Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-12-12

proves a failure. If the lines break the
ship is obliged to back out into the
stream and make the atTemptov again.
If the ship has on too little steam she IS
likely TO drift either up or down the
river before her lines eau be made fast.
If she has on too much steam she Is apt
to come up with q rush and damage her
plates or smash in the end of the dock.
In the latter case the friends of the pas
seEgers who are gathered on the pier
head are obliged to beat hasty retreat.
After the steamship has been made fast
temporarily at the end of the dock the
pilot and captain take a short breathing
spell. Lines are run from the bows to
the inner and of the pier, where they
are made fast. Then the steam winches
start up and the lines are strained so
that they appear about to break, the
stem of the steamship swings slowly IN
to the slip, while the stern moves grad
ually out from the pierhead The lines
at this end of the vessel are Stacked up,
but are instantly fastened again If she
appears to move too rapidly. The pilot,
the captain and his officers, even down
to the boatswain's mate, all yell ont
their orders as if they were in the midst
of a terrific storm. On the dock is
small army of 'longshOremen, with half
8 dozen or SO of bosses, who make it a
point of duty to yell like savages while
experimenting the handling of the lines.
The general confusion of noises Is some
what increased by the passengers on the
vessel and their friends on the wharf
who shout greetings to each other and
gesticulate like persons who have taken
leave of their senses.
When the ship has been hauled around
until she is parallel with her dock her
propeller is started up, but after giving
her a slight Roadway its motion ceases.
Several tugs place their noses familiarly
against the after-quarter and steam vlO-
lently IN order to prevent the ship from
drifting out of position with the tide.
By means of hauling and Juggling the
vessel is slowly brought to her proper
position along side the dock, where she
is moored with numerous lines and
chains. The gang planks are then put
up and the custom-house officers pro-
coed TO take possession of the passen-
gers and their baggage, while the pilot
and the captain heave deep signs of re-
lief.
Although it sometimes takes hours to
get large steamship into her dock, she
can leave it under very favorable cir
cumstances In a very few moments. Her
departure is usually timed so that she
can cross the bar at high tide. When
she backs out into the stream, however,
it is sometimes very difficult to bring
her around so that she will head down
the river. While proceeding down the
lower bay she is in constant danger of
going ashore on some of the banks which
surround the ship channels. If the
weather becomes foggy she is, forced to
anchor until it becomes clear again.
OutWard-bound steamships have been
obliged to anchor in the lower bay sew
eral days at time owing to logs. A
very large steamship was once caught
by fog in one of the ship channels. IF
she had anchored the ebb tide would
soon have left her aground. She pro-
ceeded, but soon afterward went ashore.
Ii steamship grounds, either while
entering or leaving port, the captain
places the blame on the pilot. The lat
ter Immediately goes to sea, and it is
some time before he returns and gives
the pilot commissioners a chance to in
vestigate him. He then undertakes to
lay the blame on the captain, but before
his examination is completed he is
obliged to go to sea again. When at
length the pilot commissioners decide
that the pilot was acting under the adj
vice of the captain when he run the ship
ashore, the matter is dropped without
further investigation.