The San Francisco call., 1899-11-01
YELLOW JACK"
MAY Be ABOARD
THE ST. ENOCH
Is Now Long Overdue
From Panama.

The British ship st. Enoch is now out
1l2 days from Panama She is coming
here for orders, but when she will arrive
off the heads IS problematical and the
underwriters are paying per cent to re-
insure the risks they have taken on the
vessel Yellow fever seems to be more
feared in this instance than storms and
rock-bound coast Shipping men are
afraid that the dread scourge has broken
out among the ships crew and that she
may be drifting around helpless in Cen
trail American waters.
In July last the British ships st. Enoch
and Edenballymore and the German snip
Coriolanus were all in Panama. Early in
September the Panama steamers brought
the news that yellow jack was prevalent
on the isthrnus and that some of the ships
named mad lost nearly all their crews.
The St Enoch got away on July l8 and
has only been spoken once since. Then
she was still in the Gulf of Panama and
had made very little progress toward San
Francisco. The Coriolanus lost fifteen of
her crew from yellow jack. but secured
men 70 take their places, and on August
10 she made a start for Victoria, b. G.
Soon after getting away from the isthmus
the fever broke out aboard the ship and
when five of the crew died the captain
decided to put back.
On August % the Coriolanus reached
Panama and was placed in quarantine.
claimed the captains wife as victim
and many of the crew had died. When
the City of Panama left Panama the
Edenballymore was still in port. After
being released from quarantine the Corio-
lanuS made another start for Victoria and
reached there last Monday. When her
story was made public the underwriters
Immediately began figuring on the chances
of the st. Enoch, and the probabilities
are that the reinsurance on her will take
jump during the next few days.
The British shin Scottish Hills now ar
Calcutta from Port Blakeley, had two mar
row escapes during the voyage. She left
Puget Sound lumber laden on April % last
and seven days later encountered storm
that started a number of the stanchions
and caused the vessel to labor so heavily
that Captain Blackmore, in order to save
his ship, jettisoned the deckload After
that all went well for a time. and then
a tornado was encountered that blew the
sails out of the bolt ropes and threw the
ship on her beam ends. She sprang a
leak, but luckily it was not a very serious
one, and port was made without any fur
ther mishap.
David Walk, a carpenter. made a des-
perate attempt upon his life in the saloon
on the corner of Howard and Main streets
yesterday. With a penknife he cut his
wrists and both sides of his neck and
stabbed himself twice over the heart At
the Harbor Hospital Drs. Morrison and
Dorr attended to him and as none of the
wounds are serious he will probably re-
cover Henry Steffens barkeeper in the
saloon, says that Walk was on the verge
of delirium tremens when he attempted
to kill himself. He thought people were
chasing him to take his life and armed
himself with pistol, which Steffens took
away from him. While the barkeeper
was out of the room for a few minutes
Walk started hacking himself and when
Steftens came back the carpenter was
trying to hammer the knife into his heart
with his right hand, while he held the
blade In position with his left Walk had
secured job at Livermore and was to
have left for that place yesterday.
The steamers Curacao and Flintshire
made port yesterday. The Curacao came
from Mexican ports and brought up con-
siderable ore and treasure, but very few
mama in ballast. She is to carry wheat
from here to Europe for G.. w McNear
The Government was negotiating for her
with the intention of using her as a trans
port, but as quite number Of vessels a re
due from Manila and several are now
nearly ready for troops, the chances are
the Flintshire will not be chartered The
big tramp was here about three years ago
and took cargo of general merchandise
to London.
The German gunboat Geier went ont for
a run around the Farallones yesterday
and came back TO her anchorage during
the afternoon. 4 new chief has taken
charge of the engine-room and it was to
give him q chance to inspect the WORKING
of the machinery that the trip was made
Captain Alex Swanson, the pilot, took
the Geier to sea and back again
The Geiers launch has broken down
and one of Peterson's launches is maxim
the usual trips between the warship and
the shore.
There is to be another race on the bav
this month. A crew from the cruiser
Philadelphia has challenged the victorions
second division on the Iowa and the latter
has lifted the gauntlet The Philadelnhia
crew is the champion of the Pacific SQUAD
ron. but, the Iowa boys say they will lower
their colors.