Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-01-18
The Life OF IN Pilot.

uanBef-uarlng men, whose ages range
between twenty five and seventy-fve
years, and some of whom have continu.
ously pursued their useful, even indis-
pensable, calling for nearly half cen.
tury. The writer is fresh from a socia
chat with one of the oldest, best-known,
and most experienced of these hardy
men, who conduct vessels from the
open sea through the dangerous shoals
and wrecking spots of the Delaware bay
and river, to their docks along the river
front of the city of Philadelphia. The
name OF this old pilot is Lester ID.
Schellinger. and for over forty years he
has been engaged III pilotlng vessels up
and down the Delaware river and bay,
and his father did the same thing be-
fore him. For the past twenty years,
however, he has alternated plotting with
being Captain of City Ice Boats. Cap
tain Schellinger resides at No. 100
Queen street, and it was there the wri-
ter received from him the information
embodied in this article.
Captain Schellinger was asked
"What is the course of training to
qualify man to become a regular
pilot?"
"What We call pilot boys" was the
response, "have to serve a regular APP
premiership of six years to some old,
experienced pilot. That is, they have
to almost live on pilot-boats, and aIe
studying and observing all the time.
Then they are required to make thirty
two trips up and down the river and
bay in square-riggedv vessels before their
time is out. After going through this
the pllot-boy is taken before a commit
tee of the Port Wardens and board OF
pilot-examiners, and if he is found to be
bright and capable he obtains what we
call q 'twelve-foot branch, and he
keeps that for eighteen months. He is
then examined again, and if found COM
petent he gets 'first-class branch, and
is a full pilot. Most of the pilot-boys
are sons of old pilots, and they have
generally natural aptitude for tue
business"
''How are pilots hcensed?"
'Ihe Pennsylvania pilots and Della
ware pilots are now working III opposi-
ton to each other to some extent. For
over 100 years all the Delaware bay
pilots obtained their licenses from the
State of Pennsylvania, but the last
Pennsy lvania Legislature cut down the
rates about 40 per cent, and then the
Delaware pilots had law passed giving
them the old rates. When a pilot goes
down stream he gets $500 per foot
(water displacemen) The highest rate
up from the sea is "a. 16 per foot and
the lowest 1915 per foot, aud going
down it is $500 per foot for all vessels.
Winter pilotage used to be $40 extra,
but that is taken away now, although
the Delaware pilots get the old winter
rates yet. Pennsylvania pilots must
work by Pennsylvania law"
"How about pilot Doats?"
"There are four pilot-boats owned by
pilots. Two of them cost
over $4,000 each and the other two
s., 900 each. There are two Delaware
boats, making six III all. When pilot
boat goes out she has regular crew of
six men, and six pilots are allowed to 60
on her to hunt jobs. The first pilot on
the list gets the first job, and the others
follow III rotation. Sometimes in fair
weather these boats go as far as sixty
miles out to sea looking for incoming
foreign vessels, but as a general rule
they cruise about the Five Fathom
LightshIp. They remain on the watch
day and night and In all kinds OF
weather. When a vessel takes on board
pilot he has full charge, and his pay
In according to the draft of water of the
vessel. That Is, if the vessel draws Is
feet the pilot gets 81. Is per foot from
II feet up, and one-third of what he
receives goes to the pilot-boat for her
support. When pilot takes vessel
out to sea he pays $500 for what Is
called the take-otf boat, to bring him
back to port again, if the vessel is a %
feet boat, and he pays $4.OO up to 20
feet. 1t costs considerable money to
keep these pilot-boats in tirst-class con-
ditlon, and they must be kept in
splendid order for the service they have
to perform"
Abiding to the knowledge possessed
by Delaware bay pilots and the care
and skull they have 10 exercise IN bring
ing vessel safely into port from the
sea, Captain Schellinger remarked
"a regular pilot must be perfectly
familiar with Delaware bay and river
from the Capes to the city. BY day or
night and III all kinds of weather he
must be able to thread his way safely
through the water aud With as much
confidence as you would go along the
street on the way to your home. The
pilot must have a minute knowledge OF
every shoal, every channel, light
houses and lights of all kinds, sound
ings, bearings, etc., III the bay and
river, and he must $50 to speak, be able
to see the bottom us his vessel ploughs
through the water, He must be able to
perfectly work a uare-ngged vessel,
and must have complete knowledge of
everything connected with the tides. "
Describe generally the plLotage of a
vessel from the open sea outside the
Capes to the port OF Philadelphia.
"When a pilot-Doat while cruising
sights a vessel signalling for pilot,
her skiff is lowered, and the pilot
whose turn it is is rowed to the vessel,
and when once ON board he takes. com
mand, It is sometimes hazardous work
to get from the pilot-boat to the vessel
to be pioted, for you must remember
the pilot is bound to answer the sum
mons for his assistance, no matter
whether it be day or night time, or
whether the sea Is rough or calm. The,
only thing that would prevent pilot
from taking the small boat and going to
the uassel that needed him Monld be