The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-06
Over the Possession
of a Small Boat.
UNCLE SAM AND J. BULL WIN
ANOTHER WRECKING STEAMER
TO BE BUILT HERE.
Manila Cigars and the Customs.
What Waterfront People Think
of Presents From the
Philippines.

AHeTe was war (Ot WOrdS) on the pay
yesterday. The nations involved were the
United States, Great Britain and Ger
many. Uncle Sam and John Bull Joined
issues and Germany had to take back
seat
The trouble arose in this way: Lying
off Meiggs wharf are the United States
revenue cutter Rush, the British ship
Ditton, which arrived from England last
week, and the German schooner Marshal
leon, Captain Sprengel ready 10 sail for
Jaluit During the morning Captain Slap
OF the Ditton went ashore in his gig and
when the men got back to the ship they
did not make the boat fast in a proper
manner and in a few minutes it went
adrift
Captain Thompson of the revenue cutter
saw the boat coming down with the tide
and sent his launch to pick it up. Cap
tain Sprengel of the Marshalleon also saw
the drifting gig and sent two of his men
in boat to pic. it up. The crew Of the
Briusher about this time discovered their
loss and got out another boat to recover
the captains gig.
The German boat secured the prize and
towed it back to the Marshalleon. The
crew of the Rush's launch demanded the
boat, but Captain Sprengel refused to give
it up unless he was paid for his trouble.
The matter was reported to Captain
Thompson, and he did not waste any time
over the matter. His orders TO the crew
of the launch were:
60 and take that boat back where it
belongs, and tell the captain of the
schooner he may be in similar box him
self some day
The launch was again headed for the
schooner and without "by your leave"
or an excuse the revenue men took the
gig and turned it over to the crew of the
Ditton. The crew of the Marshalleon now
threatens to libel the Ditton for salvage.
The Whitelaw Wrecking Company is
about to build d new Wrecking steamer
to take the place of the Whitelaw, burned
at Skaguay last year. The old boat was
l54 feet long on deck, 140 feet between
perpendlculars, % feet long ana Il Ieet
deep. The new boat will be $50 feet on
deck l46 feet between perpenelculaT.S;
81 feet broad and Is feet deep. She Will
carry COO tons OF cargo or Wreckage, anu
= will draw two feet of water less than the
WhitelaW did. When the Columbia was
wrecked at Pigeon Point the Whltelaw
drew eighteen inches too much water TO
successfully handle her, so the company
has decided to make the new boat of
lighter draft.
The new wrecker is to be built at North
Beach. She will be fitted with very pow
erful machinery, as 1t is the intention 10
not only use her as Wrecker, DuJ as d
tug for the longest and heaviest TONS on
There is weeping and wailing and
crashing of teeth along the water front
every shipping man, wharnnger ana col,
lector from Meiggs wharf to the Mali
Dock has a friend or relative among
the boys in blue in the Phlnppines, ana
nearly every one of the aforesaid ship
ping men, whartinger and collectors mas
at one time or another had a box OF Ma,
Mia cigars sent to him from the AFORESAID
relative or friend now with Uncle Sam S
men in the Philippines. OF course the CT
CARS have to go through the custom
house and there is where the weeping ana
waiing and gnashing of teeth comes IN
Every shipping man, wharnnger ana COL
lector is delighted to think thaf IoI ON
Dick or Harry has remembered MN, ana
starts for the Custom-house, telling ms
friends that on his return he will treat
them TO cigar In every ~, 6nsI la Jgee 5neS
CAPTAIN Ike Smith of the tug sea queen
was one of the victims. He is a great
smoker, and when ne heaaa oL - th tSe
corner of Battery and Washington
streets Upon interviewing the customs
clerk he learned that there was SS 90 GUY
on his box of cigars, and that sum would
have to be paid before he could ENJOY
smoke. Ike decided that a good u,cent
Havana was rich enough LOT ms J Dl ,Sor
Hospital twenty-five wrapped IN tlhIoli
and done up in a nice box. The duty and
war stamp came to 81 80 III br prgsiiiS iS
one Of the naval battalion boys who
went TO Manila sent Henry PETERSON
box of 100 extra fine. the duty came 10
Sigsreftes. jerry Daley of the Merchants
Exchange, George w. Root, ex-chief
wharnger; George e D onyI Tom Casey each
had a box sent them from Manila, and
each box has gone to swell the unclaimed
list at the Custom-house. 49,,
At the present time there is over Ton
Of cigars sent as presents on Wh1ch DUTY
has not been paid and which VIII nave 10
he sold at auction in order that Uncle
Sam may get his duty and war tax
Manila cigar is all right, but as Henry
Peterson says a hundred of them are not
William Ralston, working at Rosenfeld's
coal bunkers got badly crushed yester-
dav He was among the coal cars that
run on the overhead track ana got caughe
between two Of them. He was taken 10
the Harbor Receiving. Hospital, where Or;
Digglns attended to him. HIS chest ana
back are very badly confused ana there
is a possibility that he is internally in
'O Frank Rose of 429 Pacific street was
treated at the Harbor Hospital by Dr;
Diggins for a clubbing he had received
from Special Officer Gillen. He was
pretty well marked up, but did not get
half what he deserved. Rose is a big,
burlv fellow. but will not work. and the
woman who lives with him as his wife
has to support him. A few days ago
Mrs. Rose was arrested on charge OF
vagrancy. and Rose had to bail her out.
AS soon as he got her home he began to
kick and beat her for being arrested. 1t
was then Special Officer Glllen came on
brute. Rose fought Ike a wildcat. and
GiIlen and a civilian he called to his as
sistance were getting the worst of It when
Clen pulled his club and used 1t with
good effect. Rose will remember that
beating for some time to come
The American ship Roanoke now out GU.
San Francisco, has $500 tons of coal
aboard, the largest cargo. of black dia-
monds that has started from the East
for the West via Cape Horn. The Shen-
andoah which arrived here November 30.
brought 1895 tons, and the new steel ship
Erskine NJ. Phelps, now out 1872 days, has
400 tons aboard
The steamer Curacao arrived from
Mexican ports last evening. All the news
of interest along the coast was sent UP
by Captain Van Helms last week and
appeared in this column.
The members Of the Assembly Commit
tee Of the San Francisco Water Front
were the guests of Captain Steve Castle
yesterday. He took them out beyond the
heads on the pilot boat Bonita in the
morning. returning in the afternoon. The
Assemblymen who took the trip were:
knowland, Devote, Brooke, Sullivan, Han
ley. Conrey and Merritt.