The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-15
HAS A STONE BOTTOM
PurSer Anderson's Story About the Eliza
Anderson.
Old. but a Smooth Saiier-The
Steamer Said to Have a Canoe
Shaped and Petrified
Hull.
From the Seattle Post-I ntclligencer.

From the Seattle Post lntclligencer.
Purser w. Anderson, Of the steamer
Eastern Oregon, is perhaps as fine a story
teller as any boats officer that sails over
the waters Of Puget sound, and is in his
glory when making passengers as happy
as a popular purser can. On the trial trip
of the Eastern Oregon To Tacoma last
week, Purser Anderson told many laugh
able incidents of his man. years of ex-
pericnce on the Sound. To the two guile
less reporters, who were most attentive
listeners, the following story was fully
appreciated:
~ suppose you have never heard the
story about the old Eliza Anderson ."
"Why,no" exclaimed the interested re-
porters.
well, ! thought you didn't know every
thing, quite. The old Anderson may not
look as cright as some Of the other steam
ers on the sound, nut I'd rather go down
the sound in her to-day than n number of
the other that look a mighty
sight safer. The rest of them when they
get in n sea-, like we are liable to encoun-
ter almost any time in Deception pass,
will cut into n sea and drop suddenly
enough TO almost shake a fellows dinner
into his boots and break every s%tanchion
short of. The old Anderson drops as
easy iito a. stst tS Idillnk i1to II ltttiltF-
bed, because she has a genuine canoe
bottom. You didn't know that" Well,
she has.
"I'll tell you something else that very
few people know. Her bottom is petriiied,
though you may not believe Il. How is
that? don't know. but | was told that il
was found out this way: "When the An
derson got in IA collision here.last year, the
owners gave a contract To have her re-
paired and have a new bottom put in her,
as they thought they had better make a
good job while they were about il. The
contractors put the vessel on the dock and
repaired her where she was damaged. The
carpenters then prepared to put new
planking on her bottom, but when they
started to work the augers il was 10 go.
"Thc next day they called around To see
the owners and informed them that they
would have TO throw up the contract. The
owners of course expressed surprise and
wanted to know the reasons for such a
decision. The contractors said they had
no fault 10 find with the contract and
under ordinary circumstances would have
made "A fair profit, but they would like To
he relieved of the contract without maxi
ing an explanation, as IL might appea
absurd. The owners, however, tie
manded the reasons.
"The contractors said il might sound
absurd but il was nevertheless a fact that
the bottom of the Eliza Anderson was pet
rified and they could never put on "a bot
tom to equal the one she then had. The
would not he convinced until they
went over and examined for themselves.
They were satisfied then and relicycd the
contractors. The Anderson has been
running ever since with "A stone hull that
is as smooth as n rock and will last for.
ever il it doesn't get "A big thump-theu il
will fly to pieces like "A piece of cast iron,
it's SO brittle.
"How do they account for such a re
markabIp cas-. of petriflction ~ .sIf "A re.