The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-17
San DirgO'S Cir! PILOT.

Miss Elizabeth Polhcmus, of San Diego
Cal, twenty-year-old lass, wishing 10
earn her own living, and having lOhd-
ness for the sea has been qudlliliUS H'l
self as a pilot for ocean vessels rntelluI
san Diego HarbOr. In eight months she
expects 10 pass the examination IepulItH
by the state Board Of plot tomIh7-
sioners and receive her certificate as a
firSt-class pilot. Miss POlhemuS IS the
only woman In the country, 50 Oh seq
captains say, who now attempts 70
guide great ships into a hdrhor. Ut
course until she receives pilots cert
ficate Miss POlhemuS guides the NeSScI7
under the eye Of veteran pHot ." 10
stands beside her on the quarter drch.
This. however is matter ot FORM: as
insurance companies demand certlltl
pilot, and the old pilot accompanies me
girl simply to comply with the IuIg>. %
thorough is the young woman.s KNOW
ledge %. handling a snip, and OF the Ieel,,
shoals, currents. and air currents OF san
Diego HarbOr. that the old pilots VINO
have instructed her In this dltnculi WORN
seldom have a word To say in criticism
of her management, and FOR six months
IL has not been necessary to change one
of her orders when bringing a snip mo
port. ,...,
by the sea Her father is gallant oll
sea hog. who fought for the flag ana
has sailed all seas as a master OF b'-
merchant ships. and now Mods an I'M
portaut harbor position al san pi'E"-
She has a Kind N hereditary instinct toI
plotting. When I'm her teens she coull
handle an eighty-tOot schooner In SUN
breeze almost as we'll as veteran sail
Ing master The old pilots are proud
of their feminine VT0'rgre, because OIL
her marked Skill and also because VI nrr
courage and cOolnesS ln emergencies
which have called for a prompt display
Of steady nerve.
one summer afternoon during a hal,
gale from the southeast, a three-thgu-
sand-ton collier hove I'm sight of Point
1 d ba f4f
10 make port that afternoon. he ran IN
too close before taking a pilot. and round
himself being forced upon LdniuEa Sh'al
Off the harbOr mouth. Miss PglhemuS
was the only available pilot at that mo-
ment. She was put aboard the collier
and gave the captain a dressing down IN
Queens English because OF his careless
ness. The captains eyes were opened
to the fact that unless speedy action was
taken his chip would be lost. Az the
girls order all hands were put 10 short
euiug sail. She stood by the wheel. and
soon had the ship on another course. al
though the situation was SO gray" th1t
she had 10 wear ship under most trying
conditions In order 10 get an Uilug until
the ocean subsidized and the harbor couId
be entered in safety. The girl skipper 1
amazed the grateful captain. She gave
;he bluff old Engishman some new ideas
concerning the capacity OF an American
When Miss Polhemus gets her pilots
certificate her fees for bringing iu FL yes
sci will be 8 per foot on the dr1uglt
OF vessel ana four cents per ton.
three-thousand-tOn ship. drawing twenty
feet, would pay the pilot $50. In" pilots
have "A lookout station on Point Iona,
and. unless vessel Is expected during
the night, their trim schOOnerS can lie
in their berths inside the point and put
to sea only when a vessel Is sighted. II
Is not necessary for them 10 cruise up
and down the coast, as DO the New York
pilots.