The morning times., 1895-11-10
FLEETS OF THE POTOMAC
Washington Boats That Have
NaVigated Its Waters.
NOT ALL FOR PLEASURE
Steamers Whose History Antedates
the War-A Squadron of Pleasure
Craft-A1any of Them, However,
Combined Business With Their More
Serious Occupation.

The ship tonnage of Washington harbur
is not So great as that of several other
cities, Liverpool for instance, but 1T is
dearer to the hearts of our local mariners
than any other shipping on the earth, or
off it.
Even half of our people who neither feed
ON salt horse, nor walk upon web-feet, feel
degree OF interest in the home fleet, for
the love which Washington bears her
sailors and her craft, is not confined to the
wave-washed precincts of the city.
There is a current idea that Washing
ton steamers are built for fun and dcd-
Gated To excursions. The reason for this,
is mat the excursion fiotilld disthespectacular S
end of the Washington fleet. Each season.
all Washington several times over, treads
the decks OF the Manchester, PentZ, River
Queen, or Richmond. These are thesteamers
which summer Washington knows best,
but there are others. Here is list of
the traffic craft, the business boats of
the Washington river front.
Newport News, Capt. Pete Geogne gan;
Norfolk, Capt. William Luckett; WASH
iugton, Capt. X. +. Tule; Harry Randall,
! Capt. Barker, T. V. Arrowsmith, Capt.
Entwistle; Wakefield, Capt. Ben owens;
Sue, Capt. James Geoghegan; Potomac.
Capt. william Geoghegan; MattaDo, Capt.
William E. skinner; Tarpon, Capt. ---
-; Columbia, Capt. j. ID. Eskridge;
Belle Haven, Capt. Marmaduke; Defiance,
Capt. Sharpshire; Alton and Occoquan.
SOFT WEATHER STEAMERS.
Following are the names OF the '.excur-
sionists," or soft weather. steamers, as
tney are tenderly termed by their frIenus:
Charles Manchester, Capt. Ross; Samuel
j. Pentz, Capt. Barker; City OF RIclIGifoDd,
Capt. "Chap' Posey; Scufrerie, Capt. Davis
River Queen, Capt. Carpenter Mary Wash
ington, George Leary and Bartholdi.
Ihen, III counting up the steamers that
are ours we should not forget to pay the
tribute OF a thought to those poor old
steamers which once claimed Washington
as their home, but which went to Jones
locker through fire or storm. Following are
some familiar names:
Wahwasset, Capt. John Wood, burned off
Maryland Point, August s, 1873; Express,
Capt. Barker, founGered Off Point Lookout,
October %, lS7 s; Armenia burned at Alex
andria, $50; W. W. CorcoraD, burned at
wharf, September 3, 1891; GeorgianDa,
foundered off Hog Island; City OF Alex
andria, burned at Alexandria, 1898; W.
W. Colt, burned at wharf, winter OF S93-
"a; E. c. knight, lost at sea; Lady of the
Lake, burned at wharf, February a, 1895;
George Law, burned.
Then there have been a numbero of changes.
The Pilot Boy has been rebuilt, as the
Belle Haven: the Jane Moseley is at Bal
timore; the John Gibson has been broken
up; the City of Washington is being broken
up. ana the Florence is out OF commission
There is a contest between the Mattdno
and the old spirit of the Pilot Boy hiding
in the Belle Haven as to which is the dean
Of the fleet. This honor was borne 10y the
George Law up to the time when the finan-
cial troubles of the Planters Steamboat
Company compelled her sale to parties
who steered her into foreign waters. Tie
Law was built at keyport, ". j.. in 1854
The Mattano waslaunched at The same port
in 1853, and after long years OF faithful
service on the Hudson, was brought around
to the Potomac In 1876 by the late George
L. Sheriff, and placed in command OF
Capt. Harry Biles.
The Matte" has been in service here
ever since she came, but was WITHDRAW wn
from active service on last Thursday. 1t
is uncertain what her fate is to be.
HAS MADE HER LAST TRIP.
The administrators of the Sheriff estate,
who have been operating her, claim as the
reason that traffic is Too light Tney
say the boat VIII not be sold but the men
OF the old-time craft, with whom The Times
talked, seemed to feel that she had made
her last trip. She has been one of the
bonanza boats of the river. She has paid
for herself a hundred-fold. Her first com
mander was u man with u pull and the
personal popularity of a captain really
counts for more with the down-river country
folk than the speed or equipment of the
boat. This has been demonstrated time
and again.
The only formidable opposition to the
Mattano came when Capt. h. :. Randall of
River View fame, bought the John W.
Thompson, sent her To Baltimore, where
she was rebuilt To such an extent that she
was entitled To oregistry under another name.
Sne was launched with lifting ceremonies
as the Harry Randall, named lor the sou
otCapt. Randall. Sheisabg swift steamer,
lighted by electricity, carrying new Scotch
boilers. and the latest machinery. Her cabin
furnishings were up to date. Capt. Newell,
one of the best known nayigators of the
Potomac, left the MatJano and went withthe
Harry Randall. Her pilot, purser, engineers
and mates were chosen with a view not only
to their experience, but the trade they
could cummaDd. 1t was combination that
made the Mattano suffer, but hundreds of
her clients along the river refused to
desert her.
IN THE COLORED EXCURSION TRADE
The Pilot Boy was builteat Wilmington
in 1857, and alter several years OF service
in Northern waters aud the Chesapeake,
came round To Washington and began
operations ON the lower Potomac in CON-
junction with the Georgianna. When the
company to which hebeionged was crowded
out by competition with the Maryland and
Virginia, and the Washington Steamboat
companies, she rell into the colOred excur-
sion trade, a nd Motley Hall and Colliugwood
knew her well. The proud spirit of the Pilot
Boy grieved at this, and lunged to return
to the status of Il business boat. The ferry
steamer City of Alexandria had gone up iu
smoke, and age was beginning to tell ON the
City of Washington. All the ferry business
devolved upon the Columbia, and to relieve
her, the Washington Steamboat Company
bought the Pilot Boy. She was sent to
baltimore, rebuilt and rechristened the Belle
Haven, after the original name Of Alex
andria. And she still sails on.
One of the historic boats is the Mary
Washington. She is not such an old ste;.ui-
er as is popularity supposed, being the junior
of many OF the steamers which glide around
all painted in glitter and gilt, with brass
bands on their decks. She is a native Of
the Potomac, having been built at Acco-
tink, Va, in 1874. She is probably the
most domestic of our steamers, 1t being
questionable whether she has ever been out
side of Point Lookout. She was designed
as business boat, but was a failure, her
tastes inclining more towards pleasure and
picnlcs. She was built after the pattern
of western river craft, for the local truck
ing trade, but proved too slow.
During the centennial exposition she
ran on the Mount Vernon route with the
Corcoran and also ran excursions to Mount
Vernon Springs. She has seen service both
under Capt. Skinner and Capt. Blake.
About 1856 she came into possession of
Capt. Randall and was the original River
View steamer before the Coming of the
Pentz The occoquan route was ex-
clusively hers and she made barrels of