The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-15
MAY MEAN A PIL0TAGE WAR.
THREATENED DISRUPTION OF THE
PILOTS ASSOCIATION.

Some of the Pilots Understood to
Have Withdrawn From the Assoc
citation and an Opposition Pilotnge
Expected May Mean Another
steam Pilot Boat or n Return to
the Sailing BoatS-SOme of the Bu-
mored Causes of the Trouble.
Savannah has a prospect of opposition
piotage again. The five-years' agreement
between the Pilots Navigation Company
and the Pilots Association expired ~ rcn
9. Some of the pilots refused 10 sign a
new charter and there is talk Of an oppo-
sition steam pilot boat
Capt. w. j. Thompson gave no
tice last week to the Pilotage
Commissioners of his withdrawal
three others are rumored 10 have sent no
tifcaGons to the commissioners, among
them Capt. J. j. Thompson and Capt. J.
r, Stegin. Neither of them could be seen
yesterday, but Capt. w. ]. Ihomp son,
while he was not prepared to talk about
the probable break up Of the association,
admitted that he had notified the cam
missioners of his withdrawal. hut he h d
rot yet received their reply. He could not
say what the outcome will be. He knew
nothing, he said, Of the withdrawal Ct
Capts ]. j. Thompson and SJegin. He
will know to-day probably how The Pilot
age Commissioners look at the matter
If cay number of piCts withdraw from
the association or even one OF Two go out
it means an opposition piiotage, probably as
active as wher there were eight or nine
sailing pilot boats, the pilots on each OF
which tried to get as many vessels as pos
sible, and 10 do SO sometimes cruised as
far north as Wilmington, n. c., and sou h
ward TO the Florida coast 1t was ~
mcred yesterday that the pilot schooner
Oracle OF Brunswick had been chartered
by the seeding pilots. This was den d,
however Capt. Thompson said that
there was nothing in the rumor that the
Oracle had been bought or even that there
was an o3ticn on her. She is not what
the pilots want anyway. If they should
take up sailing boats again
What a sailing Iilot boat can do in COM
petition against a steam pilot boat re-
matrTs to be seem The sailing boat has
the advantage of being able 40 sail far
off in search of vessels bound in, and is,
of course less expense to maintain than
steamer, but pots life aboard of the
old time sailing pilot beat is a rough
one.
The pilots will not say what the cause
of the probable break up is. One of the
causes Of dissatisfaction is said to be that
several outsiders have become stockhold-
ers of the Pilots Navigation Company,
which owns the pilot boat j. H. Estill.
There has been a good deal of friction
among the pilots within the last year or
TWO, and the management of the Naviga-
ton Company has been hampered greatly
by it. Half a dozen or more pilots have
been in charge of the steamer as master
curing that time and the several acct
dents and the resulting losses which have
been sustained have caused a good deal
OF dissatisfaction. Whether a sufficient
number of pilots will withdraw from the
association to effect it seriously remains
10 be seen. The breaking OF the compact
though will mean either another steam
plot or a fleet of sailing boats, and a
sharp competition for business. None Of
the pilots who were seen last night would
say anything about the matter.