The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-02
THE sTNAMER HuNTREss.

ton CT the CEdlL
Writing about Kennebec steamboats,
in the Reporter-Journal of Gardiner,
Me, date March 25, II. X. Chadwick
says;
compiled history of steam navigation
on the Keenebec from the first craft
propelled by steam (S19) that ever
came to Gardiner up to the time at
which L wrote, The article has long
since been out Of print.
OF late years 1 have been quite fire.
quently asked if it would be possible
for one to get copy of the paper, fol-
lowed by the expressed desire that the
article might be re-published.
Recently, Mr.. Christopher A. Brown,
prominent business man of Gales
Ferry Conn.,, and who was at one time
an attache of the steamer Huntress,
has made like request, accompanied
by an offer of documents bearing on
the subject, which letters are at hand,
and from them / learn a number of
things, particularly in connection with
| the Huntress, which l did not before
| know.
Upon news reaching Gardiner of the
| lOoS VI lllG SlSeLlIlGl ANSW IllSi6tllll III
| 1888, Hon. Parker Sheldon Immediately
| started for Portsmouth, where he was
| joined by Captain Kimball, and the
| two proceeded to Norwich and charter
ed the new steamer Huntress, to which
| the crew of the lost boat was trans
| ferred who brought her to Gardiner,
| where she arrived Sunday morning
| about the 18th of the same month.
| Captain K. returned to Portsmouth to
| look after the wreck of the New Eng
| land, but joined tho IIuntress on her
| first trip.
Commodore Vanderbilt Interested.
| Very soon after the Huntress came,
| the small steamer Clifton was placed
on the route from Hallowell to Port
land, under command Of Captain A.
| Brown, by Commodore Vanderbilt of
New York, as an opposition boat Cap
tain Brown made but few trips in
| this steamer when he was transferred
| to the new steamer Augusta of about
| the same size as he HuntresS. The
| Augustus not proving fast enough to
| compete with the Huntress successful
| ly, he withdrew her, putting in her
place his crack boat, built expressly for
| speed, and bearing his own name. The
G. Vanderbilt, under Captain Brown
| arrived at HaIlowell on the morning of
! September g. and left Gardiner in COM
| pany with the Huntress the next day.
One fire morning at about 10 o'clock
| while Captain Kimball was quietly
| pacing the upper deck of his boat in
| Boston, a messenger came to him bear
| ing the compliments of the captain of
~ iI,fA ,fy,rr u ivy,
/ that the steamer under his charge
would arrive at Bath, at Gardiner. at
Hallowell and at Augusta, ahead of
any steamer leaving Boston that
4 night" Captain Kimball smlingly re-
!. ceived the challenge and in reply said,
would the Vanderbilt be kind enough
to inform the citizens of the Kennebec
valley that the Huntress would be
| along sometime during the day."
4 With this the messenger departed
| and Captain Kimball went to his Of
| flee and called his officers to him, to
4 whom he communicated the purport
i of the message from the other boat,
/ and gave orders as follows: Notice to
be given to all passengers that the
boats were to race that night. Not a
pound of freight to be taken on board.
The pilot and clerk to go Immediately
and secure sufficient quantity of dry
pitch pine wood, steamers at that
time did not burn coaD. The mate and
engineer to see everything ready for
any emergency while the captain would
1 personally see that the boat was in
proper trim
The Famous Race.
Five o'clock came, but each waited
/ for the other until long past the hour
of starting when the Vanderbilt led
off, followed closely by the Huntress,
and as the boats plowed their way
down the harbor and out to sea, trem-
bling in every joint, with the bright
blaze rising high above their smoke
stacks, the excitement on board each
steamer became intense, and but few
passengers sought their pillows during
hat night. Neither captain left his post
during the entire passage, and seldom
spoke except to give an occasional or
der, both intent on making the best
time possible. Thus they kept on, the
little Huntress slowly but surely gain
ing on her antagonist, coming inch by
inch toward her, abreast of her, and
ahead of her, passing Seguin Light
ing point-eight minutes before and
arriving at Gardiner less han one mile
ahead of her antagonist. The Huntress
time, from Boston to Gardiner on this
occasion, has never yet been beaten
This was the great event OF the season
and people at this day can scarcely
imagine the intense excitement il
created all up and down the river.
A Willy Proposition.
At the close of the season the COM
pany returned the Huntress to hel
owner, but re-chartered her for the
same route the next season. Comma.
dore Vanderbilt, becoming convinced
that the opposition could not success
fully compete with the regular line, re-
sorted to one of those little tricks fol-
which he afterwards became so ia.
nous, and bought the Huntress sub
iect to the terms of the lease. He ther
gave the company their choice to take
the steamer and pay him $4,000 more
than he paid for her, agreeing to for
ever withdraw from the line, or HI
would put her on himself and pay then
whatever damage the lay would give
them. The company accepted the for
mer, and in the spring of 1889 the
Huntress returned under the same of
| ficers, and the K. & B. S. N. Co. hat
the route from then until the summer
I