The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-08
rHE REAR TO wINrEK HERE.
she WIN Patrol the SQUAD Daring
Heavy storms.

The revenue cutter Bear. which - the
largest OF the Pacific feet Of cutters. has
received orders 70 make her winter head
quarters ct Seattle. She - At present
a. Port Townsend. and VIII proceed to
this Port ia the course OF the next few
days The Bear Is IN command Of Capt
Francis Tuttis, already well known N
seattle. and has crew of about fifty
officers and rsen- She will lie At one OF
the buoys during the winter, or over at
West Seatti
II has already been announced that ali
the supplies, ship caandlery and coal for
the cutter service are to be purchased IN
Seattle. but there is great advantage
I'm having the Bear winter in this port
far and above such mere pecuniary con-
sfderasions She VIII be kept ready TO sail
at short notice and viii be ready to give
assistance In any marine emergency.
The Bear reached Puget sound four or
five days ago, direct from the Pribiiof
islands. She made the run down In eight
days. although she ancounrerec very
heavy weather. and several times had 10
heave TO in consequence. Notwithstand-
ing this she averaged ten knots an hour
for the whole time down.
The Bear was one OF the three vessels
that originally con. pr1sed the Greedy re-
lief fieet- She was purchased by the
United States at Dundee. Scotland, hav-
ing formerly been employed as steam
whaier. and especially adapted for work
in the ice She Is built of oak through
out. and In addition to her oak planking
is sheathed with fronwood. and her bow
for a depth OF fifteen feet is filed in with
heavy oak. She draws. when loaded.
about eight feet. carries about go tons
OF coal, and her tonnage Is about lio0
tons.
During the Greely relief expedition she
I~l ~ ~ "a
navy. and was the FIRST vessel TO discover
the whereabouts Of Greedy. After return
ing from the expedition the Bear was
transferred TO the revenue cutter service.
was overhauled In New York. and, being
assigned 10 duty In the Pacific, came
around the Horn IN 1855. Until this year
she Was commanded by Captain Mike"
Healy. who was relieved by Captain Tut
tie.
The Bear IL employed during the summer
season in the relief of whaling vessels in
the Arctic ocean, and patrol duty in Ber-
ing sea- During the past summer. under
Captain Tuttle's command she proceeded
to Point Barrow, ard was able TO render
much assistance to the whaling feet in
the far north. 1t has been the practice
to winter in San Francisco. where she has
always been placed out Of commission. but
Captain Shoemaker, chief of the service.
has arranged that hereafter she shall win
ter in Puget sound. with headquarters at
Seattle. so that on the occasion of any ma
rine disaster in the sound or on the coast
she may Immediately be dispatched to rem
der such assistance as she can give. In
other words. the Bear while In Seattle,
viii always be prepared TO proceed to sea
al a moments notice. ard " Is very prob
able that she will be directed 10 make ex-
tended cruises about the sound and along
the coast during storms of any magnitude.
OF the vessels in the revenue cutter service
IL is claimed that she Is the only one able
10 render assistance to large merchant ships
during bad weather. vessels like the Grant
and Woicott. II Is explained, having all
they can do to take care Of themselves
during q heavy blow.