The San Francisco call., 1899-12-31
OVERDUE SHIPS
ARE REACHING
PORT At LAST
Two of the Belated
Fleet Arrive.
CLlPPERT0N ISLAND EXILES
SEVERAL OF THEM HOME AGAIN
ON THE BESSIE K.

Two of the overdue fleet made port yes
terday and. as predicted in The Call, both
or them had very heavy weather off the
Horn during the month of October. A
succession of north-northwest gales, ac-
companied by heavy cross sea, made II
Impossible Tor the vessels to make any
headway, but nevertheless both ships es-
capped with but slight damage
The Marechal de Turenne and the Ra-
Jore were two of the vessels on which the
underwriters were paying per cent re-
insurance. Neither ship was ever in the
slightest danger and both had uneventful
voyages. except for the heavy weather
on the Horn which every shipmaster ex-
poets. Captain Panniere of the Turenne
was received with open arms by the
french colony on the front. His vessel
made the run from Swansea In 150 days. a
good average passage, while the Nor
mandie Is out loo days, the Invermay los
days, the Emile Galline 176 days and the
General Neumayer 179 days from the same
port. Strange TO say, the Invermay, a
British bark. is the only one of the quar-
tet on which no reinsurance is being Of
fered. She was spoken on August I last
in latitude IA north, longitude rs west, and
is expected TO make port any day now
The RaJore also made good passage OF
l6o days from Newcastle, England. She
beats the Godiva. which sailed the same
day, the Crown Of Denmark. 17S days out,
and the Blackbraes. 210 days out from the
same port, The latter vessel and the Ra-
1ore were in company off the Horn during
October The Blackbraes had TO put into
Port Stanly In distress. but Captain Gar
rioch only reports that on October %, in
latitude 81 degrees south, longitude 70 de-
grees west he had a succession of head
gales from the north-northwest, accom-
panied by fearful high cross sea- The
ship labored great deal and heavy seas
broke aboard constantly. The barometer
was down TO S.l5 and in consequence the
Rajore was snugged down to a goose
winged lower topsail. Even with that
meager spread of canvas the ship made
heavy weather of Ii and everybody on
board, was pleased when the Horn was
On December q the Rajore spoke the
Godiva in latitude "a degrees % minutes
north, Longitude 1872 degrees OF minutes
west In consequence another of the over
due feet is accounted for and should make
port at an early date.
Late In the afternoon the ship Peleus
from Cardiff was sighted off the heads
She made the run in 112 days, beating the
Australian. on which 10 per cent reinsur-
ance is being offered, nearly a month and
a half from the same port. AS stated in
The Call, the majority of the overdue
fleet will reach port, but before they are
all accounted for there will surely be one
or two disasters to chronicle.
The gasoline schooner Bessie K arrived
from Clipperton Island yesterday. She
brought up a number OF passengers. but
only fve tons OF guano, and as that Is the
Company depends to pay it's dividends the
voyage may he considered a failure. j he
Bessie X brought back from ClippertOn
Captain Holman and wife. A. st. j. Oliver
and eleven Japanese. Captain Holman
went down as superintendent of the set
tlement on the island. and his wife ac-
companied him. The couple have been on
the guano island for eight months. and II
is safe TO say that Mrs. Holman will never
go back there again. She is very sick
woman. and nothing but her marvellous
cisco was reached. "Oh! the monotony OF
the place" said she yesterday. Nothing
but water for the eye to rest upon. The
island is only fringe Of sand covered
two miles long by two and a half miles
broad. The latter is good place TO go
sailing in, and the water Is fresh but
little brackish. During our stay of eight
months not sail hove in sight. and day
in and day out there was nothing TO do
but eat and watch the land crabs. The
crabs are only little bits of fellows. but
they will live and thrive on anything eX-
cept sulphuric acid. That kills them, but
there is no other known poison that seems
TO Tease them.
A. St J. Oliver was the Pacific Islands
Company's bookkeeper on Clipperton. He
said yesterday that William Freeth and
six Japanese and two Hawaiians had been
left on the island TO look after the COM
pany's interests. He rather enjoyed his
eight months stay on the island. There
was boat sailing in the lagoon, surf bath,
fowl that come 10 the islands during GER
tain months of the year. The weather
was so heavy that the Bessie X could
not land her boats and in Consequence
she had to return to San Francisco with
only five tons OF guano. Another vessel
will be sent to Clipperton in the spring.
The Gaelic was released from quaran-
tine yesterday and went 20 the Mail dock.
The steerage passengers and all their be-
longings were fumigated. while the en-
tire crew was subjected to n rigid exam
ination. When the quarantine officer was
satisfied that there was no further fear
of infection he released the vessel.
The Mail Company's steamer Acapulco
terday. She brought a very heavy cargo,
the bulk of which came from New York,
and few cabin passengers. The passage
was an uneventful one.
The transport Aztec will sail for Ma
Mia with horses on January 2. while the
load for Manila two days later. The
sailing of the Aztec has been delayed ow-
ing 10 the bubonic plague scare In Ho-
nolIilu. The chances are that the steamer
ernment There is a great quantity or
rush freight on hand for the Philippines.
and as a vessel of the Tartar's capacity
is required the chances are that she will
be secured by the Government for an
other trip.
The schooner Penelope had a narrow
escape from the north rocks last Friday
night. She was coming in from San Pc
dro. when the tide caught her and car
ried her down on the point. Luckily the
got out of her dangerous predicament
and sailed into port. The Penelope Is TO
be fitted out for a whaling and trading
cruise in the Arctic.
A Worthy Institution.