The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-13
THE MISSIONARY CRAFT.
Vicissitudes OF the Career of the
Good Missionary Evangel, of
Seattle.
She Alternately Carried Preach
ers, Smugglers and Gamblers
on Her Cruises.
Her Career Ended BY the Explosion of
Her Boiler While Lying at the
Whatcom Wharf.

SEATTLE. WASH, Nov. 1.-THE steamer
Eyangel, the most remarkable boat that
ever sailed in Puget sound, has ended her
career of mishsps by a boiler explosion in
which three men were killed and four
wounded. Built as a gospel vessel. she be-
came in time the most notorious smuggler
and the most ~disreputable craft In the
northwest.
She was built in this city in 1882 by a
Baptist preacher, the Rev. j. F. Ludlow. He
had no regular church, but was at the time
clerk of the court in the third judicial dis
trict. On Sundays, however, and even on
week days. he would hold service whenever
opportunity offered. For a long time he had
cherished the idea of building a gospel ship
to carry preachers and Christian workers
from place to place in the sound. The plan
was to stop at the mills, logging cam ps and
other places where little or no church work
was done, and, tying the vessel up, have
services for a day or a week as might aeeln
best. Shortly after his appointment as
clerk of the court Mr.. Ludlow fell heir to
several thousand dollars left him by a rich
relative. This money gave him a start in
the work, and he frequently expressed the
belief that God had sent the funds to him
for the purpose of aiding him in the under
taking.
He succeeded in getting the churches of
the city interested in the scheme, which as
a missionary venture had much to recon-
mend it. The novelty of the plan brought
it into general attention. and in a short
time subscriptions began to come in, not
only from various parts OF the United
CA,4oo 1-& fs1ro a1;<.;4& 1nSn{;,o III .-.-
the world. Henry Ward Beecher's Brook
Ign tabernacle gave some money, and
French Sunday school children furnished
the compass.
The boat was eighty fest long, seventeen
feet wide and seven feet deep. and plainly
bat comfortably fitted. When she was
ready to launch invitations were sent out to
all tbs religious societies in the surround
ing country requesting members to be pres
ent at the ceremony. There was some dig
cussion as to whether Glad Tidings or
Evangel should be chosen as the name, but,
after considerable discussion among the
promoters of the enterprise, the latter was
chosen. On the sventful day hundreds
came to Seattle from all over the sound to
see the strange launching. The church ser
vice for cornerstone laying was adopted
for the occasion, and the prayers were in.
terspersed with such hymns as Pull for the
Shore, Sailor" The usual bottle of wine
WAS not broken amid cheers, but a little
girl stood in the bow and scattered hand
fuls of religious tracts as the vessel slid
down the ways into the water. Old sea-
dogs who witnessed the ceremony prophe-
sled no end of i'll luck on account of such
an unusual launching. Their forebodings
have proved true.
Up to this time the Pacific Coast Steam
ship company had been carving the mail
to Alaska, but the new company, formed III
this city for the purpose OF bidding for the
contract, was successful in securing the