The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-17
.YnE FASTEST AFLOAT..
The Old Telephone Again Shows
Her Heels to the Potter.
The Race a Closely Fought Contest
From Portland to Astoria.

The Telephone and Potter had another
brush yesterday in which the old stern
wheeler laid 1t all over the trim side
wheeler and sustained the proud record
established two years ago, that she Is
the fastest river steamer on the coast
and as far as is known, in the world.
1t was fore-gone conclusion that
when the Potter steamed into Astoria
Sunday morning, her clean, graceful
lines showing to advantage under new
coat of pure, white paint, that on the
first opportunity she would give her old
rival the Telephone, a chance TO try
speed with her, either up or down the
river, as the chance offered itself 1t
came sooner than expected, however,
though many old fellows who still re-
tanned memory Of the palmy days oil
steamboating ON the Mississippi, were
at the Telephone dock yesterday af-
ternoon, eagerly watching for the first
signs of smoke up the river that would
indicate the approach of the two steamN
ers, for they had in some unknown,
mysterious manner been informed that
the two boats were going to race. They
had not long to wait, for about 2SO
o'clock, away up by Pillar Rock, cou-
pie of columns of white smoke were
discerned, so close together that at first
it was scarcely possible to distinguish
whether they issued from one or two
steamers. All was anxiety on the dock
for the next half hour, and several good
sized bets were made as to which boat
would come under the wire first. The
Potter had its favorite5, but the Tele-
and many old fellows who still re-
phone enthusiasts were on every hand
ready to cover any and all bets made
against the old boat that had turned
up e. clean pair of heels to every craft
that she had run up against for the
past three years.
AS the steamers came across the wide
expanse of bay from the Washington
side to Tongue Point, 1t could plainly
be seen they were running under a full
head, for great, white clouds Of steam
noated away across the waters as the
vessels plunged along on the home
stretch. 1t was not until they reached
Tongue Point, however, that the thor
oughly excited crowd at the docks could
distinguish which boat was in the lead,
and when man with glass out on the
end of the slip announced that the
Telephone was at least dozen lengths
in the lead, the Potters hackers took
a turn around the wharf, then quietly
slid away.
When the Telephone came up to her
dock, and the big wheel on the stern
ceased to revolve, 1t was estimated that
the Potter had been beaten just ten min
utes. Pilot Larkins was at the wheel
when she came in, and he wore a satis-
fed smile as he saw the Potter still n
good distance from the turning point.
From Captain Crang, who stepped
ashore a moment after the boat had tied
up, it was learned that the Potter left
Portland just seven minutes ahead Of
the Telephone, and carrying nothing but
and mail sacks. She wooded
up the night before, so that on the
down trip yesterday she was not COM
PEELED to make any stops for that pur-
pose, the Telephone wooded at Oak
Point, and made every landing betweenI
Portland and Astoria, taking on and
dlscharging freight at nearly all of
them. At Pillar Rock she was just twoI
lengths ahead of the side-wheeler. andI
1t was here that the race really started,
for there were no more landings tol
make, and the run was a straight four
teen miles into Astoria. Down in the
boiler room of the TELEPHONE a cou-
pie of stalwart flremen We're chuck
ing big sticks of dry fir into the
furnace, and the old boiler hummed and
Durred under the intense heat. Chief
Engineer Evans stood back at the
throttle and answered the bell as quick,
y and faithfully as the big engines
,beyed the shifting of the lever. There
vas no: q movement lost, and the old
,essel. that had been in many tight
place on the river when rival thought
I had better speed than she, ploughed
Ilons through the water and kept a re-
pectful distance from the Union Paci
los crack racer The end is not yet.
however, and there will be another race
me of these days that will be even
nero exciting than this one.