The San Francisco call., 1898-06-14
TROOPSHIPS READY
 TO PUT TO SEA
WILL MOVE TO MISSION BAY
 TO-DAY.
A Dearth of Steamers Suitable to Tow All the River Boats That Have
 Been Built to the Yukon.

ports China, Colon, Zealandia and Senator will be glad when the sun sets tonight and the vessels are out in the stream. The troops are to be marched to Broad way wharf, where the Senator is lying, Pacific street wharf where the Zealandia is ready to go to sea and the Mail dock where the finishing touches are being put on the China and Colon, during the day and as soon as the men are on board the lines will be cast off and under their own steam the fleet will move down to Mission Bay, where they will anchor until the sailing hour.
 On the China the question of Caucas- ian or Mongolian crew in the engine room is still being agitated. Yesterday several members of the trades unions were Work- ing in the matter trying to get the Gov ernment to send out white coal-passers and fremen in place of the Chinese, but with very little success. Captain Sea bury openly favors the coolies. The last time we experimented with white nre, them came aboard drunk and we had half of them in irons for the first twenty four hours. The Chinese may not be as good workers as the white men, but they are faithful"
 Of the fleet that is to follow the China, Colon, Zealandia and Senator little IS known as to when 1t will get away. The City of Para is on the drydock and after being overhauled will go to the Mail dock to be fitted out for the voyage to Manila The Morgan City went on the California drydock yesterday and as soon as she is overhauled she will go to either Lombard street wharf or section or the sea wall. The Ohio and Indiana will be accom- modated in the neighborhood of the Mor- gan City, The work of getting her ready will be rushed and if all goes well they may be ready to sail about the 4th lnst
 The Government has been making a great mistake in sending these vessels away in bunches," said a well-knoWn shipping man yesterday. The Zealandia could have sailed several days ago and she should have been dispatched at once. There is only one wharf at Honolulu available for the transports to coal at. Now If they go in body each one has to wait on the other, whereas if the Zea- landia had sailed two or three days ago she could have been coaled and out of the way when the China arrived. The next in would probably be the senator Iat ana 1.; as be the only vessel to wait for. By work ing it in that way the troops would reach Manila a week earlier and Uncle Sam would be a great saver on the item of ex-
 The bookmakers and gamblers who daily visit the Sausalito poolrooms were very much disgusted yesterday. In order to get across the bay in good time the bookmakers guaranteed the North Paci- ffc Coast Company $50 day for IF: 30 D. m. boat. This has been running for a few weeks but yesterday the $50 guar antee was not forthcoming, and President Stetson at once ordered the boat taken off The order was issued at n:30 a. m.. and an hour later when the gamblers showed up there was no boat. There was between thirty and forty of them, and the railroad company was called some hard names. Finally the tug Millie was to Sausalito at 50 cents head. The talk ing off of the 12:30 boat will be a big blow at the poolrooms as there is no boat between 11:30 and 1:45 p. m.
 II-,x ,,-l .Nf% hA ovato G+no ship Company has been appointed su- pervising inspector of Government trans ports. He will officially examine the China; Colon. Senator and and Zealandia be-
 The ship Sterling, which left San Fran cisco April 27 for the salmon canneries in Southwestern Alaska, was totally wrecked in Bristol Bay on May 20. The following account of the disaster is from a private letter dated Nushagak, May 23: we were shipwrecked last Friday. The Sterling struck on a bar in Bristol Bay and sank to her second deck. She had fifteen feet of water in her when the captain left her. All hands and the grub and clothes were saved. The Sterling has gone to her grave with 4b0 tons of coal, 57 900 empty cases for the canneries and some machinery aboard. She struck in three fathoms of water and lies in two fathoms at low water. Captain Anderson was not to blame as the charts show from seven to ten fathoms of water where she struck.
 "The vessel had 142 Chinese and seven- teen sailors, besides the captain, first and second mates, carpenter, cook, cabin boy and the writer aboard, and they all got off without any trouble. The ship struck about 5 a. m. Friday. The crew and pas- sengers had nearly 100 miles to go over land to catch the steamer President to continue the trip, and some of the men suffered from the cold. The steamers President and Polar Bear went to the wreck and saved what provisions they COul0 ha ship was breaking up.''
 for the Yukon during the next few weeks. and there will have to be some hard work done to secure proper steamers to tow them. The Rideout went out in tow of the Tillamook, and the tug Rescue took out the James Eva, while tomorrow the Dirigo starts out with the City of Dawson in tow. The latter vessel belongs to the Alaska Transportation Company while the Dirigo is under charter to the California-Alaska Navigation Company. The combination came about through the delay in finishing the transportation com panys steamer Aloha. As soon as she is ready to sail she will tow the California Alaska Company's river steamer Queen of the Yukon to St. Michael
 Information has been received by the Oceanic Steamship Company from the Postoffice Department that the mails for dispatch by the Moana to Australian ports will arrive here at S:45 tomorrow evening, and the steamer will. therefore sail at 10 D. m., instead of D. m.. as heretofore announced.