The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06
Steam Schooners Being Turned Into Passenger
 Vessels.
The Dirigo, Fulton and Samoa to Carry Gold Miners and
 Not Lumber.
Stormy Passage of the Ship Canabus- kenneth From Australia to San
 Francisco.

All the new. steam schoouers that were built especially for the lumber coasting trade are now being trans formed in passenger steamers. The Dirigo, which was intended for the Grays Harbor lumber trade, is now being built up to accommodate 200 first class passengers and 800 in the steer age. She is somewhat larger vessel than the well known Humboldt, being 1S5 feet long, 35 feet broad and 14 feet deep. She was built by P. Matthews of Grays Harhor, and her machinery is being put in by the Fulton Iron Works. She has very fine lines and should cas- fly prove herself to be a 14-knot boat. The steam schooner Samoa, which was launched from the Fulton Iron Works yesterday, will also go on the Dyea- -Skaguay route. She was intend ed for the Humboldt Bay lumber trade, and was named after the Samoa mills, owned by J. R. Hanify & Co.,, but her owners think that there will be more money in the passenger trade this spring than in the lumber business.
 The steam schooner Fulton, built at Eureka for the lumber trade, ~ is also to be used in the
 
 have her machinery put in and her deck houses built up in order to get into the passenger trade before the month is out.
 The South Coast, which is also in- tended for the Klondike trade, has had new boilers put in and her forecaStle raised. Her repairs will be completed the latter part of this week, and she will get away on her first trip about tomorrow week.
 The river steamer H. c. Grady is also being got ready in Oakland Creek for @ service on the Yukon River. Some time last year she was brought down here from Portland and put in the fruit trade between Oakland and Sacramento River points. She did not pay expenses and was finally sold by the United States Marshal for the amount of her debts. She was purchased by some Oakland parties, and now they have sold her to the Alaska Venture Asso- citation, who will fit her out and have her lowed to St. Michael.
 The old tug Mary Ann, which was brought here from Eureka and con- demned, is again to be put in cOmmis- sion. Some time ago her engines were taken out and the hull put on the mud flats in Oakland Creek. Now, however, she is to be overhauled and rigged as a schooner, passenger accommodations put in, and she will carry passengers to the Klondike.
 It was reported yesterday that the -s A1aSka-YukOn Transportation Com pany had sold it's river steamers to the Liebes Company. This is emphatically denied by President Barling of the Alaska Yukon Company, who says that the river steamers will run on the Yu- kon next spring under their flag, and theirs only.
 Captin B. Coogan, who has the barks Alaska and Northern Light on the route for KotZebue Sound, is very in- d1gnant over the fact that certain ticket agents in the city are claiming to be agents for his vessels In another column Captain Cogan states that every ticket by the Alaska has been sold and that no one but himself has any right to sell accommodations on the Northern Light
 The ship Tacoma, from New York for the Sound, and the Reefer, from Philadelphia for San Francisco, have both been sold to the Alaska Packers Association. This purchase has been made necessary by the fact that nearly every vessel on the coast has been either purchased or chartered to carry passengers and freight to Dyea.
 The British ship Cambuskenneth which lost her charter owing to a long voyage she made from Australia, had a very hard time of it during the trin on November 2 a furious squall from the westward threw her on her beam ends. The wind was accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning and for two hours the crew thought they were Tn. Dante's Inferno instead of on board British ship. Before sail could be got on her the mainsaiI and the inner ana outer jib were blown away and other damage was done After thai there was spell of fine weather and Tor the remainder of the voyage there was nothing but a succession of strong northerly winds and gales
 The steamer Umatilla sailed for pu- get sound ports yesterday. Fifty-eight eo,u eorI hunters Inter, were among her passen- gers. They will connect with inc steamer Al-Ki at Seattle and vii, nre o,.e ceed by her to Dyea and skaepay av