The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-26
TWO MORE BOATS.
Prospect of Lively Competition
on the Sound.
RENEWAL OF AN OLD FIGHT.
Northern PsciAe Steamers Secure IN
which VIII Come 60 Seattle.

There Is considerable talk among steam
boat men o; anticipated lively times on
The lower Sound and Straits of Fuca by
reason OF the sharp competition that will
soon develop there. For several months
parties have been figuring on putting the
George +. Starr on the Port Townsend
and Victoria run. VIA Port Angeles, and
the plan only recently leaked out. No
sooner was j: announced than the Hast
ings Steamboat Company FASTENED to get
the Willsna, which had teen promised tor
the past SIX months. to take the Gariand's
place on the Seah bay mail route. These
movements are but the preliminar:es to
what will probably be one of the sharpest
fights ever on the Sound.
When the deal was made between the
Northern Pacific and Union Pacific lit
tie over year ago, which resulted in the
iatter's boats being Withdrawn from the
business in return for a subsidy, the Gar
land Was running to Seattle once week.
Under threats of competition by the
Northern Pacific, the Hastings company
withdrew from this port and were TO run
only from Port Townsend to Neah bay.
But it was not long until the steamer
Angeles, also belonging to the Hastings
company. was running job trips to Seattle
and getting all the business it could. As
a matter of fact the Angeles has badly cut
into the business of the Northern Pacific
line up to within = few weeks ago, when
the programme was changed by the Hast
ings company. presumably on account of
the rumcr that the George E. Starr was
being got ready for business IN these
waters.
Az first there was some doub: as to who
was behind the movement. but that has
been determined. Capt. J. Baughman.
pilo; on the City of Seattle; C. W. Snyder,
chief engineer Of thu Northern Pacific
boats. and Ben r. Br( sy. bookkeeper at
fesler's wharf, are the parties who have
procured the George Z. Starr, and. al
though all three have been in the service
Of that company. they assert that the new
movement is entirely their own, independ-
ent Of the company. They have purchased
the Starr outright, paying spot cash. and
for that reason securing the boat at q bar
gain. Capt. Baughman and Engineer
Snyder have already resigned their posi-
tons with the Northern Pacific company
and gone 10 Portland to bring the boat
around. and she is expected to enter the
Sound this week. and Ben Briefly Will 60
as purser. Engineer Morrison. formerly
on the Starr, has been made assistant en-
gineer. The owners OF the Starr will I'M
doubtedly have the sympathy of the
Northern Pacific company in their new
venture in lighting the Hastings company.
The steamer Wilapa, just arrived from
the Columbia river under charter to the
Hastings company. was taken to Quarter
master Harbor yesterday and put in the
dry dock to be made ready for the fray,
and it is announced that she will run from
Seattle to Neah bay, three trips per week.
The Wiliapa has never been on the Sound
before, at least under her present name.
The old Gen. Miles is we'll known here,
however, and was cut into two parts,
heightened and rebuilt into the Willapa
The Gen. Miles was screw steamer with
q net tonnage of 90. length 100 feet. breadth
% feet and 10 feet depth of:hold, built in As
toria in lss2. In 1871 she was built over at
Portland into the Wiilapa. which is 1876 fee.
in length. 30 feet wide and 20 feet deep, with
net tonnage of 2i3. 1t is expected that
the Willapa will begin running about
June l.