The San Francisco call., 1905-05-08
GALE PLAYS HAVOC WITH
SHIPPING ON BAY
Storm Sets Ships Adrift and Damages
Steamers Tied Up to Wharves
Paul Jones Smashes MarbIehead and
Eureka Fouls General Miffln

The storm that swept the water front
early yesterday morning played havoc
with the shipping in the bay. 1t not
only tore vessels at anchor from their
moorings and set them adrift, but IT
also did serious damage to several
steamers that were lying alongside the
wharves
From all reports it was the fiercest
gale that has swept the front for many
years Waves dashed clear over Har-
rison and Folsom street docks
The schooner Ruby, which was lying
al anchor in Mission Bay, was struck
by a heavy squall about o'clock in
the morning, was forced away from
her mcorings and driven straight down
toward Nerba Buena Island. The ofa-
GERS Of the Marblehead saw the craft
drifting down upon them. The, battle-
ship promptly weighed anchors and
steamed out of the way Of the drifting
vessel.
The Ruby drifted down opposite
Clay street. when her anchors fouled
with the telegraph cable. which brought
her 10 sudden standstiil. There she
remained fast. until the tug Defiance
came to her rescue, and after hard
struggle, succeeded in getting her
anchors detached from the cable She
was then towed back to her original
anchorage.
The torpedo destroyer Paul Jones,
which was lying in the stream, was
struck by the gale and carried with
terrific Smash against the Marblehead,
which was also lying at anchor in the
stream. Several plates of the Marble
head were stove in by the collision.
The Paul Jones bulwarks were
smashed and in the miX-up one of her
small boats was carried away. The
Paul Jones was later towed TO anchor
age OF the Union Iron Works.
The bay steamer AlYiso underwent a
tough experience. She was lying along
side the Harrison-street wharf. Here
the storm seemed to reach its height
Had the Alviso not been tied TO the
wharf she would certainly have turned
turtle. AS il was, she was so thrown
about that her smokestack came down
with crash and fell over into the bay.
The fantail of her wheel was smashed
by beating UP against the dock, her
rails on the upper deck were torn
away, ana the upper works in the bow
were smashed.
The United States tug General Mif-
film is the worst damaged of any of
the craft that suffered by the storm.
She was lying alongside the south end
of the transport dock when the steam
ship Eureka, which was loading on the
north side of Folsom No. 2. was torn
away by the fury of the gale and was
borne down on the little Government
tug. The Eureka struck the stern Of
the Miffiin with an awful crash. Just
at this moment Captain Hall managed
10 get steam up on the Eureka and
backed her out into the stream, where
she came TO anchorage and remained
until morning. when she came back
TO her slip The stern of the Miff1in
is badly smashed Her stanchions
supporting the hurricane deck were
tern away and twisted like pipestems-
Tie upper deck. which is made of steel,
is knocked out of shape for twenty feet.
Her bulwarks are badly smashed. Her
damages are estimated at something
like $4,000.
BY collision with the Miffiin the bull
warks of the starboard side of the
Eureka were smashed Captain Hall,
commander of the Eureka. says his
ship was tied up to the dock with two
heavy mooring cables, two big hawsers
and a chain. The gale was so heavy
that all these snapped off like so many
pipestems. The damage to the Eureka
is about $500.
Notwithstanding the rough weather
Yesterday on the water front, large
crowds went out to visit the United
States war vessels Chicago and Mar
blehead and the Italian cruiser Um-
bria The bay was choppy and brisk
breeze was blowing. This seemed to
add special zest to the trip to and from
the warships
The launches of Crowley, Peterson
Mcneil and Johnson were kept busy
in the service all the afternoon. crowd
ed with sightseers.