Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-13
THE FBLroa s01D AT LAST.
The Eventfui Career of This Well
knONYn sinanahnnI

known stcacsboat.
The steamer Samuel M. FELTON, was
last week sold by the Pennsylvania Rail.
road Company to the TolcheBter Steam
boat Company of Baltimore, OF q price
not made public. W A, Potts, one of
the directors of the Tolchester Company,
is taking an inventory of what is aboard
of her. She will leave on Tuesday next
for Baltimore whore she will be hauled
out and put in thorough repair in time
for next excursion season. She will run
from Baltimore to Colchester Beach in
connection with the steamer Louise big
three decker which carries 1880 people.
This company also owns the steamer
Emma Giles, which carries 1 800 paBsen-
gers and runs on the little Ohoptank and
st. Miehaeps rivers. The FELTON, will
have her saloon deck exteudad fnrward
and her hurricane deck fitted up for OK.
eursionists 60 that she will be able to
carry 400 passengers instead of / ,151
which she has always been licensed to
carry. The company bought her to
accommodate an increase of business and
the three boats together will be licensed
to carry 5000 people.
The FELTON, was built in 1866 by Reany,
Son & Arohbold, the Chester shipbuilders
who were the predecessors of John Roach
a Sons. She is an iron sidewheel steamer
ALI feet long over all, all feet on the
keel, 20 feet beam and feet depth of
hold She was originally built for the
F., W. d B. Railroad Company to run
to Cape May from Philadelphia. Her
contract price was $l20, 900, but it was
stipulated that she must make 81 miles
within the hour. She was tried time and
again on the Delaware but could never
quits equAl that speed. In one OF her
burstz OF speed shs accomplished the 81
miles in shout IS sscsnds over the hour
but the IS seconsfss might Just as we'll
hEyc been an many minutes 80 far as the
price paid wascancekned Her failure to
comply with chs specifications cost her
builders s20, ,08o; or S571 for every Sec
oud oyer the hour, as the raiiroad COM
pany got her for 100000.
She ran to Cape May during 1867
under the direction OF her builders and
when she was finally accepted it was at
the price as before stated. In 1867, she
brought to this city and put on the route
to Philadelphia in opposition to the Eliza
Hancox, New York steamer. Ths FELTON,
proved 80 much speedier than her rival
that the owners of the Eancox replaced
the latter with the steamer John Sylves-
ter, still we'll remembered by travellers Of
20 years ago. Then began the fiercest
steamboat war which ever prevailed here.
The round trip passage to Philadelphia
Of 20 miles could be made for is cents,
or 10 ca'rfz for q single passage. For two
years this war continued until the New
York hackers Of she SYLVESTER, after losing
q snug little gum of money, finally with
drew her. The p, W. a. b. railroad
could also cou1t up ifs Losses in the thou
sands, ,aithouah It accomplished its object
and drove OF the opposition. It was q
fight of capital against capital and the
side with the longest purse won.
Since that time the Fslton has run be-
tween this city and Philsdslphia with oc.
casional intermiessons. She was simply
run to soaEeeff opposition and succeeded
admirably until few years ago when she
Withdrew, after the Wilmington Steam
boat Company had become firmly estab-
lished. She was generally run at loss,
because she was too large and expensive
o boat for this route. The most note
worthy incident of her interesting history
was the mysterious explosion which oe-
Cured on her forward deck on August
18th, 1885, just as she was leaving her
wharf in Philadelphia, when IA persons
were injured. The caused of the ex-
plosion has not yet been discovered. She
was sent by the Pennsylvania railroad
to Norfolk two years ago to ply between
that place and Cape Charles in connec-
tion with the N. Y, P. d N. railroad, but
was found untitled for thLt service and
soon returned, ainoe which time she has
been lying at French street wharf. She
has only had four captains in her long
and eyentful career, Captain Lewis Davis,
quaint old riyernan, Captain Samuel
johnson, Jr., Captain NathanislL. Hen.
derRnn and Qantain Lnhn p WiIax