The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-14
Machinery Damaged
by the Grew.
SOMEBODY MADE BLUNDERS
HER DEPARTURE WILL BE LONG
DELAYED.
Working Night and Day to Get the
Hongkong Maru Ready for
Sea-Gatherer Goes On
Anita Rock.

The Japanese may have made a success
of handling Warships and merchantmen
| in other parts of the world, but they GER
tainly have not done so here, If success Is
to be measured by their handling of YES
sells now IN port Mechanics are working
night and day to get the Hongkong Maru
ready to resume her maiden voyage on
Friday next and it will be a month before
the cruiser Chitose will be able to leave
her mOorings. One or two of her furnaces
are down, her engine for the steam steer
ing gear is disabled, one of the winches is
smashed to atoms and the donkey engine
is out of killer.
The cruiser was to have been open to
the public last Sunday, but owing to these
mishaps visitors were not allowed aboard.
Those who went out to her on launches
were turned away and had TO be content
with visit to the battleship Iowa instead.
After being tested in every conceivable
way the Chitose was finally accepted by
the Japanese Government. She made more
than the required number of knots on her
trial and after her final spin, in order to
work up the necessary revolutions, was
pronounced one Of the greatest successes
ever turned out by the Union Iron Works
While the cruiser was undergoing her
trials her crew arrived here from Japan
The sailors, fremen, oilers, machinists
and engineers upon reaching the city were
taken out to the iron works and housed
there until the Warship was accepted. All
the necessary tests were completed about
ten days ago and then the mechanics of
the iron works retired and the crew
brought out from Yokohama took charge.
Things did not run smoothly, however,
and the Union Iron Works men are now
aboard the Chitose again repairing dam
ages.
out at the warship everybody is reti-
cent. 1t appears, however, that low water
in the boilers was the cause of the fur
naces coming down, and the damage to
the Steam-steertn6 engine was caused by
a man who wanted to see the wheels go
round" No one seems to know how the
winch was smashed and no one Will tell
what is the matter with the donkey en-
CINE; but everybody knows that 1t will be
several weeks before the cruiser is ready
for sea-
The trouble on the Hongkong Maru is
entirely the fault of the English builders.
The Scots turned the warship over in
perfect condition, but the people who
built the merchantmen didn't follow suit.
The boilers were made in a hurry and in
consequence would not stand the strain.
Between Yokohama and Honolulu they
began to leak around the furnace crowns
and gradually went from bad to worse
until when San Francisco was reached
every one of the twenty-Seyen crowns was
leaking. In order to make the neces-
sary repairs all the rivets had to be cut
out the sheets fitted closely together and
reriveted. In order TO get the Job done
before the day of sailing, men have been
at work since the vessel came in without
a moments rest. AS soon as one man got
tired another took his place. When one
gang went to lunch or supper another
gang took up the work and in this way
the Hongkong Maru's boilers will be put
in frst-class order by Friday and the
steamer will go out on schedule time.
The torpedo boat Fox. built at Portland
for the Government, arrived here yester-
day. She made the run from Astoria
here IN forty-five hours, but at no time
was going full speed. She did not
come to an anchor on her arrival, but
went direct to Mare Island. She will be
turned over to the Government in a day
or two.
The barkentine Gatherer went on Anita
rock, off the Presidio when making port
with a twelve-knot breeze and off the
Preside Captain Stokkoley decided to
anchor. Unfortunately, both of the an
Choir chains fouled, and before they could
be cleared the vessel was on the rock.
The tug Reliance went to her assistance,
but the captain refused the proffered aid.
The Gatherer is coal laden, and the cap