The San Francisco call., 1899-09-05
CHIEF GUNNER'S
MATE DELAH|DE
NEARLY KILLED
Cleanin 6 ReVolVers on
the Iowa.
ONE OF THEM DISCHARGED
MORE VESSELS FOR TRANS
PORTS ARE CHARTERED.
Tommy" Crowley Arrested for Petty
Larceny-A New Steamer for
the Coast Trade-The
Raft Spoken.
me OF THEM DISCHARGED
MORE VESSELS FOR TRANS
PORTS ARE CHARTERED.

There was nearly fatality in the ar
mory of the battleship Iowa yesterday.
The accidental discharge of a large Colt
revolver nearly killed Chief Gunner's Mate
J. Delahide and for a time II was looked
upon aboard the warship as an attempt
at suicide. An investigation, however,
showed the affair to be purely accidental.
1t is the duty of Delahide, assisted by
Gunner's Mate n. Burke, to overhaul
every gun in the Iowa's armory every
morning Yesterday the work was nearly
completed and Burke went outside, leav-
ing Delahide looking over a Colt revol-
yer. Suddenly there was report and the
chief gunner staggered out of the ar
mory, bleeding from a wound in the neck,
and asked to be taken to the sick bay. The
ships surgeon was soon in attendance
and pronounced Delahide's wound as not
serious He had been looking into the
muZzle Of the revolver to see IL 1t was
clean, when he touched the trigger and 1T
went off. The bullet went through the
muscles of his neck, inficting painful
but not serious wound.
Delahide was the highest non-commis-
stoned officer in one of the 8-inch turrets
on the Iowa during the destruction of Ger
vera's fleet. He had just received tele-
graphic news of his promotion to the posi-
ton of boatswain, SO the wound In his
neck throws a damper on his joy.
The steamer Tacoma arrived from Pu-
get Sound yesterday and has been added
to the list of transports she is an ola
vessel having been launched in 1870, put
she is still a good stout ship, and her ap-
pearance coming into port is credit 10
Captain Dixon and his crew. The Tacoma
was here years ago as the BATAVIA anu
in connection with the Parthia (now the
Victoria) ran under the Canadian Paciticc
flag Captain John Birmingham, United
States Supervising Inspector or steam
Vessels, was down TO see the Tacoma yes
terday. He was passenger on her
twenty-nine years ago, when she mace
her maiden voyage. The ship mas oeen re-
modelled in her interior works almost OUT
of his recollection, but still there were
many points that were the same as When
the vessel was launched.
The Government has chartered Two
more steamers to carry troops to Manila
The Olympia, formerly the British steam
er Dunbar Castle. will come mere from
Seattle and the City of Rio de Janeiro
will be turned over just as soon as sne
arrives here from the Orient.
There was no work done on the trans
port Centennial yesterday All the car
penters demanded double pay on account
Of its being legal holiday and when it
was refused them they packed UP thelr
tools and went home. The men on tne
Grant and Sherman W9rkea So,doT an cay; ages pet
Tommy" Crowley, the boatman, IS IN
a peck of trouble and all through no
fault of his own. Yesterday ne was a.
petty larceny and locked up in the Har1
Dor Police Station. The necessary oall
was soon forthcoming, however and ne
was released. The trouble dates back to
the arrival of the Sherman with the Cal
ifornia boys. On that occasion the Ma
tive Sons chartered the I. c. Walker,
but L. c. Pistolesi and l.. A. Morgen-
stern were not on hand at sailing time,
so the steamer sailed without them. Ihey
then went to Vallejo street Wharf ana
chartered the gasoline launch Jennie Z.
party was in mdstream when the launch
broke down. After much hard work the
Jennie G. was got back TO ctr the VIVA wnar1 ana ana
ashore. The two Native Sons, now as
sert that ten minutes after they were
landed Crowley was carrying passengers
out TO see the Sherman come in at htty
cents head They demanded their $40
back and Crowley refused TO give it up.
Hence the petty larceny charge.
A new coasting steamer to be called the
Santa Ana Is being built at Coos Bay for
A. W. Beadle & Co. She will be 191 feet
long, 81 feet broad and u feet 6 inches
deep and will be launched about Novem-
Der l. The Santa Ana will be fitted with
all the latest improvements and is ex-
pected to make about twelve knots an
hour. She will carry 10000 feet of lum-
Der and will have hrSt-clasS passenger
accommodations.
The collier Czarina and the log raft
were sighted again last Sunday. Captain
Gage of the Walla Walla says that at 8
a. m on September 8 he saw the Czarina
! and her tow off Rogue River This was
| in latitude A degrees, 26 minutes north,
longitude 124 degrees 35 minutes west,
so that she has made 120 miles since be-
ing spoken by the Orizaba on September
l. 1t was blowing fresh from the southeast
when the Walla Walla spoke the Czarina
and Captain Gage says she was not max
ing more than three knots an hour.
The cruiser Newark went to the navy
ward yesterday. Passing the Iowa a
thirteen gun salute fired in
honor of Rear Admiral Kautz The bat
tleship answered with seven guns, a COM
manding officers salute.