The Yale expositor., 1901-07-05
BAPTISTE CREEK BATTLE!
1t Occurred 80 Years Aeo-Two
Yale Men Were Concerned.

We clip the following from the Chat
ham, Ontario, Planet, of June 10th;
gladly reprinting it because two of the
parties concerned are we'll known in
Yale and surrounding regions:
In the fall of 1868 Edwin Jones, now
superintendent of the water works de-
partment, Rudolph Andreae, William
Andreae, James Handbook William
Fletcher, and Charles Ayres left Chat
ham in the first steam yacht ever
built here for few days duck shooting
at the lighthouse. The yacht was a
staunch little craft built and owned by
Mr.. Jones and Rudolph Andreae. The
night proved cool one, and the crew
and owners slept as near the boiler as
they could. Next morning Will Fetch
er and some of the others went shoot
ing while Mr.. Jones and Charles Ayres
accompanied Rudolph Andreae to the
Baptiste Creek station, which was west
of this creek, not half way between it
and Jeannette's creek as it is now.
Andreae had been taken i'll and went
home. When returning in the launch
Frank Bennett, "Polly" Harper and
another Chatham boy were met at the
mouth of the creek. They were in
row-boat and demanded tow back to
Chatham. Jones and his crowd, proud
of their new boat, CURLY and haughtily
refused.
Nothing more was thought of the
incident till the steam launch had gone
about 80 yards when smash and rifle
bullet crashed through the boat and
was stopped by the boiler. The crew
of the yacht thought that an accident
had happened and Supt. Jones gin
gerly looked out but could see nothing
of the boys in the boat who were
crouching out of sight. He had no
sooner dropped back, however, than
another bullet from the enemy pune
tured the yacht at the stern near the
water.
This was too much for the crew of
the steam launch and they charged
their muZzle-loaders and returned the
fire of the enemy with buckshot in
lieu of grape-shot.
Then began the naval battle of Bap-
tiste Creek, In dead earnest, and volley
after volley was fired from the two
contending boats. w. b. Wells was
over in the marsh and hearing the
rapid firing, fastened over to partici-
pate in the flight shooting. Mr.. Wells
as soon as he saw that it was real
battle withdrew out of range, but
didn't offer to do any sniping.
The battle of Baptiste Creek was in
earnest and both crafts were pretty
well riddled with ball and shot but by
some remarkable chance, none of the
boys were hurt. 1t was a wild and
boyish prank, that fight, but the boys
were not to be excused because there
was no casualty list and that this
naval battle had been fought without
any one being killed or wounded.
AT last firing Of their dangerous
sport, the steam launch fired up and
made its way to Chatham.
1t shows what even boys can do
when they try. The yacht mentioned
was all built by the lads named; built
after hours and with small means.
The boat. all its machinery; excepting
the boiler, was made by the young men
named, and it was the first of its kind
ever built In Chatham or that part of
Canada. If more young men would
amuse themselves in building some
kind of machinery in place of doing
those things which neither improve or
enrich the doors or others, it would be
better. No doubt both the Andreae
boys have had many opportunities to
use the knowledge and experience gain
ed In building this boat in q lifetime
spent amid the machinery of their fac
tory. If a boy is disposed to make
sOmething-no matter what-don't
discourage him. The thing he is try
ing to make may be a dead failure;
but the experience he gains may be
worth thOusands IN him