New-York tribune., 1896-08-30
STARTING THE BIG SHIPS
THE WORK OF NETWORK TUGBoATs
QUALIFICATIONS or THEIR CAPTAINS AND
cREws-THE CALLING no LESS EXACT.

ING THAN THAT OF THE PILOT.
If the essence Of hospitality is to welcome N.
coming and TO speed the parting guest then the
captain OF a tugboat Is an important factor in the
hospitality OF the Nation. 50 eagerly does he wei.
come the guest who comes to these shores by tn.
force OF the wind that he often goes far to On
the bare chance OF meeting him and helping him
TO arrive and nee lful Is he for tho speeding OF
the same guest his departure that II would
often be Impossible TO get up any speed at all with
out him
The tugboat captain and the tugboa, ara
among those people who form inconspicuous
foundation for the commerca al and Industrial struc-
ure OF the world. who do great and indispensable
part OF it's work and are content 10 ind no fame
and little directly expressed appreciation. The cap
tain Of every tugboat that puns around tho harbor
OF New York must have all Tho qualifications Of q
pilot Nay did you ever SUSPECT that the cook or
the deckhand on the tug was on mis- way 10 10
qualified = pilot Just ~ the man is qualified who
brings In the ST. PAUL. There may be persons
here and there even on tugboats whose souls are
content remain where they arc but rule
everybody who l. employed one Of these neryou.
and necessary little craft hopes AT last 20 be the
ca plain OF The most Of them start young and
start at the bottom. and by the time man nnd,
A captains berth vacant for him 10 climb into he
has had an opportunity learn the business pretty
thoroughly. \ captain need not necessarily have
been a cook or an engineer but It is always an
advantage for anybody who Il 70 be- az the head o,
any sort of business to know the whole Of IT, For
instance. there is Captain Ed Parker of tho VIII
lam J. McCauldn. the commodore ~ the feet %
his company whose commanding form abou, Nh.
tho pllot-housc. He has been In his time a deck
hand a fireman. cook mate and engineer
WHAT THE MEN HAVE TO Do
The crew Of tugboat consists ordinarily Of abou,
seven men They the captain. the mate The
engineer the steward Uhe dcnined name FOR a sea
cook) two hremen and deckhand II another
man is admitted he is probably ezra deck
hand When everything Is going smoothly and
normally the captain is IN th" po'-holse. the en-.
gineer is in the cngnc-room. th" hremon are down
below shovelling coal. the cook is preparing what
ever meal comes next and the mate and tho deck
hand are ready for whatever work is 20 ho done on
deck. The captain cannot be in tho pot-hous al
ways and when he is not the mate Is In his place
He is supposed be quite capable of running the
boat without the captain If it should bo necessary
But when the captain is in his plac" the mate be-
comes practically "A icckhand again
There are times and often, when there is too
much work on deck for TWO mon. and then the
whistle toois twice and the cook umhles ont of his
galley and lends a hand in the manager nent Of the
boat That does not happen on al ocean steamer.
because there they have passengers 20 provide for
and they are more aricuiar about their cookery.
as well as about the appearance of their seamen.
but here makes difference about those things.
when the whistle toots twice the cook must Leave
the cakes to and the bread 70 rise or 70 fall
as 1t will and come ont and catch rope that s
slung to him
The deckhand Is he apprentice He Is nor mfre
laborar usually. That may be m" case win me
deckhand on an excursion steamer. who is hired
for only FIVE months of the year AZ the most but
the tugboat has no such butterfly existence and
the man who helps to run IL. even tho on" who IL
yet at the foot Of the little ladder that leads up %
the pilot house. must be person Or intelligence
and capability. The test of these qualities IN ths
deokhand comes when he has had so much expert
ence that he hopes TO be mate. Then ne must so
before the United States Board of Local Steamboat
Inspectors with letter from the owners oil Ms
boat and take his examination.
LITTLE THINGS THE NATE MUST KNOW.
He must prove TO the satisfaction OF the inspec-
tors that he knows the local waters from SANDY
Hook the south to city Island or Sands foiht
the east. and az far north as he intends TO co.
perhaps 10 Albany, perhaps only 10 fonkers. TIC
must show that within that space he knows All me
channels the shoals and the currents. the nature
habits and tricks OF the tides. where IN" boys ar"
and what they mark. lie must know all IN" Ngnt~
about New-York Harbor and It's approaches. ana hs
must know their ranges. When he secs on" OF 'h'iii
in this direction and another In that. or t"o ~
them I'm line, ne must he able 10 tell from tn'r
positions just whore he Is
When the inspectors are satisfied that he Is com
petert in all this they give him his certicaie as a
nate. After time. when chanc" ! ol.t ~, i nil
to become captain he must go heforc t9c bosra r
again. This time he must take with MN ne
recommendations Of three captains or % ""9, trongb
some little further examination Then. AZ last, ne
gets l0 bis license o , to cGmm1hd % M amy was spSaed
lie is restricted to tugooat man WIN suSn
Steamer in these waters. for none OF them are over
1000 tons burden, only If he wanted 10 go nrSDme t
nls nees H rene@5 very year bur there are
no more examinations. unless th' captain eNpeCs
to go further or to take bigger noa, rhso. know,
off, fIa Sriep of
driving horse on the towpath oi boss. o5bma..
may look down on q, the ,neso"t H1P ,b T sboaS ard
her men need sea-going qualities TOO lhsy naro T,o
o 1U frther to md ships to take back This Is he
time when the captain is in nm the Ibps i %EcR are
found for him by his company but when he gets be;
yond the Bar he is the COMPANY ana n' r,ion ,ure %
work for his boat. If he can at his own u''''e''0"
HUNTING WORK OUT AT SEA
He makes his way TO sea and scans the horizon
for sails When he sees ship which ne tl'"As '""'
II would be profitable to take into port ne coi'e'
alongside and tries to drive bargain VII" ''7
captain. The terms OF this bargain depen" o mo-.
things. OF course the size OF the s''p az ~
weight OF her cargo are prime coi'S"''" -,
state OF the tide and the wind also count Il "a,
ha that ~ the cantain Of the tugboat asks TOO mu0"
when the wind is moderately good the snip cap
tain will simply parey and delay I'LL the snip ""'
sailed in with help from anyoo'!, Du' ,,r
petition is not "A factor I'm the game. Nhe" -
Is trying TO make a bargain with snip ,he| T tug
lowing her in the hope OF doing so no o,ner, ~, ,bs
will come near her. That IL the etliIets' % 80
trade If one tug gives up the Job ana & fo.s 1"-'
another may come and Try out nor no. t iug ~ the ship
large and heavily laden and the wind asan,so ~, 20,
The captain the tug may get as musn az ships
around reedng tugs and the chances See SEN nissy
threaten job at AL. h" may thihk IL ,n ,' conde.
course TO offer to do IL for less. or even 20 ca
see nd to bring in coasting schooner lot ~ r - SIs
rather than come back with nothing TO SHOW lor o, ms
trp but the profits OF the ship thAt ne
Taking ships out * different matter mere ,sse -
nientv OF time for the ship to make an ad'antsse.
Gus contract and the element OF comIe,l1'ot nkey
in Moreover the towing OF a vessel 10 s'd ! "sm
10 be, A part OF an arrangement whereby one a., ~ ~
does all the towing FOR the ship ~hilt sne wa, =,
mort and therefore II has TO be done az 70" %
rate A fair price for towing one OF the arsssS AZ
sailing vessels to Is 500 while. as mas ai's..x
hern shown "A much larger price can oiten De hAs
for bringing her In from the sea