The San Francisco call., 1908-11-19
Shipping News and Gossip
of the Water Front
Auxiliary Cruiser Buffalo Is Taking
Thanksgiving Dinner to the Fleet

The navy auxiliary cruiser Buffalo
came down from Mare island yesterday
and will sail early this morning for
Magdalena bay, heavily freighted with
stores for the ships of the Pacific
feet now in Mexican waters engaged
In record target practice.
The Buffalo has on board the fleets
Thanksgiving dinner. The $50 tons
of stores towed out to the cruiser
yesterday included great piles of tur-
keys and innumerable kegs of mince
meat, as well as the other trimmings
that go to make a traditional Thanks
giving dinner.
The officers and men of the fleet ex-
pected when they left here on their
cruise through the south seas that they
would be able to eat their Christmas
dinner in this harbor, but there is
now some doubt as to where they VIII
be on December 25. The Buffalo is
due at Magdalena bay about two days
before Thanksgiving.
Commission VIII Meet Today
After the regular meeting of the
state board of harbor commissioners,
TO be held this morning IN the ferry
depot the seawall commission Will meet
TO award the contract for the conStruc-
ton of another 600 feet of seawall. The
seawall commission is made up Of the
members of the harbor board, the
mayor OF san FRANCISCO anu lit6 SON-
ernor OF California. At meeting OF
the seawall commission held month
ago Mayor Taylor signifed his lnten-
tion Of being present this afternoon ana
Governor Gillett, who was absent from
the meeting at which the advertising
for bids was authorized, may also at
tend. At the regular meeting of the
board plans and specifications Will be
submitted for pier 3S. which viii be
built on the site of the old Pacific Mail
wharf, and will be of steel and con-
crete construction throughout.
Close CaII for Ferry Steamers
A dense fog again enveloped the bay
during the early hours of yesterday, but
the ferry steamers were operated with
out accident. During the worst of the
fog the Southern Pacific and Key Route
steamers were run on a thick weather
schedule, which is so arranged as to re-
duce 10 a minimum the danger of col
hsion. In spite of the fog schedule,
however. the steamers Newark, Oak
Goat island about I o'clock a. m. and
only the prompt action of the three
pilots averted a disaster. The Newark
from the Oakland mole and the Oakland
from the Alameda mole were heading
this way. Suddenly right ahead loomed
the Claremont. Signals sounded slmul-
taneously on all three steamers, each
vessel stopped and then backed. BY the
time they stopped the three noses were
within 100 feet of each other.
Is Going Back TO sydney
The British ship British Yeoman,
Captain Stone, clea-ci yesterday for
Sydney, there to load coke for this port.
Before returning here the ship will go
TO Newcastle, Australia, and NIL up with
coal. The British Yeoman arrived here
May 90 from Sydney, where the vessel
was owned. Its troubles during the
early part Of its stay in this port are
inscribed on the records OF the local
federal court. Plastered with liens, the
ship was ordered sold TO satisfy the
claims against it and was bought by
Eschen & Minor of this city, who have
chartered their bargain to j. ]. Moore
Heoman is returning to its home port
flying the British flag just the same,
but sailing under the house flag of an
alien owner
probably take grim interest in the
British Teoman's visit. The ship left
there his property and without incum-
brance Through no act of his ii ac-
quired a burden of responsibilities
which represented more money than
the ship was worth and by the laws of
a foreign land his property was sold
and the proceeds turned over to those
who held liens against 1t.
Is Admiral Cosblan's Son
c. Coghlan has been appointed mas
ter Of the navy tug which will do the
towing in connection with the navy
cOaling station at California City. The
tugs principal work viii be towing
coal barges between California City
and the Mare island navy yard A
competitive examination was held for
the purpose of selecting the master
and Coghlan stood first of about
dozen applicants. Coghlan, who was
formerly in the Pacific Mail service is
a son of Rear Admiral Coghlan, United
States navy, retired, the gallant war
rior whose famous jingle, Me und
Gott." aroused the anger of the Ger
man emperor, to appease whose wrath
the navy department gave the admiral
an official call down" Coghlan Jr.
has a good name in the merchant
service.
The Whang HO Is Safe
The Chinese junk Whang Ho. which
left here January for New York and
long that it was almost given up for
lost is safe at Thursday island, dis
mantled by the elements, but afioat
The British steamer Moana, which ar
rived yesterday at Victoria, B. c.. from
sydney reported that the Whang Ho
had been picked up by a British reve-
nue. cutter and towed TO Thursday
island.
The Whang Ho arrived here Decem-
Der 8, 1907, manned by supposed Chi
nese pirates, who subsequently left
the vessel and returned to the Los
Angeles restaurants where they had
been working before the Whang Ho
promoters engaged their services The
Whang HO was built in imitation of
an old Chinese war Junk and was on
exhibition here and about the bay for
several months. There were imitation
blood stains on the tween decks and a
set OF instruments of torture and an
cient implements of warfare, the al
leSed outht of notorious pirate junk
FernwOod Is Inspected
The Key Route steamer Fernwood
underwent its first annual inspection
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