Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-04-04
Pioneer "reminiscences.
The First Oregon Steamb oats.

, En-. SrANpAEp:
Your paragraph III a late number
of the STAND>itp, referring to the first
STEAMBOATS, on the Willamette river,
is only partially correct. The CO.
lunl,ia WAS the first steamboat on
either re upper or lower river. She
was bui,t at Astoria, in the Spring
of 1850. and arrived Mt Oregon City
on the 9th or It'll of July that wear
She was a small side-wheel boat,
owned principally by the Frost
brothers (who were cousins OF Dan
O'Neil. now purser OF one Of the o.
X. & y. Co.'S boats.) Her engine
was put up by MIR. Smith, father OF
the Smith brothers, foundrymen. of
Portland, Oregon. Tie Lot Whit
comb WAS the next boat on the lower
river. She was built at Milwaukee,
and named ly Gov. Gaines, at
Whitcombs request, though he had
no idea that she was to be named
after HIM. The history of the Whit.
comb is well known TO all steamboat
, men. The Hoosier was u small boat
on the upper Willamette, running
to the Yamhill river. Her first hull
was a ships launch, heightened, but
that being found to draw too much
water, the machinery was transferred
to another hull but kept the original
name. The Canemah was built by
-. Hedges, of Oregon City. and
ran on the upper Willamette for sew
eral years. In June, 1851, l think,
the bark Success, Capt. WIN. Irving,
arrived at Oregon City, under sail,
with the hull ard machinery of a
steamboat on board. After landing
of which with other cargo, taking
the first southerly wind, she made
sail and with royals set passed down
over the Clackamas rapids and al
rived down the river without
scratching her paint or parting a
rope yarn. This steamboat, brought
by the Success, was set up at Cane
NAH and named the Multuomah.
She was made OF narrow oak plank
with iron hoops on the outer side.
She was built on the Delaware river,
had been put up. launched, her ma
chinery put in her and tried, then
taken down and all shipped around
Cape Horn to San Francisco. She
was owned by Capt Brissell, Lieut..
U. S. n, DR.. G. NJ. Maxwell, U. S.
N, Mr.. Comstock, DIR. Grey, and
another gentleman, the last three
being connected with the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company service.
Capt. Bissell took charge of her first
and she did good service on the up
per Willamette, going to Corvallis in
the Winter, and sometimes when the
water was high, as far up as Eugene
City. After Capt. Bissell's furlough
expired DR.. Maxwell took charge of
the boat and when his leave was up
Dr.. Grey took charge of her. In
1853, I think, she was towed over
the portage at Oregon City, and
placed on the lower river, where she
run for some years, having been
sold, first, to Breck & Ogden, then
to Capt. Richard Hoyt, Sr., who
had command of her for some time.
She was ,one of the boats that en-
tered into the combination that made
the old o. S. N. Co. The Willamette
was an iron steamboat, brought out
under sail around Cape Horn by the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
She was commanded by Capt. Der
brow, and was intended to connect
with the ocean steamers of that line
at Astoria, while the steamer came
on to Puget Sound. But the Sound
port of the route. being then unprof-
liable was given up, the steamers 60
ing to St. Helens and afterwards to
Portland. The Willamette was taken
off the route and sent to San Fran
cisco, and afterward to China,
where she is, or was at last accounts,
doing good service. The Portland
was built in about 1852 or 1853 aud
run by Capt. Alex Murry, who sold
her and went to Australia. She was
taken over the portage at Oregon
City and ran on the upper William
cite. She finally ended her career
by going over the falls at Oregon
City, one man Peter Anderson, the
en- ;ineer,O only escaping. AT the
time she was commanded by one Of
the Jemmerson brothers. There
we're five of these brothers. all but
one meeting their deaths by steam
Eoats, three in British Columbia wa
tiers, and this one at the falls.
The Belle was built of iron at Ore.
gon City and was running at the
time the Gazelle was blown up. The
Flint was built il 1851 to run on the
Willamette and Columbia. After
running on the rocks she was over
hauled and came out as the Fashion
in 1853. She was commanded by
Capt. Van Burger. Horton, now Of
Olympia was engineer. In ascend.
ing the Clackamas rapids at one
time, the Fashion collapsed a fue,
scalding the fireman so that he died
in about IL hours. About six months
before the disaster to the Gazelle
the Canemah collapsed fue, scald-
ing several persons, but none fatally.
The worst one was the man who was
afterward engineer of the Gazelle, at
the time of the accident, but he was
merely passenger on the Csnemah
at the time. All of these were side
wheel boats. The disaster to the
Gezelle occurred, I think, on April 8,
1S54-not March 18th, lS55-of the
year l am certain, but of the exact
day of the month I have no record.
The Black Hawk. the Washing
ton and the Eagle were little pro.
pellers that run on the lower Will
lamette and made a good deal Of
money carrying passengers and tow
ing in those days.
The first stern.wheel boat on the