Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-22
AN IMPORTANT EVENT.
TRIAL TRIP OF THE FIRST STEEL
STEAMBOAT ON LAKE CHAMPlAIN.
The Test Entirely Satisfactory-A High
Rate of Speed Administrators the
Lake In Half an Hour-Prominent
People on Board-Description
of the Graft.


steel steamboat "Chateaugay" was made
Saturday, and it resulted in a manner en-
tirely satisfactory to the gentlemen con
nected with the company, as we'll as to the
large number of persons, who, through the
courtesy of General Superintendent Bar
ney, made the trip to Plattsburgh and re-
turn on the new "qdeen of the lake."
Among those on board were Col LeGrand
b. Cannon, president of the Cham.
Transportation company, Mr.. An.
drew Fletcher, president of the w.
q A. Fletcher company of New
York, who built the engine, Mr.. Tay lor of
the same company, Superintendent Bar
ney, and the following, whose names APP
pear in the order in which they were
taken from the complimentary tickets
Rev. DE- j. Isham Bliss, c. f. Allen,
Elias Lyman, l.. b. Lord, w. f. Hendee,
j. A. McKenna, +. J. Booth H. II. Ross,
DR.. 5. S. Costello Z. A. Wheelock, w. b.
Mckillip, j. H. Holton, L. II. Turk, G. F..
G over, j. McKeoueh, j. A. Prown, J. f..
Lavell j. NJ. Noyes, X. 5. Styles, II. r..
Wing, John Madigan, A. G. Tuttle, j.
Dumas, William Henderson, J. II. Gates,
p. f. MclIaren, o. Lamord, l.. &. Burn
ham, G. j. Ferguson, L. A. Taft, b. Har-
rington, A. G. " hittemore, NJ ". Nc
Mlahon' II. n Coon, DR.. A. F; A.
y. Lawrence, P. Dryer, John CRIT
G. H. Knsley, B. n. Nicholson il; SONY c. b. b
Ordway, O: G. Stacy, DR.. j. &. Ruther-
ford, g. F. Pope, j. "A. Arthur, NJ. l.. San
born, f. G. Brownell, f. II. Lane, G. G..
Peterson, DR., b; W; Carpenter, A. Adsit
q - ErtSSall n
4: j. STANLEY, H. n. Leach, d. NJ. Miles
Hiram Atkins, f. q. Fletcher, Judge II.
). Fatt, O. 5. Storrs, A. H. Lemon, Ii. X q,
Conger, Alderman Parker, Henry Wells
F. c. Kennedy, J, g. Farrar, " g. Bar
bour, J. w. Jones, f. A. Isham, G. j. AL
ger, w. g. Shaw, G. l. Hagar, S. A. Drew
+. Herrick, NJ D. l.. Thompson, c. p
Smith, j. G. Bellrose, c. c. Post
H. Legrand Cannon, 5. w. Landou, U. A .
Woodbury.. A. w. Johnson, B. Small
ley, f. A. Smalley, o. p. Ray, H. f. Ad
ANS, f. II. Crandall. d. w. Robinson, n
4; Brown, H. n Drury,, G. F; Ward, W.
ID. A: Brode, DR.. j. NJ. Clarke, c. c. A.
Beach, j. w. Hickok, w. H. Lane, jr., G.
D. Weller, l.. j. Smith, G. A. Hail, H. l..
Reed, G. +. Miner, H. H. Davis, f. b.
Taft, F. Johonnott, ID. G Barber, A. g.
Strong, j. w. Elkins, w. f. Morse, l.. NJ
Taylor, P. r. R2wley, W. H. S. Whit
Dow, f. n. Porter, 10 d. Hatch, j.
A. Shedd, A. l.. Inman and Others
Among the old boatmen who enjoyed
the trip were those veterans, Capt. Will
liam Anderson, formerly of the United
States and later of the Adirondack, Capt.
Henry Mayo of the Montreal and later of
the Williams, Capt. Dan Lyon of the Gen
Greene, which Is remembered by few of
the people of to-day, Capt. n. B. Proctor
of the Ethan Allen and Cakes Ames and
Deputy Sheriff Jerome Dumas, who has
also had considerable experience on the
lake. Capt Lyon is SIS years old and Capt
Mayo over S0,and the trip was hugely en-
joyed by these veterans of Lake Cham
plain.
The steamer was in charge of Captain
Rushlow, chief engineer of the transpor-
tation company. The veteran pilot, VIII.
liam Rockwell guided the he m with
James l.. Rushlow az wheelman, and
right sklllfully did he handle the new
craft. The engine was started by Andrew
Fletcher, who had charge of 1t on the
trip. Ell Fourier was the engineer and
Henry Fourier fireman.
At , p. III. the whistle sounded all
aboard but 1t was not till 2:03 that the
great wheels began to revolve and the
Chateaugay started on her first trip to
Plattsburgh. There were about 300 on
pO'lus iSApNCIdbioH W 40 lutCi vi every
and new light CLEANED in
the eyes of the veterans of the lake.
Nearly all the passengers as well as all of
those connected with the boat officially
constituted themselves timekeepers and
caught the time of leaving, although it
was understood that there would be no
attempt to give the boat her best
time. She started away from the
wharf seemingly at what would be full
speed for an ordinary boat, and was greet
ell with hurrahs and handkerchief shaking
on the part of the crowd who had congre-
gated on the wharf to see her off. During
the first part of the trip there were only
about 40 pounds of steam on, as indicated
by the gauge, yet the boat cut through the
water like knife. She rode very steadily,
and one passenger remarked that one
could easily write a letter on her main
deck. Aft of the wheel on the main deck
where on boats with ordinary wheels the
greatest treInor would be felt there was
only the slightest jar. Even in the dining
room aft the glasses scarcely ratified to-
gether perceptibly, even when placed in
contact with each other,
Port Kent was reached at 2:35R and
there We're mutual congratulations that
the lake could now be crossed in half an
hour. The trip was made without note
worthy incident until the barracks at
Pittsburgh were reached. Here salute
of three guns was fired and Il little later
the Delaware and Hudson engines blew the
usual salute, all of which were Justify re-
sponded to by the Chateaugay's deep toned
whistle. Plattsbu'gh was reached in one
hour and Az minutes from the time of
the start from this city and this against u
strong wind. A large number of people
had assembled at the wharf to see the new
steamer come in and royal reception was
gwen the excursion party. A short stop
was made allowing time only to take Il
supply of coal on board
On the way home there was an average
of about As pounds of steam on, but the
fact that Il large proportion of the passen-
gers gathered on her bow in addition to
the supply of coal for her first round trip
retarded her time somewhat As it was the
distance between the breakwater at Platts-
hurgh and that at this point was covered
in 81 miuues, 1.-THE first half being covered in
20 minutes, which is "A satisfactory rate of
speed, for boat of her size. Captain
Rushlow says that under favorable con
ditions The Chateaugay could cover the
distance, which is POS miles, in five min
utes better time.
The ChateauGay is the finest steamboat
that has ever ploughed the waters of Lake
Champlain, and she rides rs gracefully as
a swan, leaving a remarkably small swell
owing TO the small amount of water that