Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-04-24
A SHIP IN A CITY STREET.
nan Fraocisco Has warehops.
EUtst ON Stranded uuik

Tho Front street building which rests
upon the wreck OF a beached shin NAV
De the only enc of the sort i'm Now
York, but at least in one other civ
there is similar structure and locally
better known one, for the reason that
the building preserves the name OF the
ship.
This Is I'm San Francisco. where none
may aspire to rank in the pioneer or
"torty-niner' class unless he can di,
tincly remember when the wafer
came up TO Montgomery street" which
relatively 10 the present pier and bulk
mead line represents a distance much
farther inland than Front street In
New York. At the time when Mont
gomery street had only one side. being
In reality the beach. the bay OF San
Francisco was crowded with all sorts
OF ships lying idle for the simple rea-
son that all hands and the cook had
skipped out for Suffers Fort and the
mines 1t was impossible TO get the
ships discharged. Men would meyer
consent 10 he stevedOres on the beach
when they could be millionaires nj the
mines That is why many of the car
goes we q never preached cNcppt when
there was need Of something to fiji ND
the mudholcs ON the beach streets. NJ
argonaut would respect himself if he
could no' tell of the time when he saw
the streets along the water front paved
with plug tobacco i'm boxes.
One of this fleet abandoned aud dor
elict nj her anchors. the good shin nj
sth winds for which the Golden Gate
is notorious. drifted ashore on the mud
fiat NJ the foot of Clay street and
found convenient and sticky berth
about hundred yards oflShore ON the
line OF the present SanSamc street
The underwriters paid the loss. for ut
the current rate Of wages and the .l-
sence Of labor II would have cost half
n dozen Times her worth L. yet her or.
and even then she would Zoe OF no. use
without sailors. Having paid the loss.
the underwriters I'm turn abandoned
her and probably felt i'm luck thar they
were not called upon by - nc owner
OF real estate to take the ship away.
The presence Of the ship aided lie
sitting mp Of the mud flat and lu a
short time Il was avuSh ONLY at hirb
tide and finally dry al day long. Then
II was recognized that this ,-as NOW
addition 60 the front Of the city. and
some business man took possession Of
the shin and made il over into n ware
house. The vessel was sound I'm every
timber. Spars all standing and sails on
the yards. the hold as tight rs drum.
and II she did make as much rs a foot
month IL was only short trick at
the pumps 10 clear Il out In fact.
nothing could have been better for n
warehouse and general chandlerv. The
hold made an excellent cellar the floor
OF the second story was supported by
the lower masts at the tops. the roof
was fixed at the croSStreeS. and tho.
royal mastS were left standing above
the roof. with the signal halvards
ready hove. to serve for fagsiaTs.
Gradually the building was altered
and patched. and the traces Of the
original ship disappeared from view.
but the name Mantle was n fixture,
and people entering the warehouse
continued to speak OF coming aboard
or coming over the side When the
Wy ANNlNtN ~ tN llIliO 1T the tNlltlSt
OF the b0r and filled IN the fats and
formed SanSOme and Battery and au
the other streets which have put the
wreck OF the Mantle half 81 mile IN
land. the flling In buried ont Of sight
the hull and channel plates Of the ship
and IL ceased TO resemble anything
that had ever floated. When this iirst
building went into decay and was con
demned. the old ship was found IL he
the sOundest part Of it all. But it was
buried still deeper by the foundations
OF the large and for that time modern
building that took its place. Now there
is nothing of the ship left except The
name of the building and the old main
mast. which runs up from story Ia Sto.
~ and Is used TO support its due share
OF the weight. Some o. the pioneers
stoutly aver that the mainmaSt OF The
Mantle prOphesieS the coming OF gales
upon the hay by the way il creakS for
two or three days before the wind
comes and that these forecasts are
much more TO be relied ON than the
guesseS Of the weather bureau New
York Tribune.