St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-26
\ HISTORICAL VESSEL.
An Old Sea Craft of 1885 in Use
on the Pacific

Eighteen hundred and thirty-five
How many people are there in Van
c0uVer whose memory can run back to
that time when the sailor king sat
on the throne of England, and the Duke
OF wellington was power in the land
when railroads as yet only existed in the
brains OF an enthusiast, long before
the click. click of the electric needle
had been heard; when Canada
was only known as an Arctic
region where the inhabitants had to
wear furs all the year round to keep
from freezing: when British Columbia
was unleard of save as preserve of the
liudson'S Bay company, says the Van
couTer, Is. c., News. Yet there came
INTO the harbor yesterday a boat whose
virgin bows were first kissed by old
rather Thames in that year as she
gllded down the ways of one of
the numerous ship yards on that
river, and was christened by
the fair hands of duchess
The Beaver in honor of the old COM
pany whose chief source of profit lay in
that now scarce animal. The youngest
city on the Pacific yesterday greeted the
oldest steamboat on these waters. Fifty
three years have come and gone since
the Staunch old craft first proudly rode
the waves. What changes has she wit
neSSed-the settlement of an almost I'M
known country by a hardy and
enterpriSing people-the creation
OF a mighty dominion stretch
ing from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and girdled with a slender band
OF steel-the birth of yound and lusty
city Springing into life where impene-
trable forest grew, all these maryels
have occurred since the Beaver first
tioated. The steamer Beaver, after be-
ing launched and her engines, built by
Bolton d Watt (SOn of the celebrated
James Watt). fitted on board, was
rugged as brig, and under command of
Capt. Home proceeded under sail round
Cape Horn and up the Pacific to As
torla, arriving after quick passage
Of los days: AT that place, then the
chief trading point of the III. 3.
company on the Pacific, she began her
career as a steamer proper and under
command Of Capt. Mcneil sailed I'D and
down the coast, trading with the Indians
for furS. After this she was employed
by the British government as survey
ing ship and many of the photographic
charts now III use were compiled from
surveys made by the old Beaver. After
many viciSsitudeS she passed into the
hands OF Capt. Saunders. her present
owner, and was used for towing pur-
poses but was accidentally sunk in Vic
torla harbor about a year ago.
Capt. George Merchant, the present
commander, conceived the idea of again
raising the old craft and using her for
towing logs, and carried it out. She
Will IN future be regularly employed in
bringing timber to the Hastings mill.
Capt. Merchant is well and fayOrably
known The coast m
to the Pacific on IL. NJ. S. Jealous, the
first irOnclad in these waters. in 1855.
He IS thorough seaman and a right
good fellow, and the venerable old craft
could not be i'll better hands.
Many alterations have been made i'm
the vessel, but these have been confined
mainly to her upper works. her machin-
cry and cabin fitting remaining pretty
much as they were when she first left
the yard The hull is splendid speci-
men OF thorough workmanship. Built
OF British oak, with knees closely
joined together and ceiled inside with
heavy planking, it looks good for 100
years to come. The twin engines would
puzzle many modern marine en-
gineer: in fact, in motion they would
probably almost brighten him. Four
great walking beams down on the lower
hold, instead of being above the deck
as now, work slowly up and down.
while eccentricS, well named, move
about his head, and great levers and
connecting rods pOnderously work
around him. Her certificate shows her
- to have eighty-horse power. and she is
allowed to use twelve pounds of steam,
but even with that low pressure she does
splendid work. One popularity is that
she uses salt water, the organisations
OF which are periodically blown out
when the salinometer shows it to be
necessary. Her cabin, which is aft. is
still iltted up as it was first, and is sur
rounded by Old-fashioned lockers and
bulkheads. The old bell with the word
Beaver, and the date 1885 on if.
still hangs in its Old place, and
III deep and rich tones warns the
weary watch of the passing hours. The
anchor. with its heavy tiukes and long
chains. is still as Serviceable as when it
dropped with splash into the deep
waters of Astoria tifty-three years ago.
Capt. Merchant expects to return
about next Wednesday, and will then
kindly allow the citizens of Vancouver
to visit this remarkable old craft and
inspect for themselves this relic of a
past age.