The San Francisco call., 1899-05-19
READY FOR A
RUSH TO THE
GOLD FIELDS
Bertha Is Len gthened
and RemodeIed.
SHIPS FOR KOTZEBUE SOUND
AN EXPEDITION BEING FITTED
OUT BY C. D. LANE.
People Who Came Back on the Port
land From Manla-schooner
Monterey Carries Away
Her Main Boom.
SHIPS FOR KOTZEBUE SOUND
AN EXPEDITION BEING FITTED
OUT BY C. D. LANE.

j ne AidSha OOnl1n6TClal company re- !
modelled steamer Bertha is now almost |
ready for the Klondike season. Last year
she was one Of the smallest vessels of
the company's fleet; now she is first
class ocean-going steamer and the equal |
Of anything owned by the corporation.
The Bertha was built at Benicia in 1883, |
and up TO a few months ago she was 140
feet long. Now she is 1873 feet long, with !
the same beam and depth of hold she |
had when she was launched. To accom-
plish this change all the spars, machinery
and boilers were taken out Of the vessel
and the hull placed on the ways of Ala
media Then the structure was sawed
clean in half and a section fifty-three feet
long put in. While making the alterations
a vigilant lookout was kept, but not an
unsound piece Of timber was found, and
structurally the Bertha is a stouter ship
than on the day she was launched.
There are thirteen staterooms on the
upper deck of the remodeled steamer. All
of those aft the smokestack are supplied
with folding doors, so that two rooms
can be thrown into one almost the entire
width Of the ship. A KIondike king re-
turning from the Yukon or Cape Nome
can thus have his ideas of lavish eXpen-
diture gratified. The berths in one room
can be removed and in few moments II
would be furnished as sitting-room.
The folding door can be thrown open and
ne would nave as luAuIlOuS q DeuTOOn
and sittng-room as he would get on an
Atlantic liner. There are also eight state
rooms on the main deck, and, all in all,
the Bertha will have accommodation for
ninety-siX cabin and a hundred steerage
passengers.
The Bertha is fitted throughout with
electricity and all the latest appliances.
The dining-roOm can accommodate sixty
four passengers at one sitting. The smok-
ing-room and social hall Will be as COM
Portable as money can make them, while
fort Of h. offs md mo n a :
also been looked after. -Four lights have
been made in the forecastle and the sail
ors Will now be happy, as they Will not
only have light but also plenty OF lockers.
New boilers and engines have been put
in the steamer, and when she has her
trial in d few days twelve knots IS eX-
peCted from her. Before she was length
ened the Bertha was doing well when she
got away with 500 tons OF freight. Now
she can carry a thousand tons and over
Shipping men interested IN the hotZt-
bue Sound district are wondering why IL
is that no news has come out from that
section this year. Several firms made ar
rangements TO have a messenger sent out
and c. u. Lane, the millionaire mine
owner engaged q man who knows the
country Wen especially TO bring MN news.
None of these men have come out as far
as the general public knows, and not
word of authentic news has arrived from
the thousand men who went TO hotZebue-
The party of men sent up by Mr.. Lane
are still there and whether they have
found gold or not nobody knows unless
man still has supreme faith in the hotze-
bue Sound district. He has purchased the
schooner Vega on Puget Sound ana IS
now loading her with lumber, coal and
sllpplies Last week he purchased the
steamer Townsend here and Is loading her
with supplies. Out at the Potrero ne is
having a Hght-draft river steamer built,
and as soon as she is competed d start
will be made for Kotzebue;
The story that came via Tacoma of
starvation on the Kubuck River is
laughed at here There were three stores
on the Sound and over 1900 tons of provi-
sions in them last October, besides the
two years supplies that each miner took
UP with him. The natives also were un-
usually well supplied with dried salmon,
so that there can be no fear OF a scarcity
From kotzebue to the hoyukuk RIVER,
where it was known gold was to be found,
was only a short journey over the snow,
and yet none of the men who went up on
the Alaska Northern Light, Jane A.
Falkenberg, Catherine Sudden and other
vessels have gone over there. In TACT, no
one knows or will know what they have
done until some time in July. Neverthe-
less G. D. Lane is going up again with
lots Of supplies and complete outfit
The British ship Loudon Hill, now out
13g days from Antwerp, is likely to make
a long passage. She sailed on December
g and on January passed Flushing. On
an ordinary run she would now be claSsed
among the vessels expected, but Judging
by the showing made on the hrst thirty
four days of the voyage she Will not get
here for another month.
The schooner Monterey had to put back
10 port Yesterday. Wednesday last she
started for Bowens Landing, but got
caught in heavy westerly weather off Fish
Rock. where the main boom carried away.
Captain Beck therefore decided TO return
to San Francisco for repairs.
The brig W. G.. Irwin arrived from Hon
olulu Yesterday after a fair passage of
nineteen days. She brought up 9lS8 bags
Of sugar. - c.. ,..
sailed for Panama and way ports ye5ter-
day She took away large cargo, but
The transport Portland, which arrived
from Manila last Wednesday night; Will
be turned over to her owners ana put
back in the St Michael trade. The fol-
lowing is a complete list Of the men VINO
came up on her from Manila:
Arthur c. Fox. private Hospital Corps;
George Woodruff United States hospital ship
Relief; John James. United States hospital
ship Relief. J. j. Johnston Company l.
Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; n: A
C. Drake Company c. First Nebraska Volun-
tefT teeT ERf1a b sEG 3rery gF0T2 EdwaTd NeR
sergeant. Company F. First Pennsylvania Vol
First Wyoming Volunteer Infantry; Robert v
OstrOm. lieutenant, Battery ID, sixth Artillery; !;
Simon NJ simpson Company b. twenty third ,
pany G. First Idaho Volunteer Infantry; II. F.
Meighen. Company X Tenth PennsylvanIia
Volunteer Infantry; Richard ]. Neuman' acting
hospital steward. United States army.
Frank II. Walker, sergeant. Company 9,
First North Dakota Volunteer Infantry; Jacob
Muller Company G, Fourth United States In
fantry; Walter f. Ostrom, lieutenant Bat
Company L, First Nebraska Volunteer In
fantry; Walter Wozny. Company y, First Ne
braska Volunteer Infantry; William II. Stauf-
fer Company I. Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteer
Infantry; J. ". Snyder, Company F. Tenth
Pennsyivania Volunteer Infantry; Robert b
Hall Company C. Thirteenth Minnesota Vol
unteer Infantry; 3. Bungard. California Heavy
Artillery: George Dreqnonr, water tender
United States army