The San Francisco call., 1903-12-23

With three masts gone and depend
ent upon jury sails and the canvas on
her one remaining stick to keep her
from drifting to destruction, the Brit
ish bark OIivebank was twelve miles
northeast of the Farallon Islands late
last night. endeavoring to beat her way
into this harbor without the assistance
of the tug Defiance, which ran to her
assistance.
The bark, which sailed from Shang-
hal on October 26 in ballast for Royal
Roads. B. c., ran into a succession Of
terrific gales after being out one month
and for the last thirty days has been
drifting helplessly at the mercy of the
sea, with only a few jury sails to keep
her nose to the wind.
Word was received in this city from
the Weather Bureau lookout at the
Farallones yesterday morningf that a
four -masted bark was in distress off
the islands. The Spreckels tug Deli
ance was Immediately dispatched for
the scene and is still standing by to
render whatever assistance may be
necessary. The lookout was unable
to decipher the vessels name and
THERE was iiluCh speculation dtilOIiS
shipping folks as to the identity. of
the craft.
Word was received last evening that
the weather beaten vessel is the Brit
ish bark Olivebank, bound from
Shanghai to Royal Roads. Captain
Henderson is the master of the ship
and is known as a skillful navigator.
Nothing but three unsightly stumps,
rising several feet above the deck, are
left of three of the masts. The jigger
is still intact. Three jibs have peen
rugged up forward and small sail on
the stump of the forward mast This
canvas, with that on the remaining
mast, is all that has saved her from
going to the bottom.
The hull is in good condition. with
the exception of a portion of the star
board side, amidsh,ps, where one of
the yards fell out and cut an ugly
hole The crew of nineteen, in addi-
ton to the five officers, are safe, and
no one was hurt during the terrible
battle with the elements. The men
saw that succession of heavy gales
were encountered and owing to the
lightness and crankiness of the vessel
it became necessary to cut away some
of the rigging Their lives were con-
tinually in danger from falling yards,
and on several occasions it looked as
if the vessel would go to the bottom.
The Olivebank is a four -masted
steel bark and is owned by Andrew
Wier of Glasgow. She was built in
1892 by Mackie & Thomson at Port
Glasgow. Her net tonnage is 22OO
and her dimensions are: Length, 326
feet: beam, 431; and depth, 245 feet.
size cost 100000.
The Oliyebank is sister ship to the
Clifford that was lost on the night of
September 26 last on Mussel Rock, five
miles below the Gliff House. The Gift
ford was laden with coal en- route from
Australia to this port. Ill luck seems
to have pursued the owners of these
vessels. Ten years ago the ship Cos
ford owned by the same company
went ashore below Point Conception.
AS darkness closed in on the vessel
last night the Defiance was still lying
alongside and a price win undoubtedly
be agreed upon to tow the disabled
craft into port. A pilot from the pilot
boat America is aboard the Olivebank
and in the event that Captain Hender-
son refuses tow it is thought the yes
sci may make port to-day with a good
breeze.
The captain and officers refuse to
talk and the only information that can
be CLEANED comes from the crew. The
ship presents battered appearance,
but it appears that the upper works
have not been badly damaged.
A peculiar feature of the entire af-