The San Francisco call., 1898-06-27
MAIL FROM THE
 SOLDIER BOYS The Bennington in Port From Honolulu.
WAS TEN DAYS COMING UP
DELAYED BY HEAD WINDS AND
 A FOUL BOTTOM.
A Fleet of Whitehall Boats Now Be ing Got Ready for the Big Race in the Fourth of
 July Regatta.

The gunboat Bennington arrived from Honolulu yesterday, having taken ten days to make the run. She has been a long time off the drydock and in conse- Quence grass and barnacles have grown on her bottom and they retarded her speed. Then for three days she was plunging into a heavy head sea, so that all things considered, the warship made good time. With her bottom cleaned and painted the Bennington could easily cover the same distance in six days.
 Owing to the Peru being long overdue at Honolulu the Hawaiian Government asked Captain Nichols to bring up the mail that was intended for that steamer. In consequence the Bennington brought up thirty-three bags of matter, which made the largest individual mail ever sent out Of Honolulu. In 1t were letters and papers from every soldier on the transports City of Picking, City of Syd- ney and Australia, besides the general Hawaiian mail. As things have turned out both the Peru and COptic got in ahead of the gunboat, but still the letters have arrived in time for all practical pur- poses.
 The officers of the Bennington are: Captain, Fl. E. Nichols; executive officer, Lieutenant Commander C. k. Curtis, navigating officer, Lieutenant H. J. Mayo; heutenants, H. G. Winterhalter and c. P Eaton; ensigns, R. C. Bulmer.
 
 Assistant Surgeon E. P. Stone chief en- gineer, J. $. Ogden; assistant paymaster, Barron P. du Bois; pay clerk, w. D. Bol-
 Captain Nichols is well known in San Francisco, and pleased as he Is to get back here, he will be far better pleased when his ship has been on the drydock and overhauled and he is on his way to join Admiral Dewey at Manila
 It is expected that many of the Ben nington's crew will be drafted to the Philadelphia to fill vacancies in that yes sel. This would give the latter cruiser a full complement at once and would en- able her to get away with the transports. Then when the Bennington is ready for sea a sufficient number of men would have enlisted to fill all the vacancies caused by the sending of her men to the Philadelphia. The Bennington will prob ably go to Mare Island to-day.
 The Fourth of July regatta has made a Whitehall in the bay was being over hauled yesterday. All the cracks boats have been entered for the races and a number of new boats will also try their sailing qualities. The course will be from Meiggs wharf around Blossom Rock, back to a point off Meiggs wharf thence and back to the starting point. The en- tries are:
 R. J. Tobin, sailed by NJ Behan; M A. zies, sailed by D. Crowley Jr; M J. s shotWel well xaiIed by M Fitzgerald; Senator Fair. sailed Lyons; Bacillus, sailed by H. Johnson; Chief Lees, sailed by D. Crowley Jr; Lieutenant Hobson Qate Governor Budd), sailed by T. Crowley; Admiral Dewey. sailed by W Hen derson; Fearless. sailed by H. Peterson and Big Tom sailed by J. Barry.
 The tug Wizard with the British bark Penrhyn Castle in tow is making good time up the coast. She left here on the 24th inst. at D. m. for Astoria and the next day at D. m. she and her tug were spoken off Whitesboro by the steamer Point Arena. The Penrhyn Castle has to be at Portland before the 3Oth inst. in order to save her charter.
 The British ship Langdale arrived from Newcastle, N. s. w., yesterday after a lengthy passage of ninety-four days. Captain Hunter says that nothing but light winds and calms were experienced throughout and that the voyage was a most monotOnous one.