The San Francisco call., 1899-09-29
MADRONO TAKES
THE PLACE OF
THE L|GHTSH|P
Vessels Will Now Be
Able to Find Port.

Shipowners and master mariners who
have been vigorously protesting for week
past because Lightship 70 was brought In
for repairs during the heaviest fog seen
on@thefcoast this year are now appeaSed.
The lighthouse tender Madrono has taken
the place of the can buoy that marked
the place where the lightship was, and
will in future blow blast of two seconds
duration with a thirteen-second interval
The Call was the first to voice the pro-
test of shipping men, and at the time
suggested that the Madrono be sent out
to fill the lightship's place. The article
was sent East by Lighthouse Inspector
Sebree, and the result was instructions to
anchor the Madrono on the bar in the
lightships place. The Madrono is painted
drab, with white upper works; AT night,
besides the whistles, she Will show two
white lights on her masthead.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company's
Curacao arrived from Mexican ports yes
terday. She was a day behind her sched.
ule time on account of the celebration OF
Mexican independence at Santa Rosalia:
No work was done that day, so the vessel
had to wait for her cargo. A crew OF
Mexican sailors for the new schooner
Alba, just completed at Benicia, came up
on the Curacao. Captain Edrulfo Pena
will command the new boat, and he and
his men will sail her to Mazatlan.
Among the steerage passengers was a
Miss Seen, who claimed to be Japanese
but looked like a Chinese. She was
speak English or Spanish. A Chinese who
happened to be on the wharf was brought
aboard the Curacao, and with him the
girl talked fiuently in Chinese. Miss Seen
had in her possession a letter from Miss
Cameron of the Presbyterian Mission. but
it shed no light on the nationality OF the
girl. Immigration Inspector de la TorrC
decided not to-land Miss Seen until salts
fed as to her nationality.
The new steel ship Arthur Sewall, which
arrived from Philadelphia a few days ago,
is the only vessel in the United States
that has stationary topsail yards. This
does away with, reefs, halyards. ties,
of over $1,000 ear in wear and tear. All
that requires to be done is to clew the
sails up, and that is the end of the mat
ter. Men along the front call 1t Captain
Murphy's patent and the idea, being a
good one, is sure to be followed by all
shipowners who want TO economize in the
working expenses of their ships.
A diver was down examining the hull
of the Sewall yesterday. One of the riy-
cts has worked loose, and the vessel is
The stern wheel steamer Mary Ellen
Calvin is coming out of retirement at
Benicia, and will be sold at auction next
was built for Pat" Calvin, one of the
Klondike millionaires, during the boom.
No expense was spared in fitting her out,
but when it came TO the trial trip the
steamer was not success. She did not
develop the required speed, and when
measured it was found she drew too much
water for the Yukon River. Pat Cal
vim refused to accept the vessel, and a
number of lawsuits followed. For months
the Mary Ellen Calvin. was tied up at
various wharves along the front in charge
of deputy Sheriff. and twice she broke
adrift during southeasters. Finally she
was sent to Benicia about two years ago.
and has lain there ever since
The British ship Earl of Dunmore sailed
for London yesterday with general
cargo valued at nearly 500 000. eco. The canned
mon S71 26O wine $40 665 brandy S47S0, and
The bark Mauna Ala, which arrived
from Honolulu Wednesday night, brought
up eleven ostriches for the ostrich farm
in Southern California. The birds behaved
well during, the trip, but the sailors had
thing went with Mr. Ostrich, from a
needle to a marlinspike, while a jack
knife was considered delicacy The
The steamer Coptic cannot carry all the
freight offering, and over 800 Chinese will
go home on her to celebrate the new year.
Chief officer Frank Hart has sailed for
England to take command of one of the
White Star steamers.
Captain Gray of the Merchants Tow
boat Company received a telegram from
Captain Thompson of the tug Rescue yes
terday, announcing that the derelict log
raft which. broke away from the Czarina
some weeks ago had been found and
towed into Port Hartford.
The revenue cutter Richard Rush, Cap
tain Gushing, arrived in the bay yester-
day morning after a run. of eleven days
from Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Captain Cushing reports that when he
left Dutch Harbor the British steamer
Port Albert was there with load of
horses on her way to Manila, and the
Portland, which was also in the harbor,
was soon to leave for this city. The The
tbs was to follow the latter vessel on the
10th of this month.
The crew of the Rush say they have had
hard and disagreeable cruise and are
mighty glad to get home again.