It has rained much of the day today, which is very unusual for late June. It was not windy when I left work, so I was able to use my umbrella. 
From the 20-April-1897 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. Click on the image to see a larger version.
The old-time clipper Three Brothers has come to her last notch. At one time a warship, then one of the largest and fastest clippers in the American mercantile marine, she was finally sold to an English firm and passed under tne English flag. Months ago she outgrew her usefulness and is now serving as a coal hulk for the English Government at Malta.
When the civil war was raging and the Alabama was creating havoc among the Federal merchantmen the big vessel was built and equipped by Commodore Vanderbilt at an expenditure of $1,000,000 and turned over as a present to the Government. At that time she was a side wheeler and did good service. When the Merrimac was being built in the South and the Monitor in the North a proposal was made to the Secretary of the Navy to send three warships South to make a combined rush at the Merrimac and attempt to turn her over. One of the men-of-war designated was the Vanderbilt, but before the attempt could be made the Monitor was built and ready to meet her rival.
After the war the Vauderbiit was sold to George Howes & Brothers of this City for $42,000. They took the machinery out and sold it for more than they paid for the steamer, and taking off her paddles made her into a three-masted ship, naming her the Three Brothers, after George, Henry and Jabez Howes. Her first trip out of the Golden Gate was in October, 1873, and Captain Cummings was in command. Her cargo consisted of over 5000 tons of wheat, and every vessel in port was decorated in honor of her departure. W. A. Coulter, the marine artist, made a magnificent picture of the scene, and it now decorates the walls of the Merchants Exchange. Mr. Coulter followed the Three Brothers to sea on a tug, and the accompanying cut is from a sketch he made just after the vessel got under way.
The Three Brothers was in the California trade for quite a time, and on every trip she made the run in less than 100 days. Then she was sold to an English firm, and now she is rotting to pieces as a coal hulk in the service of the English navy.
Captain George Cummings, who commanded the Three, Brothers all of the time that she carried the American flag, now lives at East Oakland. "She was built by Commodore Vanderbilt ior a yacht," said the veteran captain, "and then Vanderbiit attempted to secure the carrying of the mail between New York and Liverpool. In this he was defeated by the Collins line. He then set up an opposition line to Havre.
"When the war broke out in 1861 Vanderbilt presented the Three Brothers to the United States Government. She was fitted out as a privateer to capture the Alabama, and how I wish she had caught the latter. I was then the captain of the Young America and the Alabama overhauled us in the Strait of Sunda. After putting our crew to sea in small boats they burned her. My wife and two-year-old son were with me on that trip.
"After the war the Three Brothers was docked in New York, calked, overhauled, metaled and sent around the Horn to San Francisco. She lay at Mare Islana six years, and the only work she had to do in that time was to take Queen Emma to the islands.
"In 1870 she was sold to George Howe & Co., and fitted as a sailing vessel at an enormous expense. I was in Liverpool at the time he purchased her, and left the Young America to come to San Francisco and superintend the refitting of her.
"In October, 1873, we sailed for Havre with a cargo of wheat, Mr. Howe accompanying us. The voyage was made in 108 days. Mr. Howe remained in Europe when I returned to New York with the vessel. On arriving there we invited Commodore Vanderbilt to visit his old yacht, but he was unable to do so. One of the boys and her builder, with one or two others, took lunch with us, however.
"The Three Brothers never made any remarkably quick time nor had any accidents whatever. I owned one-sixteenth of her with Howe, but I am glad it was no more for we lost on every voyage. We were offered £4 10s and refuned it in Liverpool and afterward accepted £3 1s. Lawlor's Attorney told us that he was ready to offer £4 15s. but he knew it was useless. She carried 10,000 yards of sail.
"In 1879 she was sold in Liverpool at auction for a mere trifle, virtually given away. She is now a coal hulk at Gibraltar, the strongest old vessel ever built. I had a four-master model of her made and raffled it off for $2000. A man named Middleton, holding twenty-two chances, took the prize. He sold it to Macdonough, who in turn gave it to the Golden Gate Park Museum. It will pay any one to take a look at it."
Captain Cummings has a large painting of the Three Brothers by Walters of Liverpool, for which he paid $250, hanging in his residence. No visitor calls without admiring the vessel as well as the work of art.
A door on the Mission Street side of the former Rincon Annex Post Office. The building is a nice example of Streamline Moderne design. The lobby holds a wonderful WPA mural. I took the photo on 13-June-2011. 
The first issue of Action Comics, from June, 1938, featured the debut of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's Superman. The popularity of Superman revolutionized the comic book business and led to the creation of hundreds of other costumed super heroes. I was always more of a fan of Batman, who was a self-made man. 
Harold Lloyd's first short feature, A Sailor-Made Man, is advertised in the 01-January-1922 Ogden Standard-Examiner. "Ship Ahoy! Here's Gobs of Joy!" The White Mouse was a Selig short subject starring Lewis Stone, Wallace Beery and Ethel Grey Terry.
Today we went to the San Mateo County Fair. The weather was nice, clear but not too hot. I took the photo of two sheep who were enjoying the moderate temperatures. The pig races were very popular. Unfortunately, a member of the party came down ill, so we didn't stay very long.
I'm not sure there are any documented cases of a submarine fighting a Zeppelin with its deck gun, but here we have it illustrated on the cover of the February, 1929 Navy Stories. It's an exciting picture. 
Actress Alexis Smith poses as Betsy Ross. 
We went to the Blood Bank and got our Giants tee shirts. 
The Polytechnic Branch of the American Institute met at their rooms in the Cooper Institute last evening. Prof. Samuel D. Tillman presided and opened the meeting by reading his usual summary of scientific news. A machine for working sewing-machines by the use of springs was exhibited, and its merits and demerits freely discussed. Dr. Hall then exhibited a bathometer for sea soundings, which was highly commended. The subject for the evening, "The Aurora Borealis," was next taken up, and scientifically treated by Dr. Vanderweyde, who spoke at length, clearly setting forth the Electric theory, and seeking to prove the origin of the phenonmena to be from that source. The lateness of the hour preventing Dr. Hall's reply, further discussion was postponed.
I probably did not mention that the ugly sculpture store on the first floor of my building went out of business last year. Earlier this year, a museum of Craft and Design appeared, setting up and opening in just a few days. Friday they were gone. They had some interesting stuff. I'm not happy about the apostrophe in "it's next site."
General Eisenhower issued this message to his soldiers, sailors and airmen on 06-June-1944, D-Day. Click on the image to see a larger version. Thank heaven "this great and noble undertaking" was a success.
The Western Pacific Railroad's depot at Third and Washington in Oakland. This is from the May, 1914 Pacific Service Magazine, published by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
I was sorry to hear that James Arness had died. He was a World War II veteran, who was seriously injured during the invasion at Anzio. He played the monster in The Thing, but was famous for playing Marshal Matt Dillon in the television version of Gunsmoke. 
The flag flies at half staff over Station One on Howard Street today, the day after fireman Vincent Perez was killed in a fire in Diamond Heights and Anthony Valerio was critically injured. Perez was the first San Francisco firefighter killed on duty in eight years and the first to die in a fire since 1995.
On New Year's Eve 1898, the San Francisco Call advertised Horace Goldin as one of the acts at the Orpheum Theatre. This was early in his career, which continued until his death after a performance in 1939. He later developed an early version of the sawing a lady in half illusion (US Patent 1,458,575). I would like to see Mons. and Mme. Rofix, World's Greatest Chin Balancers.
After serving in the US Army Air Service during World War I, Ormer Locklear became a barnstormer who specialized in wing walking. He and his partner Skeets Elliot toured the country thrilling audiences. The Great Air Robbery was Locklear's first starring movie role. While shooting his second starring movie, The Skywayman (great title), pilot Elliot was blinded by spotlights during a night dive and both men were killed. The producers left the scene in the movie.
