The San Francisco call., 1898-01-29
NEW FEATURE
 IN YACHTING Races Are to Be 1ntrO- duced for Gasoline
 Launches.
The Race for the Union Gas Engine Cup to Be a
 Yearly Event.
Another Batch of Fortune Hunters Left for the Gold Fields on
 the Columbia.

A new feature is to be added to yachting next season in the shape of a series of races for gasoline launches A trophy to be known as the Union Gas Engine cup it is said, will be pre- sented to a committee which will ar range for a series of contests to be held yearly. The launch winning the cup three times will become it's owner.
 The boats that will take part in this seasons contest will be: G. w. Me Near's, Port Costa; J. Kitterman's, America; F. Moffitt's, Augusta; Dr. Buckley's, Satellite, and pr. McKen- zie's Alberta. The Satellite and the Alberta are a little smaller than the others and will have a time allowance, but the Port Costa, America and Au- gusta all have each fifty horsepower engines and are about evenly matched. The Port Costa is so far an unknown quantity. as she will not be ready for her trial trip until some time next month. Quite number of wagers have already been made, however, that she will beat both the America and the Augusta when they meet.
 Gasoline launches are getting into general use all over the world and the American make has the preference over both those of England and Ger many. In fact, the San Francisco machine has driven the English and German article out of the Japanese market. The Coptic will take away six engines for boats that have been built to run on the Japanese canals. The Walla Walla will take away two for Captain Wooden of Puget Sound. They will be put in launches at Seat tle and will be used in connection with the bark TheObold in the Dyea and Skaguay trade. TWO 100-horSe- power engines will go away on the next Australian steamer for the New Zea- land Frozen Meat and Storage Com pany. On their arrival at Auckland they will be placed in schooners and the vessels will then be used to carry carcasses from the various yards to the freezing works. A machinist from the Union Gas Company will go with the machinery to put it together and give the engineers in Auckland few les sons on the running of the engines.
 Captain Henderson, formerly master of the fOur-maSted schooner Golden Shore, has purchased a British ship that is now on her way from England to santa Rosalia, From the latter port she will come to San Francisco, where Captain Henderson will assume command and put her in the Austra- lan trade.
 Horatio Tower, mate of the whaling bark John and Winthrop, has changed his mind about going to Point Barrow in search of whales this year, and will go to the Kotzebue Sound instead. Eight years ago, when he was mate of the schooner Mary and Susan, he secured quite number of quartz spec linens from the natives for a plug of tobacco. These he presented to his wife and ever since she has kept them as a curiosity. KotZebue Sound as a mining district had not been heard ot when Mate Tower shipped on the John and Winthrop. Since then, however the expedition by the bark Alaska has come to the fore and Tower bethought him of his specimens. He had then assayed and as they go S20,000 to the ton he will forsake whaling and go t. the sound in search of the ledge from which the specimens came.
 The steamer Columbia sailed fol Portland yesterday, where she will neau, Dyea and Skaguay. The fol- lowing passengers bound for the kIon- dike went out on the vessel:
 R. Murphy and wife, A. Brokaw, Don Grande. For Dyea-J. M Rogers, l. Al len, M. Pamgren, G. England. G. Sheriff q. Gilovich Mrs. Banths, D. S. Mckinley R. Hogeboom, J. Barnes, c. Johnston, w Zimmerman w. A. VanZee, c. B. Os- borne, J. Johnson, C. Swanberg, T. II Johnson, ". Clark. D. F. Grant, A McMurray, E. Jordan For Skaguay- ty, F: Baulty, M. Silva, W. Lively, E Shevlin, F. Finnegan, NJ. Dernsife J George, A. N. McPeck, Mrs. D. J. Brady F. Kosta, A. Peters.