The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-05
WELL-KNOWN
SHIP CAPTAIN
DISAPPEARS
Last Seen on Oakland
Ferry Boat.
CAPTAIN ANKERS is MISSING
HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM
SINCE LAST FRIDAY.
Sailors Wages Advanced SIS Month.
Ferry Steamer Berkeley Does
More Damage at the
Union Depot.
CAPTAIN ANKERS is MISSING
HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM
SINCE LAST FRIDAY.

vessel arrived here from Honolulu last
Thursday with a load of sugar, and an
chored in the stream. On Friday morning
Captain Ankers was on his way to the
tugboat office to get boat to take the
Vance to Long wharf, Oakland. He
chatted with Sergeant Mahoney of the
Harbor police for a while and then went
to the tug office at the foot of Vallejo
street. The schooner was moved to Oak
land, but the captain did not go in his
vessel. He was not seen again during the
course of the day, but at night was spoken
to on the Oakland ferry-boat by two of
the employees of J. r. Hanify g. Co.,
agents of the Oceania Vance. Captain
Ankers had his dinner on the ferry boat,
and said he was going to his vessel. That
was the last time he is known to have
been seen. His wife and family In Mill
Valley are almost distracted over his dis
appearance, and the agents of the vessel
do not know what to make of it, but fear
the worst.
Captain Ankers was all right when seen
on the ferry steamer by the employees of
Hanify & Co. He did not have much
money on him, but carried a small hand
satchel which Mr.. Hanify thinks might
have given robbers an idea that he had
with him the money to pay the crew.
Long wharf is always crowded with rail-
road cars and is only half pIanked. 1t is
IN consequence a very dangerous place
to navigate, especially at night. The
general supposition is that the captain
made a misstep and fell through the
wharf. striking his head against pile
as he went down. The OCeania Vance
came over from Oakland and locked at
the seaWall yesterday. Captain Murch-
son of the barkentine Uncle John has
taken command of her and will sail her
to Honolulu.
The missing man was one of the best
known masters in San Francisco. He was
brought up in the employ Of the Pacific
Mail steamship Company, and year or
so ago was master of the San Juan in
the Panama trade. During his last voy
age his steamer went ashore, but got off
without any damage There is a rule in
the Mail Company, however, that cap
tain whose vessel meets with an accident
that might have been avoided loses his
position; so Captain Ankers had to seek
another place. He was a splendid naVi-
gator and a thorough seaman. and there
fore had no difficulty in securing a COM
mand. He took the Oceania Vance from
here to Australia with load of lumber.
loaded coal at Newcastle, n. s. w, for
Honolulu, and from the latter port
brought sugar here. He had not received
his pay nor were his accounts with the
agents settled up, but everything has
been since overhauled and found to be
correct TO cent.
Coasting sailors are jubilant Wages I
will be advanced S. a month on the 18th
inst. and that, too, in spite of an attempt
al reduction couple of weeks ago. Coast
GTS lQcIuue the ftaWdlldI sugar meet, Il6
Tahiti vessels and all traders TO the
southern seas, so that over a thousand
sailors will be benefited by tie advance. ,
During the winter months all the sugar
fleet with the exception of the SpreckelS !
and Wiliams-Dimond vessels paid $25 a
month, the exceptions named paying $50
until last month, when the rate was made
$25 all around When the vessels that
made the cut come back they will have
to pay the old rate Commencing with
the 18th inst. all sailors on vessels load /
ing at bar harbors will get $35, on vessels !
loading in roadsteads $40 and on vessels |
for Hawaii and Tahiti $50 per month, |
These rates will apply to steam schooners.
This advance will put from $4,000 to $500 /
a month additional in circulation on the
water front. and all classes of people are
pleased in consequence. The advance was
made at a meeting of the S-Apowners'
Association held last Monday.
The steamer Leelanaw arrived from
Seattle with a load of coal yesterday:
She will discharge at Beale street wharf
and will then be got ready for trip to /
Manila with load of mules: On her ar
rival here from the East the Leelanaw
was built up and placed in the Klondike
trade When the bottom fell out of that
boom she was laid up for time and then
when q chance offered her deck hamper
was removed and she was put In the coal
trade She will now be fitted like the
Conemaugh and will go into the trans |
port business as a mule carrier. The
Leelanaw was formerly the British
steamer Earnwell but she was wrecked !
on the American coast anu dlltl Wal u
purchased and reftted by Americans, who
put her under the stars and stripes. She
is a fine roOmy vessel and well adapted !
for the purpose for which the Government
has chartered her.
The fleet of river steamers that broke
their shafts one after another are nearly /
all in commission again. The Dauntless
and Captain Weber are back on the
Stockton run, the Caroline is again run !
ming to Baden and San Quentin and the
Napa City will go back on the Napa
~.
River run the trst OF next week Ihere
was no opposition on the San Joaquin
while the Dauntess and Captain Weber
were laid up. Captain Leale ran the City
of Dawson in the Caroline's place and the
Grace Barton ran to Napa in place of the
Napa City.
The ferry steamer Berkeley ran amuck
again on the $3.50 a. m. trip yesterday. On
account of the tide she had to enter the
Slip at full speed. She gathered SO much
way that both screws going full speed
astern could not overcome It and she
later the same thing happened, and in
consequence great deal OF damage was
pleted for Wells, Fargo & Co. was moved
eight inches by the conclusion and all
the windows were broken. Braces were
snapped. fender piles broken short off and
damaged TO any great extent and con-
tinued running throughout the. day,
Insurance Company, and Captain c. MI
ner Goodall, representing the Pacific
Coast Steamship Company, left for the
wreck of the City of Topeka Monday
night.
Since the law was passed making 1t
compulsory for masters and mates of yes
sells of 500 tons and over to have a license
all the navigation schools have been busy.
The following graduates of the McNevin
Bros school have been granted licenses
by the United States Inspectors of Hulls
and Boilers
LAS masters and pilots of the bay of
San Francisco-J. Brannan, 1900 tons; |
John p. F. Wohlman, 1000 tons; A Peter. |
SON 1900 tons; X. w. Lindberg. 1000 tons; |
J. 4. Swanson, 1000 tons: H. H Grunner, |
1000 tons: Gustave Peterson, $50 tons;
Hugh Walker. 1900 tons; Otto Olson. 1900 /
tons; Edward Olson, 75e tons; J.. w. Hyva- |
rine $50 tons: j. Bowes, 1900 TONS and !
Andrew Peterson, 750 tons.
LAS chief mates-Martin z. Burgeson |
1000 tons: S. A. Kidston, 2750 tons; O. Pc |
terson, 1900 tons; Robert Jones, 500 tons. |
and George Nelson, 5000 tons.
'As second mates-Ira D. Nordyke, b. |
w. Olson. A. s. Shapley, H. Ravens, earle I
Lothigus and G. w Morgan"
Tom Crowley, the popular boatman /
at Vallejo street wharf, is having a launch I
built for the use of his patrons. This will /
be good news for the British captains /
nearly all of whom employ Tommy" |
The launch will be 81 feet long and feet |
beam, and will be fitted with twenty /