The Portland daily press., 1894-08-21
THE COMANCHE.
The Big Black Steam Yacht from
Ohio.

Something Abont Captain Daniel Allen
of this City-He is Famous Pilot
His Connection with the Comanche.
The steam yacht Comanche was in the
harbor yesterday, having come in Sun
day night. She is a splendid great pleas
ure craft, larger than the Dallas or
Fern, and with the rig of hermaphro-
dite brig She was built by the Globe
Iron Works of Cleveland, Ohio, for H.
Nj. Hanna, at a cost of S125.00O. She is
an auxiliary steamer, carrying some 1000
yards of canvas on her two masts She
is 1876 feet long and rs feet beam. She
is an elegant craft, is lighted by cleo
tricity, and the bulwarks are panelld
witch mahogany inside, and the cabins
are finished in the same wood. When she
was built in 1852, Mr.. Hanna looked
around for pilot. He applied at the
yacht agency in New York, and the con-
sequence was that two years ago this
spring Captain Daniel Allen of Portland
received a telegram from Mr.. Hanna,
asking him to meet him in Cleveland
Comanche around to New York. But
why did he telegraph for Captain Allen,
who was then working for his brother,
W. Allen, in his sail loft on Custom
House wharf? Because Captain Allen is
known all along the Atlantic coast as
one of the best pilots in the country. He
is one of the only three men in Maine
who has first-class unlimited pilot
license. That means a good deal. That
means that he is deemed worthy by his
fellow countrymen to pilot any vessel
anywhere in the world. IL is certifi-
cate of the highest..a ttainment to plotting
ability. He obtained this license four
years ago by answering $50 questions
correc tly, and by virtue of the recon-
mendation of such men as.General Payne
of Boston, owner of the yacht Volu-
teer, of which Captain Allen was once
pilot, and of Mr.. Warren in Boston, of
South American steamship company.
and of other prominent men who have
to intrust valuable vssels to the care of
pilots.
Captain Allen took the Comanche
around through the st. Lawrence to New
York, and then MIR. Hanna made him
captain of the magnificent yacht.
A year ago last winter. Captain Allen
took the yacht into southern waters.
Last summer, while at Bar Harbor,
among the guests on board were Mrs.
Jefferson Davis and her daugher. A
party of other guests, who did not
know of their presence, began to sing
"We'll hang jeff Davis to sour apple
tree" The situation can be imagined.
Last winter Captain Allen was taken
sick as a result of malaria contracted
in the South, and was in the Maine
General Hospital all winter His
weight decreased from 200 pounds to $780,
He is better this summer. He is still
captain of the Comanche, though another
man whom he recommended is in charge
of her. If he gets well he will go south
in her this winter. The place is ready
for him whenever he is.ready to take it.
We understand that the present visit OF
the Comanche to Portland is for the pur-
pose of taking Captain Allen aboard if
ne is in condition. to go.
The following story is told of Captain
Allen, previous to his becoming the cap
tain of the Comanche. His brother, W.
W. Allen of this city, had a small
schooner load of frozen herring come
here from Newfoundland, and sent her
on to New York under his charge. Ar
rived there a pilot boarded her and
claimed the pilots fee, according to law,
she coming from foreign port. Cap
tain Allen told him that he couldn't
collect that money, and the pilot swore
that he could and would. Captain Allen
simply said that ne wasn't going to pay
it, and the pilot threatened. Then the
former drew from his pocket his first
class unlimited pilots license and the
pilot stared at it and exclaimed: Good
gracious, I never saw one of you chaps
captain of fishing schooner before"
And there was no more talk about the