The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 17, 1898, Page 1

2 Call VOLUME LXXXIIIL.—NO. 107. = § TWO GOOD SHIPS LAY THEIR BONES IN THE STRAITS The Steamers Coya and Mataura, Heavily Laden, Strike on the Rocky Shores of Magellan. Dne an American Boat and the Other an English Liner Whose Crew and Passengers Suffer Almost Incredible Hardships From Exposure. ‘HE little steamer New England has “ arrives ston, bringin particulars of the loss of two ma nificent ocean steamers in the Strai | of Magellan. One of the ve Is be- | Jonged to t S aland St | v, anc pany to the Company, & York to V: at over $1,000,0 Both s mers were al- most brand new, and prot cost in the neighborhood of $1,000.000 to build and equip. The New Zealand boat was a total loss, as no attempt could be made at salving the cargo, owing to the native Patagonia who ared fn force whenever anybody attempted to approach , but in the of the New el a wrecker was at work on gland passed. | atter yesterday | ¢ of the New splendid voy- on except for England said: age all the way from one little gale, which « t us in the | Gulf stream. We had fine weather all the way through the Straits of Magellan | 1ch wonderfully beau- and I never saw s enery as I there. There are ficent snow and ice bound mountains rcing the skies, their lower slopes clothed with mighty forest trees | and the water still and mirrorilke. In | winter the passage is complicated by ice- bergs, formed often by the avalanches ich crash down the mountain sides and other tim are floated in from the ntarctic. Luckily we escaped contact with any of these gentlemen. “In the straits it nearly always blows m the westward and a close lookout has w Kept for the ‘willle-waws.’ | These are squalls which come down from the hills in all directions and gather in a funnel pe, and woe betide the ship | which gets caught in the center of them. It was in one of these that the steamer City of Columbi: w so long out from ul twenty widows, all of whom were bound‘ for the Klondike. “The latest news from the Columbia il; that the money to pay for her rapairs is | not forthcoming from the agents in New | York, and the vessel is being held for | the debt, while the Klondikers are prac- | tically stranded in Valparaiso. | “Passing Baxa Point, in the Straits of | Magellan,” continued Mate Spinney, “‘we | fr New York for Francisco, came to |saw the wreck of a steamer about a half- | grief. She was making a short cut | mile from shore. We ran down to it, and | through Smyth Channel, in the Straits |found it to be the steamer Coya, from | | New York for Valparaiso. of Magellan. She came to an anchor in She is owned the night and a ‘willie-waw’ caught her, | by the New York and Pacific Steamship | g her to drag her anchor and drift | Company, but was under charter to | ast She struck hardest under the en- | Grace Co. of New York. The rock on gines, but was got off and proceeded to | which she struck is the only one in the | 1huano. She was not making a great | vicinity, and there is 18 feet of water on | that at low tide. Had she gone 100 feet on either of it all would have been | well. Instead of that, however, she could not have struck it squarer if she had been trying to find it, and the result is of water, but the captain decided to He could not do so, however, Chilean man-of-war was on dock, so he proceeded to Valpa- here the steamer w: docked found that she was very badly | the total loss of an almost brand new | and that it would take a large | steamer. From what we could gather, oney to repair her. The City | the Coya had got a little off her course, | had quite a large number of being too close in shore. She was being s on board, among whom were hauled up on it again when she struck | on the rock and at once began to fill. The e o | crew took to the boats and landed at 206000900099 9® | pDelgado Point. When we were there a % | wrecking schooner was working on the NEWS OF THE DAY. @ | Coya and salving as much of tae cargo as 77777 @ | they could get at. The cargo was being Weather forecast for San Fran- & | stored at Delgado Point.” | s o P on Thursday; continued & | The Coya was a steel steamer, built| chang- “!‘)f""mf':"‘» £ |in 18%. She was 3M0 tons gross burden, | Pisdingn ® | 322 feet long, 42 feet 7 inches broad and | perature for the past © | 15 feet 6 inches deep. She was splendidly | s et enan e enen 18 8 898 ~ —~THE LT TLE STCAMER NEW ENGLAND e At BROVORT THE NEWS” s —‘r—‘«‘/ " THE STRANDED MATAVRA WITH HER $2.600.000 CARG0 URRRI{ULIERRLR WOULD NOT SELL CUBA. MADRID, March 16.—A semi- official agency to-day publishes the following announcement: “Tt is useless to talk of the sale of Cuba. The sale could not be arranged except by Parliament, and it is impossible that any Spanish chamber would agree to sell the island at any price.” $8333533250825 0282508 56 0 W3S LRRYULLURIVREIBEO 50,000,000 for national defense and pu the Engineers’ de- partment in a position to hasten work on coast defenses all along the line. It will not only permit the purchase taken from the § | of large quantities of new building ma- terial and the employment of large | numbers of workmen to hurry to com- pletion the emplacements and maga- zines already planned and in course of construction on the Atlantic and Guif coasts, but will alsomake it possible for & | fitted throughout and was one of the fin-| Ban Franclsco 46 degrees & Portland . 2 degrees & | est_steamers running between New York | he was not sure of his position. He had @ Los Angeles degrees & | and Valparaiso. about made up his mind to put about and & San Diego %6 degrees & | ““While we were In Montevideo,” con- take his ship around the Horn when she struck on the reef, and all was over.” The Mataura was a two-deck steel screw steamer of 5794 tons gross burden. She was built in 1896 and was 421 feet long, fifty-four feet six inches in breadth and twenty-nine feet one inch deep. The en- tinued Mate Spinney, “we met Captain @ | Millward of the British steamer Mataura, and he told us of the loss of his fine ves- sel on Desolation Island, so we were pre- @ | pared to sight another wreck before we FIRST PAGE. Steamers Lost in Magellan Straits. President Still Hopes for Peace. S| ND PAGE. Jackson in Condition Deprived of Prison Privileges SIXTH PAGE. Editorial, ® © The Bar and the Bar. & Five New Drydocks. ® The Herces of '9. & The Elect of the Fleeced. P Colnon’s Evasion. e! War and the Food Supply. o Around the Corridors, PS SE Improving the Fire Department. & | Weight Sealers Not Wanted. | & Telephone System Denounced. be! @ EIGHTH PAGE. ® | ® Bt Patrick's Day Programme. @ | ® Pullman-West Wedding. | @& A Battle With Footpads. | PS NINTH PAGE. & Whites in Optum Dens. ® @& Report on the National Guard. RS @ TENTH PAGE. kS & The Commercial World. @ ® ELEVENTH PAGE. @ ¢ An Ola-Time Bell. P & News From Across the Bay. @ s TWELFTH PAGH. & Racing at Emeryville. & The City Visited by Snow. @ ® THIRTEENTH PAGH. & Births, Marriages and Deaths. s FOURTEENTH PAGE. ® ® The Ferry Bullding Scandal. @ ® L4 BP0 00 0009000000000 tinued, but directly it moderated the five boats made a start for Punta Arena. The captain’s boat parted from the others during the night, and the other four were compelled to put back to Sealer Cove. Later the captain’s boat, with the two lady passengers in it, was picked up by the steamer Hyson and landed at Punta Arena. The four other boats put to sea | again the day after the captain was picked up, but they also parted company in the fog, and the chief officer's boat | was picked up by the Chilean surveying | vessel Toro, which later on also picked up | two more of the boats. The remaining boat was picked up by the Yanez, an- other surveying boat, so the whole crew, sixty-two souls in all, were once more | united at Punta Arena, having suffered | terribly from the exposure. “Sealer Cove, where the Mataura was wrecked, is on the western section of the straits—that is, the half between Cape Forward and the Pacific Ocean. At this part of the straits the set and change of the tide are very uncertain, owing to the meeting of the Jerome Channel tides with those of the straits. On the west side of the Jerome Channel are two coves, Wood Cove and Sealer Cove, the latter being the place where the Mataura was beached. A very heavy fog had hung over the straits for some days, and Cap- ‘The Needs of t! avy. @ > o | got torough the Straits of Magellan. The . i S ey & | Cove, and both vessel and cargo were a | f1Cd UB WUR CIEREUE B A e lat- s isst o, oLl mta’ 2| :otal 1:;:5. From what we could gather | WP TofCEEre e % THIRD PAGE. rom the captain and crew, the vessel 55 The Latest News From Daweow ¢ | had made good time all the way from | The ;‘f“‘;;‘;;;‘;fl‘;‘;’i", consiged g Trains a Cannon on & Mob. | New Zealand except for a slight delay PP . El Dorado on Vancouver. | caused by an accident to the machinery, | L2000, Besides this she had 280 pack- Rich Ore in the Stickeen. & |:Bhe was going full speed when she struck | A8¢S of cheese, 1374 packages of butter, Goaded to Death by Fire. © | on Desolation Island. .She struck twice, | 2,05 carcasses of mutton, &15 catcasses Deadty Pumes Kill Timbor. $|and made water rapidly, tho carpenter | Of NI T RN 20 M o gnments, Funeral of General Rosecrans. & | reporting two large leaks. She was run | . of which were valued at another mil- L Do 2 |into a little sheltered bay called Sealer | {ion of doliars. Frost Damages Frult Crops. >4 ‘ Cove and the Anchor wwas dropped. As| ‘The little steamer New England, which Annexation Treaty Abandoned. o steamer was sinking rapidly, the |y ugnt the particulars of the above two Mangled by Deadly Dynamite o | boats, with provisions and all on board, | wrecks, is a brand new vessel which has The Gang Scores Boss Rea. & | were landed on the beach. The weather | come out here to engage in the halibut Double Tragedy at St. Helena. & | was rough and cold, and there Was a|fishing. She is commanded by Captain J Railway With Bed of Brush. & | heavy rain for two days, and everybody | . Small, the chief engineer is R. S. Sacramento to Expel Gamblers. & | suffered a great deal, particularly two| poqge, the first assistant engineer Powderly Gets His Job. & |lady passengers, a Mrs. A. J. Park and | Charles Bassett, and she carries a crew ER s @ neniChugh | o elghteen all told. She is very com- Fene it s ek f/ “For two days the bad weather con- | fortably fitted, and everybody on board lives in one large cabin, the captain’s and officers’ rooms opening out into the main room. They all seem to be like one fam- ily, and certainly a Jjollier set of men never came through the Golden Gate. They only signed for this voyage, and the majority of the boys will leave the steamer when she reaches Puget Sound, and will strike out for the Klondike. The New England is a very pretty little ves- sel, and can reel off her thirteen knots an hour when in trim. She will coal here, after which she will proceed to Vancou- ver, B. C., where she will be laid up until the season for halibut fishing opens. —_——— MILLIONS GIVEN FOR COAST DEFENSE. The Engineers’ Department Has Scored a Victory in the Matter of the Big Appropriation. NEW YORK, March 16.—A Washing- ton special to the Herald says: Brigadier-General John M. Wilson, chief of the engineers of the army, scored a point to-day in securing through Secretary Alger the approval of the President for an allotment of $5,000,000 for extending work on sea- tain Millward of the Mataura stated that coast fortifioations. This sum will be the chief of engineers, if he deems it advisable, to go outside the recom- mendations of the old Endicott bill and begin the fortifications of places like Jacksonville, Tampa, Port Royal and others which have not hitherto been in- cluded in the general fortification bill. Such places have risen to great im- portance since the Endicott Board made its report thirteen years ago, and the chief of engineers has recognized the necessity of making further provi- sion for their defense, but has been un- able to do anything in this direction on account of the smallness of the annual appropriations for the use of the En- gineers’ department. Plans are under consideration for the rapid fortification of the new points mentioned, as well as Dry Tortugas, and it is probable that contracts will be let shortly for the beginning of the work. There is still very much to be done all along the Eastern coast, and the allotted sum to-day will be appor- tioned in small sums to cover the whole territory. COMMANDER BROWNSON ARRIVES AT LONDON. LONDON, March 16.—Commander W. C. Brownson, the special commissioner of the United States Navy Department for the inspection and selection for purchase, if conditions should require, of warships of foreign powers now on the market, arrived here to-day. In the course of a brief interview, he ex- pressed himself as gratified to learn that the American Government had purchased the Brazilian cruisers Ama- zonas and Admiral Abrouall. Commander Brownson went immedi- ately to the United States Embassy, where he had a conference with Lieu- tenant Colwell, the naval attache. P e EXPEDITION TO INVADE PORTO RICO. NEW YORK, March 16.—A Havana dispatch says: Madrid advices state that the Government has learned that Cuban residents in the United States and some Cuban officers who have re- cently arrived there from General Garcia’s camp are planning an impor- tant expedition to invade the island of Porto Rico. The Minister at Washing- ton has been instructed to make all ef- forts to prevent at any ure of such an expedi! 000000000000 CO0000C0000 cost the depart- WHY THE PRESIDENT STILL CHERISHES THE HOPE OF PEACE WITH SPAIN He Admits There Are Troublesome Times Ahead and There Is No Question Spain Is Pre- paring for a Diplomatic Row. a NEW YORK, March 16.— The Herald's Washington cor- respondent sends the following: I learn to-night the principal reason for the President’s op- timistic views regarding the ex- isting situation. On account of the pressure to be brought upon Spain by European financiers and others who control her purse strings, and our state of preparation to meet war, he be- lieves Spain will find a way to comply with our demands, both as regards the Maine disaster and the general Cuban question. He admits, however, that there are ugly times ahead, and that many war scares are likely, even if hostilities in the end can be avoided. The attitude assumed by Spain in in- | timating that the presence of United States war vessels in close proximity to Cuba is interfering with the success of autonomy, as exclusively announced in the Herald this morning, shows that the Spanish Government is preparing for a diplomatic controversy that does | not forebode graceful submission to the | demands which may be made in the di- rection of independence for Cuba. The action of Minister Polo y Bernabe yesterday in suggesting to Assistant Secretary Day that the withdrawal of our vessels and a less bellicose attitude on our part pending the forthcoming elections is considered by some diplo- mats here as a good diplomatic stroke for Spain. The object, evidently, is to attempt to show to the nations of the world that if autonomy fails it is be- cause the attitude of the United States has been such as to encourage the insur- gents in holding out the hope of inter- vention by this country. Having inau- gurated an autonomist policy at the urgent solicitation of this country, the Spanish representatives here take the ground,as made clear in Minister Poloy Bernabe’s interview with Assistant Sec- retary Day yesterday, that we should give it every opportunity for a fair trial; that we have not done so and that the continued presence of a powerful fleet within a few hours’ sail of Havana will operate to prevent a fair test of the scheme at the forthcoming elections. The Minister’s representations, how- ever, have not changed ‘the policy of the administration. The North Atlantic squadron is not only to remain where it is, but is to be increased, and exten- sive military preparations are to con- tinue to be actively pushed. There has been a slight change of programme in regard to the movement of vessels in Cuban waters. The Montgomery, now anchored in Havana harbor, is to come back to Key West and be replaced by the naval supply vessel Fern. It is de- clared at both the State and Navy De- partments, however, that this change is not due to any representations made by the Spanish Government. The coming week will be an eventful one. I understand that the report of the Court of Inquiry will be in the hands of the President on Saturday. Antici- pating that the findings will clearly show that an outside explosion caused the disaster, the President has already made up his mind what kind of a de- mand he will make upon Spain, and will, therefore, lose no time in formu- lating his note to the Spanish Govern- ment. A full synopsis will be cabled to SRR PO0COOCOO0000000000000 Minister Woodford and the text mailed the same day, and copies furnished to Minister Polo y Bernabe here. Whether the President will await a L 08 L8 10 10 X0 306 10 106 O 00 06 08 OF OF ¥ XOF OO X O 0¥ COUVOOOARLOCCAORATU AT AN AUSTRIAN CONSUL LG o Lk oC oL oo oo Pl HELPING Austrian Consul, sulting his home States. been made. The British Consul had made an error. of the Austrian Government. SROPITD §3353288833333282 ply from Spain before sending the re- port to Congress is uncertain. But there will be no delay in acquainting the pub- lic with the findings of the court. I was told to-day that it would be made public within twenty-four hoars after its re- ceipt. Representations as to the ending of the Cuban war will be made to Spain immediately after, if not at the same time with the demand for reparation on account of the Maine disaster. The President has in no sense changed his purpose to insist that the destruction of the Maine and the killing of her officers and men is an additional and énal reason why war must stop. Just when or exactly how he will carry out this general purpose will probably be fully determined within a very few days after the receipt of -the report. Hoping that the whole matter may be settled through the medium, of diplo- macy, the President will exhaust every means in that line at his command. He is no longer concerned about the atti- tude of Congress, believing he will have the support of that branch of the Gov- ernment in any course he adopts. He is therefore withholding any advice as to the time of adjournment, and as an- nounced by his close personal and po- litical friend, Mr. Grosvenor, in the House to-day, he is not meddling with Congress in any way. Activity in the direction of an early adjournment is now confined mainly to Mr. Reed and his followers. It is becoming more and more apparent every day that in spite of the desires of some Republican lead- ers to wind up the session at an early day, Congress will not adjourn until the Cuban question is in a fair way to final settlement. A poll made by a New York paper to- day shows that the House is overwhelm- ingly opposed to an adjournment until some action is taken in the Cuban ai- fair. The proposition to provide for 100 ad- ditional engineers is likely to renew the dissensions between the line and staff. Chairman Boutelle of the House Naval Committee is said to be standing in the way of any measures for the efficiency of the navy demanded by the present emergency. It is asserted in some quar- ters that he has taken issue not only with Secretary Long, but directly with the President, and that the situation is such that the administration feels that if Mr. Boutelle is sustained by the Naval Committee and the House the navy will be seriously crippled. The trouble, it is stated, arises over the “Re- o -SPAIN A HAVANA, Cuba (via Key West, Fla.), March 16.—One of the most popular men in Havana t6- Frederick Berndes, who, as told in a recent cable dispatch to the Herald, has contributed to the fund being raised for the purpose of purchasing a warship to be presented to Spain. No one believes that Mr. Berndes made the contribution without con- Government, consequently Austria is counted upon as the sure ally of Spain in case of trouble with the United When Consul-General Lee first heard of Mr. Berndes' contribu- tion he said it was not diplomatic, and refused to believe Mr. Berndes, however, made no explanation further than to say he is a merchant in Havana, and made his contribution in his private capacity and not as the representative bed o 1 pet=d puted puged putsd o p=3 TO BUY WARSHIP. day among loyal Spaniards is the it had , too, seemed to think Mr. Berndes =2 23221 f=R=R=2=2cF:1 £ HXELELERERKEE R R E " AUSTRIA AND ITALY MAY FAVOR SPAIN.. b oo WASHINGTON, March 16— The note of sympathy for Spain from Vienna, followed by the re- port that Italy would like to help Spain, is having consider- able significance attached to it in some quarters. It is said that both Austria and Italy will make a demand on the United States for indemnity for the kill- ing of the subjects of the two countries by the deputies of Sheriff Martin in the Hazleton coal regions last fall. The de- mand for indemnity can be so timed as to make it appear that both Austria and Italy are against the United States and in favor of Spain. ok ok ok ok kK K K K K K K R R % % ke B HW ok Kk ok Rk ok Rk Rk Rk Kk kRN KRR R organization bill,” which increases the number of engineers and provides for strengthening the efficiency of the navy. The bill has been for some years before Congress, and resulted in the report of one.of the boards of visitors to the Naval Academy and the report of a board composed of seven line and four staff officers, appointed by the Secretary of the Navy. g The bill was drawn up in advance of any emergency, it being foreseen that if ever the navy was to be called into ser- vice such a reorganization would be es- sential to its efficiency. The emergency has come sooner than it was expected and the administration is represented as extremely anxious to have the bill passed at once. The Navy Department is so short of engineers that the vessels in commission are represent- ed as insufficiently officered in this re- spect and they are practically unable to officer the Minneapolis and Columbia and the two new vessels bought abroad. The purchase of any more vessels, it is said, will be useless as long a8 this con- dition of affairs exists, and the way is not seen clearly to make use of the two now purchased. The President sent for Mr. Boutelle and it is asserted Boutelle flatly refused to permit action on the measure and suggested that he had his own notions about the needs of the navy. It is said that he has taken the position that 100 machinists will be all that are required to relieve the strain, and that he is will~ ing to have these provided for in a rider on the appropriation bill. Mr. E&’bom of California, who is &