, and several times threat ened to Kill himself; Eventually he put a bullet through his brain. He was: | buried at sea.
 A bottle of iodoform caused every ship in the bay to give the quarantine r launch Governor Perkins a wide berth yesterday. The bottle was originally in the.pocket of Dr. Diggins, who went out With Assistant Quarantine Officer Hill on the steamer to the Gaelic. The | Perkins rolled and pitched in the heavy. sea like a cork and during one of her plunges the bottle fell out of the doctors pocket and broke. Dr. Hill made his escape out of:the cabin in a. hurry: The odor soon made it's way into: the engine room, and nearly caused Engineer J. D. Sullivan to faint.
 He craWled: On deck and calling Mate J0hns lGately, said: "For Gods sake, Johnj go: into the cabin and see who's dead" liately couldn't get any further than:the cabin door, One Whiff was eCungh for him, and he at, once report ed to Captain Milestone. By this time the; perfume had reached the pilot house, and Dr.: Hill, without a word, went out on deck and took his chances of getting. a ducking. Wi ile he was addressing a few remarks to the angry waves he was joined by Captain Mile I.stone, who had been relieved in the pi- | lot house by Gately. A council of war: was held and the quarantine officer finally volunteered to go: aft and gather up the odorifer olls stuff By this time the Mail Com panys tug Millen Griffith, the reyenue cutter Golden Gate and the Pe-kins were all nearing the Gaelic in a bunch. The windows and doors of the Perkins were wide open and as she got to i windward of the Golden Gate Deputy Surveyor St. John got a breath of the perfume and nearly tainted. The cap- tain of the cutter also smelt it and at once gave a slow bell.
 r.. The: Perkins passed on and the Mill len Griffith was the next to Succumb ! As soon as the captain got a whiff of the iodoform he murmured "Oh, Lord" and at once sheered away from the Perkins as though she was plague ship.
 The. Perkins: had been only few minutes alongside the Gaelic when the purser put his head over the rail and said: ."Compliments of the Chinese pas sengers, Captain Milestone, and they say the perfume from your vessel does not blend we'll with the odors of Cathay in the forward quarters, and will. you please move away-well, say a mile: Or so? No, thank you. We'll needn't trouble: to come back. We'll send Dr. Hill ashore in another boat" | In the meantime the innocent cause of all the trouble was suffering from a severe attack of ;mal=de-mer and didn't care whether the air was laden with iodoform fumes or anything else. He was got ashore and the cabin fumigat- ed. and now peace once more feignS on the Governor Perkins. The: Pacific Coast Steamship .Com- panys new steamer Senator. was to have had her trial trip yesterday, but
 
 day night 1t had to be postponed. Many of the. inYited. guests gathered al |: Broadway wharf only. 10 learn that there was to be no excursion. - The repairs: and alterations 10 the barkentine Catherine Sudden. are now completed, and she will be thrown open to visitors to-day. All the passengers who are going in her to Kotebue Sound will be down during the day and will hold a reception to their friends on board
 The. overdue British bark Midas, whose long voyage from Japan to As- toria was commented upon in this col uInn some time ago, is now being rein sured at the rate of 15 per cent. She left Nagasaki about the same: time as the Willseott. which put in here ,iis- mantled.
 The big tramp collier Titania is on the drydock at Esquimalt, B. C.. for re- pairs. On her way: from here to Ma naimo, B. C., she sprang a leak and the steam pumps had to be. kept going all the way up the coast, An examination showed that several of her plates were sprung and numerous rivets had drop ped out of her bottom.
 The old Glory of the Seas will require more repairing than was at first sup posed. A new mast was to be put in, but when the old one was removed 1t was found to have worked six. inches into the keelson. The latter will have to be replaced before the new mast car be put in.