The San Francisco call., 1907-02-15

The Pacific Mall liner City OF Peklng
has gone out of commission and may
never again steam through the Golden
Gate The United States inspectors of
eteam vessels yesterday condemned her
and have revoked her license which
will not be registered until there has
been done in her insides certain patch
ing and renewing which viii cost more
than the Pacific Mail Company may feel
disposed to eLpend.
The expense of putting the Peking
into a sea-going condition win be about
5000. 600. and when the work has been
done she viii still be in need of fire.
ouent expensive bracing up, for she is
beginning TO suffer from that incurable
disease that comes to men and ships
alike. old age. The Pel1ing was built
in 1874 and for the thirty-three years
OF her life has been almost continuous
y in commission. Her career has been
successful and she is still one of the
hsndsomest liners on the Pacific.
Appearances, however, are deceptive.
for when the inspectors went probing
yesterday below her boilers they found
a very grave condition Of affairs They
found that the boilers. instead Of rest
ing on solid concrete supports, were
practically hanging by braces that were
intended to steady but not TO support
The once solid concrete had disinte-
grated and no longer served any pur-
pose except TO show. the necessity Tor
renewal
r. p Schwerin IS in the East and
until his return the fate of the Peking
viii be undecided. At the time the
examination was made she was under
going extensive repairs, previously or
dered by the inspectors. When they
made their report yesterday all work
was stopped and all the hands relieved
Of duty The liner, which had been
Trsre~ Trsn-- or 2 <
hauled into the stream and there she
win remain with three watchmen
aboard until Schwerin decides what he
viii do The liners hull is said to be
IN good condition
Cement Contract Awarded
The Harbor Commissioners yesterday
directed the secretary of the board TO
ask ". s. Palmer, superintendent Of the
Southern Pacific, If the railway cor
poration would join the Commission
.ers IN dredging Channel Creek, from
tide water 70 Fifth street
The board, on the recommendation Of
Chief Engineer Norton, awarded the
contract for 1900 tons OF cement to
the Pacific Construction Company at
1880 per ton. On the face Of the
proposal, J. J. Moore & Co.'S bid Of
S1S.1255 per ton was lowest, but the
engineer figured that the quantity con-
made the price higher in the aggre-
gate than the bid to supply a ton Of
1000 pounds.
VIII Move Uptown Today
The clerical force Of the Pacific Mail
Company today viii leave the tenn
porary quarters established after the
FIRE at Second and Brannan streets for
more cOmmodious and less malarial
quarters in the Flood building Since
q few weeks after the big vibration
Vice President and General Manager
r. P. Schwerin has made his business
home IN saloon at the corner Of Sec
ond and Brannan streets, and IN an
other former steam beer emporium
dfagonauy across the street and i'm
mediately over the exit OF the Bran
nan-street sewer the freight and pas
senger departments have been quar-
tered. The treasurer's Office was in
stalled in a shsnty on the wharf and
above the rafters, adjoining the Asia
tic detention shed, the accounting de-
partment was built habitation- In
these temporary quarters a large force
Of employees was accommodated. Every
man that has survived considers him
self immune from malaria or other Ills
accompanying the inhalation of sewer
gas, and no regrets were heard yester-
day when the order came for todays
- general exodus uptown to Offices where
mahogany desks hold no menace of
slivers and where Brussels carpet viii
be substituted for sand and sawdust.
LdbeIs Against Vessels
Pierre Boisseau, cook, and Laurent
DUchesne, carpenter. fled a libel in the
United States District Court yesterday
against the schooner Carrie and Annie
70 recover $500 wages each They al
lege that they shipped IN the capacities
named for a salmon fishing expedition
from San Francisco to Alaska, and that
when they got into deep water they
were informed that the schooner was
on a whaling voyage. They allege
further that they received no wages
Jean Henry, master Of the French
ship Bretagne. filed a libel in the
United States District Court yesterday
against Henry Lund & Co. and 200 tons
of coke to recover $1,000 alleged to be
due as freightage on a cargo from
Antwerp
Repairs VIII Come High
It costs money 10 touch a passenger
steamer on the rocks. The Pacific
Coast Steamship Company's Spokane
bumped g hard place in the vicinity Of
Duncan Island a few days ago and put
hack to Seattle. It was reported at
the time that she was probably unin-
5ured, but had gone back for q survey
TO be on the safe side. The survey
has been made, and It was announced
yesterday that TO repair the damage
caused by that little bump will cost
$4,000.
Peru VIII Sail Monday
Owing to the fact that she is go
ing on the drydOck for her regular
overhauling, the Pacific Mail liner
Peru viii not sail for Panama until
next Monday, instead OF Saturday.
Water Front Notes
Receipts OF lumber by sea yesterday
amounted TO nearly 100000 feet.
The Oceanic Steamship Company's
liner Sierra, Captain HopdIette, arrived
yesterday at Honolulu from this port
The liner Coptic, Captain Dixon, ar
rived yesterday at Hongkong.
The German ship Christel sailed yes
terday for Sydney Heads for orders
The Standard Oil COmpany's tanker
Winnebago sailed yesterday for Shang-
hal