The San Francisco call., 1906-05-10
Two. VESSELS COLLIDE
OFF THE PORT AT NIGHT
Bark George Curtis Is Badly
Damaged on High Seas.

The bark George Curtis has complet-
! ed her repairs and is now in the stream
ready to make another attempt to get
to Honolulu Her last attempt was a
disastrous one, resulting in a collision
which caused the death Of the second
mate and nearly that Of the captain,
besides Gripping the vessel and COM
pelling her to put back to this port IN
distress.
The Curtis sailed from here on the
morning Of April II. bound for Homo
lulu with full cargo of general mer-
chandise. That night at o'clock, when
about sixty miles off the Farallon ISL
ands, the lookout sighted a vessel III
the distance bearing directly toward
them.
The captain was called and at once
came on deck. Ihe night was slightly
hazy, but not thick. AS the approach
ing vessel did not seem to alter her
course Captain Kelly Of the Curtis de-
cided to change his course and was
in the act Of doing so when the yes
sci, which proved to be the four-masted
schooner Mindoro. crashed into the
starboard quarter aft the mizzen-mast
OF the Curtis, tearing away the lower
rigging OF the mizzen-mast. smashing
the rail and main water ways for a
distance Of twenty feet and demolisn-
ing the cabin.
The force Of the impact caused the
Mindoro to lose her 5ibboom. which
fell with q great crash on the deck
of the bark. killing Edward Downing,
the second mate. instantly. and badly
wounding Captain Kelly on the head
and arms. The Mindoro. which was
light, bounced away from the Curtis
like ball and disappeared into the
darkness without trying to give any
assistance to the crippled bark
Captain Kelly was unconscious when
picked up on the deck and it was some
hours before he could be revived. First
Mate Pat A. Hern at once put the
vessel about ana made for this port.
which he reached on April 19.
A passenger by the name Of Crock
ett, who was asleep in the cabin at the
time, nearly lost his life. as his bunk
and the whole side Of his cabin were
smashed to atoms. The body OF the
second mate was buried at sea on tho
18th at p. m.
Both vessels were going at the rate
Of knots an hour.
Mate Hern says that no Jar of the
earthquake was felt, although the
George Curtis was but hundred
miles from shore. He says on the night
of the 18th. when eighty miles of the
coast, they saw the reflection Of flames
In the sky. Ttey mounted SO high
that those on board the bark thought
the mountains back OF Santa Cruz were
on fire.
The damage to the Curtis amounted TO
about $4,000. Captain Kelly has recov-
cred sufficiently to take the vessel to
Honolulu when she sails this week.
WILL SAIL TODAY.
The steamship Nippon Maru will sail
lat ! .. M today for the Orient via
Honolulu. She takes about forty cabin
passengers and a full complement Of
freight. Among those sailing are Con-
sui J. M. Tyssowski of the Consulate
at Yokohama, Miss Elsie Cook and
Miss Houston Cook. daughters of
Judge Carroll Cook; United States Con-
sui C. B. Harris to Nagasaki. and his
niece, Miss Roach, and Takahakt Aoki.
a prominent merchant Of Yokohama
She also carries 200 Chinese and 80 jap
aness In the etesrage.
SERVICE UNINTERRUPTED.
| The Honolulu sailing packet service
between here and the islands has been
uninterrupted and is now running as it
always has been. The service includes
the vessels OF D. Spreckels & Bros.
Company, welch & Co., Williams. Di-
mond & Co. and Alexander Baldwin.
CRASHES INTO DOCK.
The steam schooner Prentiss was
yesterday afternoon. when she ran full
force into the end Of the Howard-streeu
pier. She struck the wharf with a
great crash and sent the piles flying in
all directions. Nobody seemed to know
what the captain was trying to do and
perhaps he didn't know himself.
COAST TRADE INCREASING.
The business OF the coast traders,
especially those In the lumber service.
has been steadily on the increase since
the earthquake, and the docks are lined
with craft in this work.
EXPORT MOVEMENTS.
The schooner Allen A was cleared for
Mahukona yesterday with 25.S74 lbs
bran. S37 ctls barley. 1000 lbs middlings.
so bales hay, 2i ctls wheat, 10 bbls
| -four, A75.S75 lbs fertilizer, 1000 railroad
! ties and 175.0o0 # lumber, valued at
| $14,872.
The steamer Umatilla, which sailed
on Tuesday for Victoria, had assorted
cargo consigned to British Columbian
ports. The cargo included 1886 lbs Of
dried fruit. 27s pkgs fresh fruits and
vegetables and 30 cs canned goods
! TO LOAD LUMBER.