The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-03-29

fiLoTAGE on PUGEr SoryD.-We
f~9i IN with Cart e. II Howard yes.er-
DAY ole oi the mem bers Of she Page.
Sound Pilot Company. aud be gave
u SOME interesting information con
te1Alng the av cation Of the doughty
!ead-men on these waters Their
avoca'ion. like many other nse ful cnes
Is franght With many dangers. had
SHIPS aud depriyations Coarag. and
true manlIness are Indispensable quail
lilies 10 the successful pilot. When the
weather Is most Indictment; " hen the
storm RACES the highest aid the pillows
roll the tierce.t; when all the forces of
nature seem 10 have consplred against
him, he must face them ali with q bold
heart and iron will, regardless Of all
personal comfort AMI his own safety. for
then it is his services are most needed;
/. is then that they become actually ia
dispensable 10 the courageous mariners
who go down TO the sea In ships"
His life Is one fraaght with romance
aud adventure; but OF kind which
most people would not covet. Captain
Howard has been u pilot on this part
OF the coast for the past eighteen
years, and his recital Of MANY adj
ventures during that time at Cape
Fattery and the storm bcsiegcd coast
in that vicinity are Of the most thrill
ing nature. During ali that time he
has only had the misfortune to get one
vessel ashore, and she was the Italian
bark lena. But in her case no dam
age was done The circumstances of
her grounding were such that the Cap
tain gave him Q written statement
fully exaonerating him from the
least blame IN the matter. Three
years ago there were six pilots on the
Sound. comprising two companies with
two boats and both making their head
quarters ut Neah Bay. One Of these
companies afterward withdrew, leaving
but one. which now has control Of al
tho pilot business on the Sound, and
they only find it reasonably rcmnner-
alive without competition. Coz sting
vessels never engage Il pilot unless dur
ing a very heavy storm or while in i'm
minent danger. Foreign vessels nearly
always require their services; also all
strange vessels coming to the Sound
The pilotage rates are IS per foot for
vessels under Is feet draught aud $40 for
vessels upwards of Is feet. According
to the law of 1868 all American vessels
are exempt from pilotage. while all
foreign vessels are compelled to pay
half pilot rates whether they engage
tl...r frh,a ta.,
of foreign vessels deem exceedingly
unjust. and claim that deep water
American vessels should to obliged to
pay AS we'll as they. The pilot compa-
ny III question have q little schooner Of
about thirty one tons, and spend their
time principally in cruising about Cape
Flat,ery aud the mouth Of the Straits Of
Fuca. They find it very rough at times
and are frequently exposed to great
dangers, During very heavy storms
they run into Neah Bay but even then
they and their little craft are frequent
ly in great peril. For instance. Ia a
very heavy gale of wind a year ago last
winter, they lost both anchors IN the
bay, AMI tue only alternative WAS 10
put square out into the Laying sea,
which was running mountains high at
the time. lashing the ragged rocks along
the coast into great masses of white
foam. and run To Port Townsend for
shelter. TIE Captain related TO us how
two years ago next month, they board. !
French bark in distress near Cape
Bcal during terrible sale, and finally
GO, her iii sheltered ncok and safely
anchored, when they noticed an Eng
lish vessel loaded with government
stores. run boldly in among the ragged
rccks and cliffs at the cIpe and heave
to- \ few minutes more would have
witnessed her complete destruction.
They boarded Eer at once. and TO their
surprise found the captain raging like Il
maliac lie VS. in Fl, Of delerium
tremcns, and frantically defied the
mates or others to interfere with him
They soon had hun dashed down, and
the vessel out Of danger though be was
man OF strong physique and resisted
them fran,ically.