The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-04-06
The Portland and Boston Line.

Navigation between Portland and Bos-
ton was regularly carried on for long
period of years in sailing packets and it
was not till about 1880 that regular line
of steamboat connection between the two
cities was established. These sailing
packets were equipped with comfortable
cabins and carried many passengers, for
in good weather they could beat the
stage time which was two days between
Portland and Boston. The first steamers
were small affairs, principally old crafts
from the waters of Long Island Sound.
They were the Legislator, the Connecti-
cut, the Patent, the Chancellor Living
ston and the old Portland which was
built in the ship yord located near the
foot of Park street, and was equipped
with the machinery of the Chancellor
Livingston, the hull of that boat having
been condemned. Among the leading
pioneers in this navigation extending
from 1880 up into the forties were the
Porter family, William, Sewall and John.
Sewall commanded the Patent and his
tall figure and swarthy complexion were
familiar on our streets not many years
ago. Pictures of the Livingston and
Portland are now hanging in the Office of
the Portland Steam Packet Co. The
former had three smoke stacks and what
was known as a square engine-S. e..
working directly on the shaft without a
walking beam. The Portland, which
was about 400 tons measurement, had
two smoke stacks-the same number as
the new Portland which is upwards of
2200 tons. There is dwelling house on
Bracket street, near the engine house,
which was chiefly constructed from a
portion of the remains of the Chancellor
Livingston, doors, floors and timbers, all
still sound, and Mr.. Emery Chase has in
his cottage at Cape Elizabeth the large
ornamental carving that adorned the en-
trance to the saloon.
The late Capt. J. B. Coyle, the founder
of the Portland Steam Packet Co., first
came to Portland as an engineer on the
Chancellor Livingston about 1881. lie
then went back to Long Island Sound
and took command of the steamer Wor-
cester. The Captains early life like that
of Commodore Vanderbilt who began
on North River sloop, was anything
but romantic but he always enjoyed re-
lating some of the incidents connected
with it. When a stalwart Connecticut
youth he was apprenticed to learn the
trade of shoemaker. He had not
worked long before the master, as the
employers were called in those days, said
to him: "Coyle, I don't think you are e
built right to sit on ashoemaker' bench. :"
Young Coyle had quietly come to that
way of thinking himself for he ran away
the next day and hired out as deck boy
on steamboat Beginning in this small
way such was the force of character and
sterling integrity of the young man that
he rapidly advanced through the various
grades, deck hand, fireman, engineer,
captain to famous and highly success
full organizer and manager of steamboat
and steamship lines in the eastern waters.
In 1914 Capt. Coyle returned to Port
land and organized the present Portland
Steam Packet Co. Among those who
were associated with him were the late
Capt. John J. Liscomb, father Of Mr..
John Liscomb, the present Secretary,
Treasurer and General Agent of the com
pany, William Kimball, Leonard Billings,
and Charles Fobes. The new com
pany proceed to build two propellors, the
Commodore Preble, to honor Portland S
historic naval hero, and the Gen. War
rem. Boston's hero, who fell at the battle
of Bunker Hill. These vessels were
about 400 tons measurement and were
built on the north side of Fore street,