The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-04
PILOT-DOAT JESSIE
Will Be in Service In the Columbia
River.
WASHINGTON PILOTS sHREwD
Some Facts Concerning the Schooner Just
Bought by Them--khat She Can
Do in a Regatta.

Oregonian.
The brief announcement In this paper
Wednesday morning that the Washing
ton pilots working at the mouth Of the
Columbia. had bought the schooner yacht
Jessie at San Francisco, caused some
surprise among shipping men here. as
the pilots said they were building boat
on Gray's harBor for the purpose. The
Jessie. however. is now IN their posses
sion. and viii be brought up TO the Col
umbla at once. She was built for the
late J. Aacdonough. Of San Francisco.
The new pilot schooner is a frst-class
boat. with some records for speedy work.
She is OF the proper size and should be
able TO weather the heaviest gales OF
winter. She was built by Captain Tur-
ner. OF Benecia. who also built the Ore
gon pilot boat. San Jose The Oregon
boat has long been considered too sraali
for the service, and efforts have been
made by the pilot commissioners TO Sc
cure appropriations for the building OF
a larger boat, but without success. There
was no little speculation as to what eff
feet the Jessie would have on the pilot
service. She will clearly give the WASH
ington pilots an advantage over their
Oregon brethren. but then any improve
ment in the service. which Is now very
good. will benefit Portland. One shipping
man. in discussing the matetr yesterday.
could see trouble ahead for the shippers.
he said:
The Oregon pilots will have no 'how
whatever when the Washington pilots
put the Jessie In service. The result will
be that they will all go over to the
Washington pilots or go out OF business.
Then you viii see pllotage rates go up.
Tha Ia NIL 70
charge s. per foot and cents per ton.
Under the Washington law the Northern
pilots can charge s per foot and for
over II feet draft. so per foot. OF
course. now while there Is competition.
the Washington pilots follow the Oregon
scale. but they won't when they have
the field to themselves"
II Is understood that when the Jessie
Is brought to the Columbia river. Ter
masts will be shortened and some other
changes made. Speaking Of the sale Of
the schooner. the San Francisco Call
says:
''She Is known as a fast yacht. and Is
fitted out in a luxurious manner. When
anchored of Sausalito and ready for her
trial trip. the Jessie stood on her owners
books at valuation Of $4,000. That is
the sum It cost TO build and equip her.
pected when she was placed on the mar
ket. but when the Columbia river pilots
offered $4,000 for her. Commodore Mac
donough thought the figure too small and
refused It,
This was several months age, and the
Washington men began looking around
for another boat. In the meantime the
expenses Of the Jessie kept mounting up,
and Macdonough. being tired of her.
wrote to the pilots. stating that he would
accept the $4,000 offer. The answer
came in the nautre Of a surprise. The
pilots said they were negotiating for
another boat. and that they would rot
pay more than $500 for the Jessie. The
commodore thought the matter over, and
finally came to the conclusion to let the
yacht go. He consequently accepted the
Sc, 900 offer, and in a few days the crack
schooner Jessie will sail for the Columbia
river in charge Of one of the pilots.
THE Jessie is one of the last schooner
yachts turned out by Captain Turner
from his yards at Benicia- She is Sc feet
long over all, "A feet s inches on the
water line, "a feet beam, 10.6 feet draft.
and registers rs tons. She is speedy,
and thoroughly seaworthy,
and at the figure she is wonderful bar
gain.
an all the regattas the Jessie was so
successful that the palm for speed was
conceded to her. In the friendly
brushes between the Lurline. Aggie.
Chispa and Macdonough's yacht, the Jes-
sic usually won over long course. The
Aggie is centerboard yacht. and In
short work she frequently outsails the
crack Commodore Macdonough has
number of trophies won by his boat, and
IN a week or so these will be all he Will
have left TO remind him of the merry
time and glorious cruises he had on the
stout yacht Jessie.
When James V. Coleman bought the
yacht Miranda. Macdon-
ough challenged him to race for 5000
side. Coleman replied that he was going
to keep his boat in Eastern waters, so
10 race was possible AT that time the
Jessise's qualities were very generally
and the opinion Of yachting
men was that the Macdonough yacht
was the fastest yacht for her class. out
side of racing machine. Her weotherly
qualities will be tested on the Columbia
river"