The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-04
OCEAN TUGBOATS.
Fast and Powerful Craft That
Fear No Storms.
History Of Their Introduction What They
Have Already Accomplished-The
Present Fleet


of Is or 10 months. In every case the ships
were wrecked on the English coast, not far
from harbors where there were many
steamers and tugboats at anchor, yet not a
single craft ventured to the assistance Of
the doomed vessels, although three of them
could have been saved if boat powerful
enough TO handle them in the strong gale
had been at hand.
Investigation proved that In each case the
signals for assistance were seen, but none
of the tugs or steamers were able 10 face
the storm or tow the ships even if they could
have reached them.
AN OCEAN TUG BUILT.
The large number of similar eases re-
ported every year induced the firm to bulid
towboat capable of going to sea 10 the
worst weather, and with power enough TO
handle the largest ships In gale. they
believed that such boat would pay as she
would also he able to make longer tows
than any ordinary tug by reason OF her
large coal capacity,
The few ship-owners to whom the subject
was first preached, decried tie project, but
the firm were convinced that they were
right, and at once gave orders for a boat
that for size, power, speed and coal capacity
would be placed as far ahead of the ordinary
tow-boat as a powerful tug is ahead OF
steam-launch,
The new craft was expressly designed for
ocean towing and wrecking, and was fitted
with very powerful pumps. 1t was named
the Gamecock, and was looked upon almost
II the light OF freak.
SUCCESSFUL FROM THE START.
She was at once employed by the British
Government to tow an old battle ship
from Plymouth to Gibraltar. TO be used as a
eOal-hulk. This was a job that had been
declined by one OF the larges. tugs in Lon
don, because she could not carry coal enough
20 make the trip, but though it was the mid
die Of winter, the Gamecock towed the old
warship to her destination without hitch.
On her way back to Liverpool in the Bay
OF Biscay a large steamer was sighted, flying
signals of distress. She turned out to be the
British trOopShip Scraps, from Malta 10
Portsmouth, with 100 troops on board.
The captain begged the Gamecoek to make
the bes of her way to Plymouth and send
him assistance.
A sAUCY BOAT.
To his great surprise the crew OF the tug
sent rocket line on board and asked for
his best hawseT, and before many minutes
was headed for home with the Scraps in
low. In spite OF the severe weather both
vessels reached Plymouth without SO much
Us parting the hawser.
When the Qu6s tiOn oil compensation came
before the admiralty board in London the
captain Of the Scraps test fed shat his ship
was IN great danger of being wrecked,
when every soul Oh board would have been
lost, as the ships engines had broken down
and IL was blowing heavy gale. The
board in consequence awarded the tug
439. eco and each of her crew eco. Thus in
less than three months after she was
launched the, new tug not only paid for
herself but demonstrated her ability to
make long tows with speed, and render as
slstance at considerable distance on the
high seas.
ANOTHER BIG JOB.
The tug was not allowed to lay idle long
after getting into Plymouth. She was al
most Immediately sent to look for an over
due New YORK steamer that had been
sighted 1000 miles west Of Cape Clear in
distress Seventeen days later Size steamed
into Queenstown with the steamer in tow,
having sighted her just as the crew and
passengers were a bout 70 take t. the boats.
The success of the experiment being now
assured the firm built another boat, similar
in all respects to the GamecOck. and named
her the Storncock. Since then they have
saved hundreds of lives and millions Of dol
lars worth Of property and have paid for
themselves many times over They have
gone to sea, too. in the very worst weather.
aud have rescued shipwreckcd crews when
the best lifeboat could not reach them.
The success that crowned this venture
subsequently induced others to 90 into the
business, aud a London firm built the Will
liam Joliet For several years these three
boats were kept pretty busy, and last sum-
mer another boat, also intended for ocean
towing, was launched at London.
NO LONGER AN EXPERIMENT.
She was named the Victoria aud is now
the largest towbOat in the world. She is
built of steel throughout and is whale
backed TO abaft the smok estacks. Her
length is 1S5 feet, and she Is about 800 tons
register. with engines of 200 horsepower.
This boat has accomplished the feat OF tow
ing 20c0-tOn ship from Rio de Janeiro to
Liverpool. only stopping to coal once at Ct
Michaels.
While there are four of these pow rful tugs
In England, there are only two IN the United
Il
other in San Francisco. The friedrich
Morse is an iron boat, about the same size
as the GamecOek, with engines Of 1000
horsepower and single screw. Since she
has been afioat she has paid her owners
handsome profits. and has been the means
OF saving scores of lives. She has also
made some long tows and has more than
once towed vessels into port when they had
been abandoned by smaller boats.
sPRECKELs' NEW TUG.
The latest addition to the list is the Fear
less, the San Francisco boat. She is owned
by John ID. Spreckels g. Bros, and was
built at the Union Iron Works last fall.
While not the largest or most powerful Of
the feet, she Is the most costly vessel of the
kind aloat, and carries the most powerful
fire and wrecking pumps. She Is built Of
steel Her engines are 400 horse power
and drive single acrew.-She is 40 tons
register, and has a coal capacity of $50 tons
enough to carry her from San Francisco to
Honolulu and return.
Her first work was to tow the disabled
steamer Sirius up from San Diego When
the news came that the British warsbip
Warspite was In distress off Point Sur she
Vas al once ordered out TO look for her,
The trip proved that the Fearless is fully as
good seahoat as anything afloat, and she
came back from her fruitess search at
speed that made Captain Dan Haskell open
his eyes with wonder.
TOWING THE EIGHTsHrP.
AT noon last Saturday she started for the
Columbia River with the new lightshIp in
tow. She will. no doubt, be kept busy right
along, and hardly month passes but some
emergency arises in which she cap be used
with profit.
While smaller boats often render valuable
assistance to vessels Ia distress and have
saved hundreds of lives. the large steamers
have a far wider range of action. They
may be sent to any part of the world. and
can keep the sea for greater length of time
in search OF a disabled or missing vessel.
Besides, their greater power enables them
to pull ship out of dangerous position in
heavy sea, which smaller tug could not
even ride in safety.
4 he powerful fire pumps with which tugs
are fitted have often been called into use, and
have saved many fine vessel from destruc-
ton, besides rendering valuable aid in cases
of large cOnfsgraiions on land. The time
Is not far distant when one or more Of these
splendid boats will be found In all large
ports, ready at all times to render assist
aDce In port or at sea, and sure to be looked
upon as part Of the life-saving service of