The San Francisco call., 1898-05-31
Steamers Zealandia and
 China SO HOnored.
BOTH WILL CARRY TROOPS
ARRIVAL OF THE FILIBUSTER-
 ING STEAMER LAURADA.
No More Will She Carry Arms and Ammunition to the Cubans, But Gold Hunters to
 St. Michael.

Another twenty-four hours will see tw,
 line ocean steamers added to America
 merchant marine The Oceanic Steam
 ship Companys Zealandia and the Pacif
 Mail Companys China are both to re
 celVe American registry, and when the,
 leave for Manila with troops will fly tn,
 stars and stripes. Both are splendid yes
 sels of their class, the China being t.,
 fastest and best equipped steamer tha
 comes to this port.
 The China and Zealandia were botf built in Glasgow, and for number oi
 years flew the British flag. The Zealandia 1 before being taken off the Australian
 trade, was put under the Hawaiian flag
 ana last year, after considerable trouble the China also obtained a Hawaiian
 registry. The United States Inspectors ] of Hulls and Boilers are now examining 1 the steamers, and as soon as their report
 is made the Hawaiian flag will be hauled
 down and the stars and stripes will be raised over each steamer.
 The China is 4940 tons gross and 2401 | tons net burden, 440 feet 4 inches long, 4S l feet inch broad and g feet 8 inches deep. The Zealandia is 24S9 tons gross and 1I3 tons net burden BIT feet long, g feet l inch broad and IS feet 6 inches deep.
 Both steamers are rigged as four-masted
 parks and carry quite spread of canvas.
 The work of getting the steamers ready
 to carry passengers began yester- day. Both will be ready by the end
 3d or the week, but it will probably be the
 away for the Philippines.
 The officers of the Naval Battalion are
 all working night and day getting ready
 for their examination which Is to take
 satisfied the demands of Uncle Sans
 physicians, but now they have to pre- sent themselves at Mare Island and satisfy the examining board as to their proficiency in navigation and seamanship. Of the rank and file 136 men have been given a years leave of absence by the State, and they will be examined as to their physical qualifications at 10 Cali fornia street to-day. Saturday four of the boys were examined and only one of them came up to the requirements The other candidates will have to do better than that, or else the whole battalion will have to be examined before the men wanted are secured.
 The famous flfbuStering steamer Laur- ada arrived from Philadelphia yesterday Many time Captain Scott and his yes sel evaded the Vigilant watch kept by the spanish gunboatS and landed arms and ammunition on the Cuban coast. Once the vessel was seized by Uncie Sam's off, cers, but as nothing could be proved against the vessel she was released. about over the Baurada was sold to the Boston and Alaska Transportation Com pany and has come out here to carry gold hunters to St. Michael. It took her thirty six days to steam from Philadelphia to Sandy Point, at the entrance to the Straits of Magellan, and from that point the run was made to San Francisco in thirty seven days. It is a long time for a H-knot steamer to take to cover the dis tance, but then Captain Scott was not burning any more coal than the law al- lowed.
 Quite a fleet of sailing vessels made port yesterday. Among them was the bark Sea King from Newcastle, N. S. w. It took her 1O3 days to get here, which is the longest trip this season. The vessel is very foul through having been a long time off the drydock, and besides she en- calms throughout the passage. Other vessels that got in were the bark Albert Is days from Honolulu; the schooners Al len A. 19 days from Kahului and Defi- ance, 19 days from Honolulu; barkentine $. N. Castle, 22 days and bark Martha Davis, 2S days from Honolulu. The Def1- ance is fine new four-masted schooner on her first visit to this port. She was built at Grays Harbor and went from there to Honolulu direct with load of lumber.
 John Oppenheim, the well-known water front clothier, Is back in the city again. With the decay of the whaling industry and the total extinction of the San Fran l cisco sealing fleet, MT. Oppenheim'S busi- | decided to go to Dyea and open a store 1 there. but after months stay in that | part of Alaska he gave up all thoughts of settling in that region. Stores in plenty | were for sale. but he did not want them as. like the whaling and sealing industry, the bottom has fallen out of the Dyea Skaguay boom. MT. Oppenheim has now all his arrangements and he Is going to the valley of the Sacramento, bag and baggage, to open a general store. Every whaleman and sealer in the coun- try knows John Oppenheim, and many sailor when he comes back from a long cruise will be disappointed to find the old place on Clay street closed up.
 The Calfornia- Alaska Transportation ~ompany's steamer Dirigo was to have got away tomorrow for St. Michael, but lwing to non-arrival of party of over a | hundred gold hunters from New London. Wis, who are going up on her, she will lot get away until the latter part of the week. Among those who are going to the yold fields on the Dirfgo are:
 A. ". Beadle. Henry Taussau. Olaf Ander- on. H. K Harrison, Julius Strombe. Herman Ioode, John Stangirk. Gus Johnson, G. B Fry, Abe Greene. Adolph Stromnee. Sam Nor on. E. J Healey. E. E. Oyster. Mrs Grace Porter. Camille Bonnabe. D B. Conness, T. Tidal, NJ. O. Riley. F. D. Upson. H. K Nes- 'er. O. ]. Forge. Mrs. O. l.. August. C. J. White. D. J. Wheeler B. C.. Rhome. J. c. Kir- Y orn Wl Tdb1 stTone Jones M.nnsIS smmens vi,, Wider W. D. Barton. Frank Fronsiala w '. Mason. Harry Mason, William Patterson 1 H. Henderson Mrs J. H. Henderson 'atrick Mccormick, W. s. Toby. Thomas Day. 'homas J. Bau., J. c. Slattery, T V. Rhodes { : c. Reynolds. William Heinzmann A H. lloyd. James A. Condon B. F Camp w c Tuddleston. John T Pate c. NJ Coleman P Wood, H. c. Warwick Herman Cohn. John ,ramer. ". Griffith. I. R. Strom E. Cerf