The San Francisco call., 1898-03-10
Biodest Fleet of the Year Passes Through the
 Golden Gate.
Fnu Particulars of the Found ering of the British Ship
 Alacane.
Narrow Escape From Destruction by Fire Of the Australian Steamer
 MonOwaL

big fleet of vessels made port yes terday Counting those that passed Point Reyes bound for San Francisco with those that passed through the Golden Gate over half a hundred crafts were reported at the Merchants Ex- change. Among them were twenty five or thirty coasting vessels that have been making long voyages, five ships, five barks and nine steamers. They came from all parts of the world; the steamer Moana from Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Hawaii; the Zeal andia from Hawaii, the Curacoa from Baltimore, the battle-ship Oregon from Puget Sound, the ship Manydown from Newcastle, England. and several col Hers from British Columbia. Almost every coast port was represented and every rig from the line of battle-ship to a fishing boat could have been seen at once in the entrance to the bay.
 The Pacific Coast Steamship Com pany's new steamer Curacoa made a long passage from Baltimore of sixty seven days. It was the fault of the boilers. The second day out one of the furnaces gave out, and one of the boil CTS was thus rendered useless. The vessel was compelled to come along at greatly reduced speed. The voyage was an uneventful one.
 The Oceanic Steamship Company g Moana got in a day ahead of time. According to the new schedule she was due yesterday, but as she left Sydney before it went into effect no one looked for the steamer until to-day. Captain Carey received instructions at. Auck- land, N. E., however, to hurry his ship, and consequently got her in yesterday morning.
 Whether she will go on the Mexican run. replacing the Orizaba. or be :. placed in the KlOndike trade has not yet been decided. If she goes to Mex leo the Orizaba will be put on the southern route and the new steamer Senator will go into the klondlke trade. The latter has been built for the Mexican trade, however, and may still go into it and in that event the Curacoa will be fitted out for Klon- dike travel.
 During the voyage from San Fran cisco to Sydney the crew of the Moana gave an exhibition drill, from which the men on the ferry boats here could take an example. When the steamer was between Apia and Auckland the cry of man overheard" was raised. Alfred Robinson. one of the sailors, while setting the Staysail was knock ed into the water. Tie vessel was at once stopped and a boat lowered Rob- inson, who was splendid swimmer, kept himself afoat without any dith- culty until he was picked up by the boat From the time he fell overheard until he was back on the steamers deck was exactly fifteen minutes, which, considering the speed at which the AIoana was going at the time, was a Wonderful performance.
 The MOaOa brought LID about eighty miners from Australia. After outfit ting here they will proceed to the gold fields Many of them have not the slightest idea of the hardships they will have to endure or of the difficult ties to be surmounted before the Klon- dfke is reached. All have the fever and they know no danger, except the dan ger of not getting what they are going to Dawson City to seek. When the steamer left Sydney a hurricane was raging, and several vessels had drag ged their anchors and several houses were damaged The brig Amy, which coaled the Moana before she started for San Francisco, was lost at sea- After delivering her cargo of coal to the steamer she sailed for Newcastle, but when sixty miles from Sydney harbor she went down with all hands
 The steamer Monowai which ran fol long time on the trip which the Mo- ana now takes had a narrow escape while on her way from Melbourne tc New Zealand. The cargo in the for ward hold caught fire and thirteen feet If water had to be pumped into it be- fore the danger was past. The bulk heads kept the fire from spreading anC also retained the water poured into the compartment so that the cargo in that particular hold was the only portion damaged. The captain and the first of ffcer were presented with a testimonial and a purse of sovereigns by the pas sengers as a token of their appreciation of the manner in which they had handled the ship during that trying time.
 The particulars of the loss of the