The San Francisco call., 1899-04-08
Brings a Million in
British Sovereigns.
HURRICANE IN QUEENSLAND
HUNDREDS OF LIVES AND MANI
VESSELS LOST.
A Growing Trade With Siberia-An
Old Man Stricken With Death
While Working on the
Steamer Emma.

The Oceanic Steamship Company's mail
steamer Mariposa arrived from Sydney,
N. s. W, via Auckland. n. T., Apia,
Samoa, and Honolulu, H. l., yesterday
morning. She was % days IL hours from
Sydney, and made the run up from Homo
lulu in days hours. She brought up
1o4 cabin passengers and "a steerage pas
sengers, besides a large and valuable
cargo. In the strong-room was a million
dollars in English sovereigns, represent
ing the balance Of trade in Americas
favor.
A hurricane played havoc in Queensland
while the Mariposa was at Sydney.
Houses were blown down and eighty
seven luggers, five schooners and one of
the lightships was wrecked. Eleven white
and 400 colored men lost their lives The
luggers and schooners were engaged in
pearl fishing, and the colored men were
nearly all "blackbirds" enticed away from
the various islands in the Southern Seas.
A remarkable case of endurance while in
the water is given in connection with this
storm. A dispatch to the New Zealand
Herald says "a colored man reached shore
with two women after swimming four
days"
The Mariposa brings the news of the
escape of five convicts from the French
penal settlement in New Caledonia The
British steamer Rippingham Grange took
load of merchandise there, and when
she was getting ready to leave for New
Zealand the convicts slowed themselves
away. They were soon missed and a hue
and cry raised. The Rippingham Grange
was searched, with the result that one of
the escapes was found buried in the coal
in one of the bunkers. The gendarmes
were probing the coal with spears, and
one Of the spears went through the con-
vict's jaw. He then came forth and gave
himself up. Another convict was found
slowed away in the lazarette, and he and
his companion were taken ashore. Once
on the wharf they were thrown down,
jumped on, kicked and beaten until one Of
the unfortunate wretches was nearly
dead.
Up to this time the crew of the Ripping
ham Grange had assisted the gendarmes
in the search for the escapes, but after
the scene on the wharf they told the SOL
diers to do their own searching. Not an
other man was found and the steamer
sailed with the stoWawayS aboard. News
was sent to the mainland, and when the
Rippingham Grange reached New Zea-
land tie police boarded her and began an
other search for the convfcts. The cap
tain admitted that the men were aboard
but said he had not the faintest idea
where they were located. The New Zea-
land police could find no trace of the pris-
oners and the vessel sailed again. Her
next stopping place will be at the River
Platte, where another search will be
made.
At Samoa the British cruiser Tauranga
arrived while the Mariposa: was there,
making three British warships, the cruis-
er Philadelphia and the German gunboat
Fake in Apia when the Mariposa sailed.
n. c. Walton Jr., former purser Of the
Mariposa, is in Sydney, where he will en-
gage in business. His place on the ship
has been taken by G. n. Fulcher. The
latter gentleman is not new to the busi-
10 1T1 q on
of the o. and o. steamers.
The Canadian Pacific steamers do not
now call at New Zealand, and in conse-
quence the people of the islands We're de-
lighted TO hear that the Oceanic Steam
ship Company was building three large
new steamers for the trade.
There is more business than ships on
the water front these days. The steam
tonnage is not sufficient TO accommodate
the increase in trade with the Orient, and
although British trampS have been char
tered. the demand for freight room ex-
ceeds the supply The business with ST.
IBERIA has grown with leaps and bounds,
and vessels cannot be secured to carry
all the merchandise destined for Vladl-
vostok, Nicolaefski and the Amoor River.
The ships Lucille, Big Bonanza and wilma
have already sailed for one or the other Of
these ports, and the schoonerS Nokomis
Vine, Annie NJ. Campbell and ship CO.
lumbia are now loading.
All of these vessels are taking large
Quantities of salt and in consequence the
making extra trips outside their regular
Oakland runs bringing salt over from
Mount Eden to fill the various orders
The Emma was delayed by a sad fatal
ity at Mount Eden yesterday. In order
to make the steamer fast alongside the
landing a couple of stakes had to be
driven. H. Fischer, an old resident of
the place, was at the landing and, after
taking the vessels lines, picked up
sledgehammer and began driving the
stakes. In few minutes he stopped and