Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-13
AN CID SAILORS EXPERIENCE.
Captain Couch Tells of His Long Service
Mt Sea.

have called upon me TO give you some
OF my early experience in the coastwise
service. l will commence with ny life on
Z saling-yessel l commenced on n
schooner running between New York and
Virginia when n very small boy, and
was appointed master at the age of 49,
While my experience on Il salling-vessel
was very hard. with very much more
exposure than on steamer. regard that
experience as invaluable to me- be-
came more thoroughly acquainted with
the coast and all the harbors between
Norfolk and New York, and also on the
James river. than | ever could have
done II | had commenced life in
steamer, and attribute in large degree
my success IN tho steamship service to
my earlier experience In a sailiug-yessel.
LETT the sailin8-vessel and was APP
pointed frst-ofIicer OF the steamship Roa-
noke, Of the New York and Virginia
Steamsrip Company. 1854. Captain
Thomas Skinner was In command. and
Mr.. George Y. SlOat, chief-englneer. This
ship was = side-wheeler. 1850 tons regis
ter, with double-beam enginss Her speed
with fresh water in her boilers, was u
miles an hour. but she had no surface
Condenser and when the water became
salt and We were obliged to pump and
blow or 10 freshen up the water, her
speed would fa!l ut once down to about
ten miles an hour Her consumption Of
coal was about thirty tons in twenty
fou. hours. and her tine from New York
u Norfolk varied from twentysix 20
thirty hours. This ship had 10 such
modern improvements rs are in the
steamers now owned by this company; no
steam wnf.as5. steam capsta1s; steam
steering-bear. or steam hosting engines.
Al the cargo was holsted by hand or
horses. We coaled up the ship in New
lori, AMI horse was taken On the deck
or the ship to hoist up coal with. We
had no stevedorts. except at New York
The trst-ofiiccr dil all the work at
Norfolk and Richmond. We were COM
PEELED to get the strongest horses TO hoist
cargo, and they would not last more
tnan eight months or a year. They could
not stand the strain The Roanoke had
accommodations for about che hundred
frst-c!ass passengers. Tho atterpart Of
her between-decks was taken Tor state
rooms, but her cargo capacity WAS very
small. she would not carry over 900
to 1900 barrels. She had no side-ports.
All the cargo had 10 bc hoistcd on board
over the main AMI promenaGe-ieck.
DID THE PLOTTING.
The frst-oiIlcer was required % do the
plotting Of one half OF the James river,
a. well as to attend to tn- stevedoring
ut Norfolk, City Point, and Ricnmond.
The trst-oflicers wages then were so
month.
The jamestown was BUILT n little later
and WAS trine faster than the Roanoke.
Subsequently 0n 1850 the Yorktown " :.
b. Ill., and added to the Inc. Captain skin
nor was promoted To the jamestown.
and Mr. George V. Sloat was made
chief engineer Of the same ship, and |
4
the Roanoke. with Mr. George Iauigan
chief engineer. The Roanoke continued to
run unIl the breaking out of the war;
in 1861. and vas the last steamship 10
leave Richmond
Tho trucking interest, which is now so
large in Nlrgila. was jus. commencing
before the ar ami CO barrels Ut truck
on one ship was considered u very large
shipment.
W nile these steamers were fairly COM
Portable at sea, AMI wsen iight-loaGed
would make the trip with reasonable
7 .iar.;y, their freight capacity was very
si.'l, ana their speed. II loaded deep.
very slow. The Roanoke would not carry
more than ono sixth part of the cargo OF
the Ola Dominion-,he steamer We are
row on-anI when the Roanoke was load
al deep. would not make over ten miles
on hour, and would burn as much coal
4 r AOuT as the OiI dominion.
The jamestown ar Yorktown. now
owned ~ tho Oi Dominion Steam hip
Company, would. under the same cir1uin-
stances, beat the Old Roanoke ten TO
twelve hours in time between here and
Norfolk. would carry more than SIX times
her cargo, and bum less coal.
DURING THE WAR.
After the line was discontinued to Rich
mOnd, On account OF the civil war. I
continued in her. anl I'm 10 Havana
and New orr ems. ~ salary was tina
$3.50 4 year with the privilege Of the
bar.
IN 1853 | took charge OF the steamship
Creole. Of the same company. and on the
same route; in 1864 I took charge OF the
sc-ew-steamer IaZoO. i'm the same COM
pany's service. and on The same route,
touching at Key West occasionally. In
ls5, | took charge Ok the new :. ic-
wheeled steamship Niagara. also in the
same cOmpany's service. and running 10
Norfolk, City Point. and Richmond. The
Niagara was a comfortable ana last yes
sci in good weather She had = good
passenger accommodation, but very smlll
lre.slt capacity. Seven hundred bales Of
uEcomprcssad cotton would III her tull.
and her consumption Of coal was as great
as that OF the steamship old Dominion.
when loaded deep she was very slow,
and was not an able sea-boat.
In the early part OF 1888 | resigned
from the Niagara. and took charge OF
the steamship General Grant, In the
Cromwell Line running 10 New Orleans.
bat in the latter part Of 1858 | resigned
from the Cromwell Line. and was ap-
pointed commander OF the steamship Hat
tevas, in the old Dominion Line, running
=.
and Richmond, Va. From that date until
the present Tina | have been III COM
man1 OF various vessels owned by this
company
RAPID PROGRESS.
In looking back over the whole period
of my steamship service, and comparing
the character OF the vessels IN 1854 with
the character OF the vessels at this time,
and the manner OF doing the business, |
was astOnishei at the rapid progress
made in the character Of the steamers,
and In all other matters connected with
the coastwise trade. but cannot find any
where during that r~rod more striking
example of the difference in character or
ships for making money than there 10 be-
tween the Roanoke or jamestown OF 1861
and this steamer Old Dominion, on which
we are all now enjoying ourselves, OF
the present day. They were both side
wheeled ships; both had lowp pressure en-
glnes. yet the Old DomILon, as l have
already stated, will carry more than six
times the cargo OF the old Roanoke; carry
II faster. more comfortably. IN every way;
carry IL with less coal. Il load AMI IN
load as quick as the old II anoke could,
with only Cne sixth part OF the freight
to handle. or course. there IS very
great stride also between the Old Do
minion and the jamestown and the York
town of to-day, but the jamestown and
Yorktown are screw-s:eamers OF finer
models, and have treb.e-expanson en-
sines but | regard the OLD Dominion,
which 1t has been my pleasure TO COM
mand for so many years. as the very
best side-wheeled ship that ever was
butt In this country or any other, and
feel about as proud of her to-day as or
any snip the company has N her service
| do net want you TO feel that 1 am
disparaging the ships that have been built
since the O,d Dominion. but with all
Difference 10 them, this company have to-
day but two ships for all around SER
vice. both inland and outside, that are
better than she Is.
Samuel w. Fort No More.
NEW YORK, January le.-Samuel W.