The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-04-26
PIONEER OF THE PACIFIC.

History of the steam Beaver Now
on the Rocks In the Columbia
River.
1t is probable that the steamer
Beaver, now on the rocks in the Mar
rows, Columbia River, will be exhi-
bited at the Worlds Fair in 1898.
The Beaver was the first steam vessel
to ply on the North Pacific Coast.
She was built by Bottom and Watt,
London. A brief history of the old
craft will doubtless be interesting to
the BULLETINS readers.
Sixty years have passed and q
generation has come and gone since
the Hudson Bay Company's steamer
Beaver floated down the river
Thames, through the British Channel
and out into the open trackless sea.
Rounding Cape Horn the Beaver was
on the placid waters of the Pacific,
and anchored after a passage of l63
days at Astoria, then one of the
chief towns of the Pacific Coast.
Built and equipped at a period
when the problem of steam naviga
tion had only begun to be solved, is
it any wonder that the little steamer
which was destined to traverse two
oceans-one of them scarcely known
outside of books of travel-was an
object of deep and engrossing inter-
est from the day that her keel was
first laid until the morning that she
passed out of sight amidst the en-
couraging cheers of thousands gath
cred on either shore and the answer
ing salvos of her own guns, on
long voyage to an unknown sea-
Titled men and women watched
the progress of construction. A
of champagne over the bow and be-
slowed the name she has ever since
proudly worn. The boilers and en-
gines built by Bottom & Watt (the
latter son of the great Watt) were
placed in their positions on board,
but it was not considered safe to
work them ON the passage. So she
was rugged as brig and came out
under sail. A bark accompanied her
as a convoy to assist in case of ecci-
dent; but the Beaver set all canvas,
ran out of sight of her protector, and
reached Columbia river % days
ahead.
Captain Horne was the name of
the first commander of the Beaver
and brought her out. One can we'll
imagine the feelings of pride with
which he bestrode the deck of his
brave little ship, which carried six
7-pounder guns. After reaching
Astoria the Beaver got up steam and
greatly astonished the residents by
her performances. She steamed up
to Nisqually, then the Hudson Bay
Company's chief station on the Paci-
tic Coast. Here Capt. Mcneil took
command of the Beaver, and Capt.
Horne retiring to one of the Com
pany's posts on the Columbia River
perished in 1887 in Heath's rapids
by the upsetting of a boat.
From that period until the steamer
passed into the hands of the Imperial
photographers, the history of the
Beaver was the same as that of most
of the Company's trading vessels.
She ran north and south, east and
west, collecting furs and carrying
goods to and from the stations for
many years. Amongst her known
officers during that period were
Capts. Woods, Brukie, Scarborough,
Sangster, Rudlm and others, all of
whom have passed away long since.
1t is believed that not sim
gle person who came out in
the Beaver is now alive. Nearly all
the Company's officers with few
exceptions, who received her on her
arrival at the Columbia River, are
gone too.
l have in my possession small
photo. of the steamer Beaver. If
any of your readers would wish
copy, it is at their service for en-
largement.
JAMES L. STEWART.
King Street House.