New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-05

penses were deducted, were divided between '"c
pilots and the outside owners, If any OF the latter
existed. This state of affairs led to competition
OF the fercest kind. To such an extent ala 'his
go that. when couple of boats came together IN
a cruise. they sailed OCCASIONALLY far as Sable
Island 900 miles from this port. To the south
ward they cruised as far as the Capes Of the
Delaware These extended cruises were simply
bluffng matches which entailed great expense
on the pilots and were 1ot regarded favorably
by shpowners. These latter objected to the ex-
pense Of finding food and accommoda ton for the
inward pilots for heightened periods and so the
evil ultimately righted itself For long time
the question Of substituting a steam service had
been agitated and some time ago X was put into
actual practice by Withdrawing twenty-one oi
the boats from service and chartering the steam
Ell Adams : a siaiion-boat.
The cruising are was restricted T. Fire Island
on the north ard Barnegat on the south, COW
cred by four boats; inside OF these three Others
cruise with a single schooner siill closer into the
Ughtship and station boat. These. too. viii be
SUPERSEDED By steamer which the pilots pro-
pose to build. cruising on the line named.
The working crew Of uot boat usually con-
sis,s Of a boatkeeper. who is in command. -FOUR
seamen and cook There is usually conp.e-
ment Of six pilots ana when the last OF THESE II
transit rrct 10 a snip the IttI" ScH'oHf1 H'"' -
turned toward New York and all sail set in a race
to pick up her pilots and be of to sea again oi
course. the hardest hustlers made the most
money under the old system Under the new pan
all the pilots form joint stock company. among
which the aggregate gains are divided AS the
rates Of piotage varied largely with the draught
Of the ships. there used to be great j)ckeyng 70
catch the big ocean liners. Pilots not infre-
quently were affected with kind Of moonblind-
ness when light draught vessel hove in sight
while A big one was expected. The former not
rarely was left to find her own way or walt until
some pilot turned w who had no hope OF a rlcher
prize The rates begin at 81 rs a foot for ten-foot
vessels or less; at fourteen feet 1t increases To
50 80: at eighteen feet The rate Is 81 IL. ana al
twenty -one feet 1t reaches the maximum OF ~ ~
a foot. a vessel drawing twenty feet pays In
ward $50 60 and outward Sol 60: total SlH 70
twenty-eight foot ship would pay Inward sl36 "a;
outward 500 6S; total $22e 20. This explains the
eagerness with which the pilots cruised for the
large vessels and sometimes were unable to see
the smaller fry of ships.
Formerly there outside pilotage. paid on
vessels boarded more than fifteen miles of shore
which amounted roughly to one-fourth the In
ward charge. In recent years this was declared
unconstitutional and is rarely paid. except
long and stormy voyage: these cases are few and
far between.
So far as can be calculated al pr sent, the
pilots will save about $4,000 year. the crews
OF the discarded VESSELS being laise item III the
economizing, besides the wear and tear of the
vessels The pilots. however. In making inc
change. have burdened themselves WITH 'a'hefVy
debt. There are many outside owners ana
widows to be taken into consideration. In order
to be perfectly Just TO these. the boats were
valued and that will be paid these owners.
irrespective Of the prices they may actually
bring when sold Many Of them old. while
OF hers are comparatively new. These latter cost
SIC 900 or $l70 600 each but the sale being forced
TO a great extent they VIII probably have to be
sold at considerable loss. The prices asked are
said to range from $4,000 10 $4,000 each The boats
are deep and narrow. built solely for cruising IN
all weathers. They would make splendid cruis-
ing yachts or with alterations, hshing smacks
for deep water
Looking at them vest .rday, with fierce nor
wester whistling through thei' standing rigging.
they seemed the ghaetly skeletons Of the white
hinged flyers Of old. Every ehrcd of rigging is
Lnroye. except the shrouds and stays. The sails
unbent and slowed away below. while the
booms. gafs and spare spars are slowed on the
bare. snow-covered decks. Most Of the top
masts are housed deck end huddled in be-
tween the Long Dock and hundreds OF grain
laden caial-bOats the boats look little Ike their
former selves.
or the twenty-five numbers in the New-York
fleet, all but one or two have been lost, some OF
them twice over. The marine underwriters say
that the loss has been boat year. but the
Jersey fleet has suffered still more disasters.
Number II. now represented by the Ezra Nye.
was lost twice: the frsi one was the old Phan-
TOM which rescued the passengers OF the steam
ship Oregon. sunk of Fire Island few years
ago. II Is little more than year since No. ;.
the G. II. Warren. went down of the coast; with
her disappeared her complement Of six pilots and
crew. whose fate was never known. When the
Phantom. No. II. was lost all her pilots had been
taken off, but her crew OF six men iedSvith her.
The Enchantress lost In the memorable
blizzard OF March. 1855. Four OF her pilots were
lost with the crew OF six men. Commander
Bateman the second No II. was lost In 1889: with
her went Pilot James Handren and the cook.
Volumes might be written on the daring deeds
and hairbreadth escapes OF these hardy sons OF
the sea, but few had a narrower escape than
Pilot John Hobbs. one OF the Jolliest and most
rotund Of the fraternity. On Z cold. winter niGht