Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-09
GOODBYE THE VERMONT
Last Trip OF the Famous and Favorite
Lake Steamer.

The steamer Vermont completed her 32d
year and her career on Saturday. The
withdra wal of the famous steamer will
be regretted by many who have enjoyed
the beauties of Lake Champlain from her
decks, albeit she is tc be replaced with
a new and faster steamer. IF stately
proportions she has been commanding
figure on the lake during the summer
months for decade and a half and has
been, as he" Pilot enthusiastically remark
cd on Saturday, the queen of Lake
Champlain"
Launched at Shelburnc harbor in 1870
she made the run from Plattsburgh to
ON her trial trip Saturday June "a. 1871
she made the run from Plattsburgh To-
this city, a distance Of % miles, in one
hour and Is minutes She began her reg
ular trips between Rouses Point and
Whitehall the following Monday. form
ing, with tho Adirondack and the Uni
ted States, double line, day and night
between those two ports, With the build
ing Of the railroad on the New York side
oI Lake Champlain, lake travel fell off.
the night trips were abandoned and the
course was shortened at each end. so
that PlattsburGh and Ticonderoga were
the terminals. The steamer United States
had outlved her usefulness and was re
tired the Adirondack, which was the
Vermont sister ship was dsmantled
because she was not needed,
Col L. G.. b. Cannon Of this city was
at that time president of the Champaign
Transportation company and he had
much personal supervision of the con
structor and furnishing Of the Vermont.
her first captain was William II. Flags
and she has also been commanded, dur
ing her life. by Cap: George Rushlow.
Capt. J. II. -IanVills Capt. r. j. Holt
and Capt Richard Arbucklc OF the crow
who were on duty on the final trip of the
steamer Saturday, Pilot f.. r Rockwell
Engineer Peter Forrant and barber Fred
lamudge were on board when the steam
er made her first trip. Mr. Forrsnt and
r. l.amudge have been on other steam
ors during the 30 years the Vermont
has piled the waters Of Lake Champlain
but Pilot Rockwell remained fixture
until this summer, when he was assigned
to temporary duty as captain of the
steamer Maquam.
During her career the Vermont has
met with but two accidents that have
disabled her. One was "A broken shaft
and the other a broken walking beam.
Tourists and travellers on business bent
have not failed to sing the praises of
the Vermont, children have found her
spacious halls a veritable playground,
former university students will rcmem-
Der the steamer that carried them on
40 many pleasant commencement boat
rides, and all who have watched the
stately steamer, with her two tan tunnels
round the breakwater and come up to
her dock will feel that they have lost
an old friend.
The steamer brought about 200 people
to this city from Plattsburgh Saturday
and took on as many Burlingtonians,
who made the round trip. The sun shone
brightly in the morning and with a north
wind and the decks were comfortable. At
Ticonderoga the engineer OF the train
which runs between the two lakes said
good-by with all the energy that the
whistle Of his locomotive could com
mand. From that time until the Vermont
reached Burlington the deep whistle Of
the staunch steamer was kept busy
responding to the farewell salutes
of smaller craft, to cannons ana
guns fired along the shores and to
the waving of handkerchiefs by
people at the docks. Arriving at Burling-
ton shortly before six O'Clock, the
through passengers were transferred to
the steamer Chateaugay. which carried
them to Plattsburgh, and the Vermont
was taken to Shelburne harbor, there to
rest after her long and faithful service,
while a new Vermont makes record for
herself, beginning with the summer of
1908.