The Portland daily press., 1895-07-01
TOWED TO EXECUTION.
The Old Forest City's Good Bye to
Portland.

Her Last Trip to Boston Yesterday-I
Was Solemn Journey-She Will b,
Consigned to the Junk Dealers-Some
thing of Her Famous History.
The great ocean tug Memo, came tc
this port yesterday, made fast to the ole
steamer Forest City, that has been lait
up and condemned for over year, ant
towed her out of the harbor, en- route fol
Boston. 1t was a very suggestive
spectacle to all who have been familiar
with Portland harbor at any time in the
last half century. 1t was rather g
melancholy and solemn spectacle, also. 1t
was funeral procession or better, it was
the last sad march to the execution, and
the tug looked as relentless and irresist-
ible as the hangman himself
If the staunch old steamer could feel
and think, it must have expressed itself
in bitter lamentations at the prospect be-
fore it. This was to be it's last voyage
from Portland to Boston over the route
that it had traversed, for over forty years.
This was to be it's last passage out
through the broad ship channel between
the beautiful rock-bound shores of Casco
Bay. Through that same channel it had
swiftly steamed to carry the Union
soldiers to the shores of the rebellious
states Out through that same channel
it had plowed its rushing PROV, in eager
pursuit of the daring rebels who had
stolen the Caleb Cushing and back
through that same channel it had
brought, as prisoners, the captured rebels.
For years and years of peace and
prosperity it had come and gone through
that same ship channel laden with
precious human lives and the wealth of
two metropolises
No other steamer has ever made such
record on this grand ocean highway that
leads into Portland harbor No other
steamer is SO worthy to bear the name of
our beautiful tree shaded city.
And yet the time has come when this
famous old steamer must be towed out
through that same ship channel and con-
signed to the flames on South Boston
fats.
The Portland Steam Packet company
was formed in 1874 1t built two steamers
to run to Boston. They were screw
steamers, and they were built on Fore
street at about the foot of Mountfort
street, at point where the Grand Trunk
freight shed now stands. They we've
named the General Warren and the Com
modore Preble. They were run for several
years and then discarded for sidewheel
steamers because at that time the use of
propellers had not been developed
sufficiently to drive a steamer as fast as
paddle wheels.
The company bought the side wheel
steamer John Marshall and soon after
had built in New York two other side
wheelers, the St. Lawrence and Atlantic
} These were used until in 1854, ten years
after the formation of the company, the
Forest City was built in New York, the
st, Lawrence was sold and the Atlantic
and the new steamer were run together.
The Forest City was built by John
Inglis. 1t was the first setamer that this
prominent steamboat builder ever built
She was of 1134 gross tonnage, cost $780,
900 and was considered up to date in
every particular
I When the war came the Forest City.was
chartered by the government for several
years as transport. She did not en-
counter the rebels at any time then, but
it remained for her soon after, when she
had..returned to Portland, to encounter
the rebels just outside this harbor. The
story of the capture Of the Caleb Cushing
by the rebel privateer, Tacony, is familiar
to everybody. 1t was the Forest City that
was armed by Portland citizens in pursuit
of the rebels in company with the Chesa-
peake 1t was the Forest City that was
bearing down upon the rebels when they
blew up the Caleb Cushing and
sur rendered
John j. Liscomb was captain at that
time. He was the father of John Liscomb,
the present treasurer of the company.
The Forest City was withdrawn from
the line year ago last February and has
been tied up at Twitchell and Champlin's
wharf ever since She was discarded be-
cause she was SO old fashioned and out of
date that it was not worth while to re-
pair her.
She was recently sold to Thomas Butler
& Co., of Boston, to be broken up as old
junk. The price paid for her was $3.50.
She will be taken to South Boston flats,
and after the machinery has been re-
moved, she will be burned, so that the
iron work may be obtained.
She was built by John Ingils, as stated,
but under the superintendency of the late
Captain John B. Coyle, the founder of
the company, and the father of Manager
John B. Coyle. The average life of such
wooden steamers, we are informed, is not
over twenty or twenty five years, but this
boat did service for forty years. This is
very unusual, and splendid stribute to
the strength and perfection of her con-
struction. She is notable illustration
oflthe policy that the company has always
pursued, of exercising the greatest care in
the construction of its steamers, and of
paying particular attention to strength
and durability in every feature.