Couilter --The Golden Gate Was Filled With Grain Ships -- April 20, 2024

San Francisco Call, 26-November-1896

"The Golden Gate Was Filled With Grain Ships Yesterday, All Eager to Get to Sea on Their Way to Europe. In Consequence Nearly Every Tug in the. Port Was Engaged. Quite a Number of Vessels Got In at the Same Time."

A wharfinger supervises a wharf. Now the job would be called Harbor Master.

From the 22-November-1896 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. Click on the image for a larger view.

AN EXODUS OF

GRAIN VESSELS

Many of Them Sailed for

Europe and India Yesterday.

Port Costa Is Crowded With

Vessels That Are Now Taking Wheat Aboard.

The Cruiser Philadelphia Has Taken

Aboard 1500 Tons of Coal and Is

Ready for Sea.

The biggest fleet of deep-water ships that has left this port in many a day sailed for foreign parts yesterday. Every tugboat in the bay was busy and in consequence the water front was almost deserted. Among the vessels that went out were the British ship Ross-shire for London, the Cromartyshire for Queenstown, the Rabaue for London, the Queen Margaret for Queenstown, the American ship Oriental for Nanaimo, B. C, and the American bark Prussia for Port Blakeley. Ail the vessels were in the Golden Gate at one time and the addition of a pilot-boat and some coasting schooners inward bound made up the liveliest scene that has occurred on the bay in many a day.

The United States cruiser Philadelphia is coaling and every available inch of space is being crowded with fuel. She will probably sail to-morrow for Callao and an attempt will be made to break the record. The warship is just off the drydock and has received a thorough overhauling. What the reason for haste is cannot be ascertained, but one thing is certain the Philadelphia will make for Callao without a stop and at a high rate of speed.

Over 1500 tons of coal have been put on the cruiser, and at the present time her decks do not present a very trim appearance. Everything will be shipshape before sailing day, however, and when Callao is reached the officers and crew will learn what has taken them there in a hurry.

The Abbey Club, composed principally of wharfingers and collectors on the waterfront, gave a social at its headquarters in Sausalito last evening. Chief Wharfinger Root and Assistant Chief Wharfinger Scott looked after the weliare of the guests, so it is no wonder that everybody had a most enjoyable time of it. Those who attended the social were: Mr, and Mrs. G. W. Root, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Stafford, Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Acche, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. G. H. S. Dryden, Miss Edna J. Scott, Miss Mae Root, the Misses Eva and Blanche Fairweather, Miss Jennie Gibson, Miss Carrie Keith, the Misses Anna and Tina Haas, Miss Nora Culp, Miss Mabel Washburn, Miss Josephine Dufficy, Ada Fogel, Messrs. C. F. Heywood, G. E. Bennett, F. C. and G. Hammond, H. S. Scott, Alex. Rosborough, H. P. Taylor, Dr. E. H. Pake, C. C. Pratt, F. B. Hall, G. S. Beachel, F. M. Weaton, Eaward Haas, "Prince" Johnson, Leon Swartz, James Gray, Walter Culp, J. F. Root.

One of the smartest pieces of work done on the water front in many a day was the unloading of 460,000 feet of lumber from the barkentine James A. Garfield in nineteen hours. The work was done under the supervision of C. L. Deiinet and he is justly proud of the performance. The handling of so much lumber in such a short space of time is remarkably quick work.

Captain Thomas W. Hutchinson, marine surveyor for Gutte & Frank, died at his residence, 927 Twentieth street, yesterday morning. He was at one time a bay pilot and was known to every shipping man in the City. He was well liked in all circles and the flags along the front were all at balfmast out of resneci to his memory.

The schooner J. W. Weatherwax put in here last night leaking. She was on her way from Grays Harbor to Levuka, Fiji, with a load of lumber, but sprang a leak during the recent heavy gale and had to put in for repairs.

The schooner C. A. Merchant arrived last night flying her flag at halfmast. She also was caught in the recent storm and one of the crew was washed overboard. The Merchant was a long time out, having taken sixteen days to get here from Everett, Wash.

The British ship California was sold last Tuesday for £17,600. She belonged to the White Star line and was the last of its fleet of sailing ships.

The British ship Duncan arrived off this port yesterday and, according to instructions, one of the pilots ordered her to proceed to Port Townsend to load for Europe.