The Portland daily press., 1896-04-21
THE FIRST PACIFIC STEAMBOAT.
She Went from England to Vancouver, Ar
irving on April 10, 1886.
(From the Morning Orego nian. }

(From the Morning Orego MIAMI
Sixty years ago yesterday marked an
important epoch in the history of the
Northwest, the occasion being the arrival
at Fort Vancouver of the Hudson's Bay
Company's steamer Beaver from Eng
land. She reached Astoria several days
earlier, but as Fort Vancouver was her
objective point when she felt the Old
World, she did not tarry at the lower
port, but proceeded to the end of her
journey as rapidly as possible.
Steamers were scarce when the Beaver
started away from Gravesend on her long
journey in the fall of 1885, and the sue
cessful trip of the Savannah short time
previous is all that prevented the Beaver
from claiming the honor of being the
first steamer to cross the Atlantic Ocean
AS it is, the name of the old craft will
live forever in the annals Of steam Davi-
CATION as the first steamer to enter the
Pacific Ocean, as we'll as the first one on
any of the waters nf the Northwest. This
fame, which will ultimately become in
ternational, is not SO thoroughly appre-
ciated il the Northwest from the fact
that the extreme age reached by the old
pioneer placed her easily within the rec
election of nearly all of present genera.
ton. All over the Northwest are I'M
dreds of people who remem Der the an
tique appearing craft that splas he'd
around the waters of the Sound and
British Columbia until about eight year
ago, when she was oareiessly wrecked,
with her timbers as sound rs the day
they were put in place. No more strik-
ing picture of the rapidity of develop
ment and progress in the Northwest
was ever witnessed than the not uncom-
mon sight OF one OF the magnificent Em,
Mail line to the Orient flying past the
veteran as she rested helpless on the
rocks at the entrance to Burrard's Inlet,
while curio hunters hacked her to
pieces.
On reaching Vancouver April 10, 1886,
the Beavers machinery was overhauled,
her paddle wheels shipped, and May is,
original log il still in the possession of
Victoria man, and from it the follow
ing entries of sixty years ago are copied:
Tuesday. May 17.-At daylight un-
moored ship and got steam up. At $3.50
weighed and ran down abreast of the low
| err plain IOr ureWOOG. AT noon laSheQ
| alongside the Columbia (bark). At 1.30
took the Columbia in tow for the saw
mill. At 6 returned and anchored off
Fort Vancouver in five fathoms of water.
Received nine-pound long gun from the
Columbia. May 23.-At daylight
engineers employed in getting up steam.
At weighed anchor and ran down with
steam to the lower plain to take on fire.
wood. At p. m. received a party of
gentlemen on board and ran up to the
| sawmill and back to the lower part of
Menzies Island. At z anchored eff the
fort and found the engines to act very
| we'll.
"May 81. AT $50 q party of ladies
and gentlemen from the fort came on
board. At g. 40 weighed anchor and ran
down the river under steam and entered
the upper branch of the 'Wilhammet;'
ran under half power till we cleared the
lower branch at 80, and ran up toward
Vancouver. At 5 came to anchor and
| moored in our old berth. At called
all hands to splice the main brace. -
The steamer made several excursions
similar to those mentioned during the
short time she remained on the Column
bia and Wilhammet. and on June 81,
| 1856, she sailed away for Millbahk Sound,
and most Of her work in after years was
on the waters of British Columbia and
Puget Sound. The Beaver was neither
fast, oommodious, nor beautiful, but
none of the big feet of splendid river,
ocean and Sound steamers which fol3
lowed her will ever enjoy tiGhe of the
fame that is hers forever.