New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-26
AN OLD STEAMSHIP LINE
IN CONTINUOUS SERVICE BETWEEN
BANGOR AND BOSTON SINCE 1924


AFTER the first practical application Of steam the
propulsion of vessels A year earlier. in 1923,
queer little craft called the Patent ran between
Boston and Portland and her first arrival at the
Maine port caused great excitement. She was buil-
IN 1921. at Medford. Mass, and seventeen hours
was considered good time for her make be
tween Boston and Portland The Maine. the Legis-
Iator and the Watervile came along after the
Fatent' making trips from Boston various Maine
ports and IN 1874 the Connecticut. which built
III New-York in 1916 TO run between that city and
NeW-Haven, came to Bangor. She Of about
+" tons. rugged with and yards. and had
an engine of the Fulton pattern. with balance
wheel and couplings by which the engine could be
thrown out of connection with the paddles.
The Chancellor Livingston. in which Commodore
Vanderbilt had interest the next steamer
OF any importance to be placed the Boston and
Bangor line. She built in New-York in 1916
and was considered to be the masterpiece Of Full
ton She had three smokestacks. three masts.
oowsprit and jibboom and carried a huge square
sail the foremost. with fore-and-aft sails the
main. The Livingston lost money. because she was
too much OF a boat for the amount of business
on the line. and Commodore Vanderbilt soon dis
posed OF his interest the who held
their shares being eventually ruined. The Victory
the McDonough and the Portland were also among
the early boats. but the Bangor, built in NewYork
was the first new boat. well the fastest up
that time. that came Maine. She was Of about
400 tons, well fitted for time, and did profit
able business, generally carrying about one hundred
and twenty passengers on a trip at the rate of
Sc EACH between Bangor and Boston
The Bangor the route until the fall OF
1871, and in 1912 she taken to the Mediter-
ranean. where for time she engaged in
carrying pilgrims from Alexandria on their way
to Mecca. When she arrived over there being
painted white. not Mussulman would step foot
her. white being their mourning color. she
then painted black and afterward did hourishing
business in the pilgrim trade The Bangor was
purchased by the Sultan OF Turkey and added to
] hfu
made few trips between Boston and Bangor and
was then purchased by the United States Govern
ment and sent out to take part in the attack on
Vera Cruz. where she won lasting fame She was
the first iron steamer built in America.
From 1895 TO 1915 numerous steamers ran the
line between Boston and Bangor. including the
Charter Oak. Huntress. SandUsky Express. Port
land and Admiral The Charter Oak a fine
boat, originally intended for the New-York and
New-Haven line, where her owners. Captain Mem
nemon Sanford and Mr. Cunningham. found the
competition Of Commodore Vanderbilt sharp that
they sent the boat east. Vanderbilt followed them
| 10 Maine with the steamer Telegraph, and for
several years there such brisk rivalry between
the two lines that the fare between Bangor and
| Boston, which had been high s.. was re-
duced to 81.
In 1A5 Captain Sanford put the steamer PenOb-
| scot on the Boston and Bangor route, and that
boat. on the night OF June II. 1916. made the first
| trip TO Bangor by what is known the outside
route. going across directly from Cape Ann 10
Monegan Island. instead of following along the
| coast had formerly been done. 1t this
| occasion. also. that time were first used,
| the method being then adopted by Captain San
| ford for his New-York and Philadelphia line and
afterward coming into general use.
The fifteen years preceding the Civil War was
| harvest time for steamboats, the Penobscot.
| There railroad from the western part of
the State 10 Bangor until 1881. and the steam
| boats had all the business Some famous boats
ran between Boston and Bangor in those days. In
| Guiding the Senator. built by Daniel Drew. of
| New York; the Daniel Webster. named for the
statesman-a large and handsome steamer. after
ward sold 70 the St Lawrence and re-
| named the Saguenay; the Governor. T. +. Secor.
| W. J. Pease and Kennebec. 1t the Ken
nebec in August, 1s49, that cholera made its first
| appearance In Bangor.
In 1851 was formed the company which for many
years operated what was known Sanford's hide
| pendent Line. It's originator. Captain Memnemon
Sanford. died in New-York in the following year.
| and the business continued by other members
| of the Sanford family. During the war nearly all
/ the Down East steamboats, were chartered by the
| them. including the Memnemon Sanford, a fine
| new boat. never came back to Maine The latter
with the coming the route in 1868 OF the steamer
Bridge and IN ise BY the Peaob5c6 o' TRe RssRdn
| was. in many respects. the most remarkable side
/ wheel steamer produced the United States
| and her fame spread far and wide. She was as
s ia 6ar o@ cav as sn5 o f % the Ere f
prising good fortune Other boats We're wrecked in
along the dangeros cast Of MANI tSa+ on The %
tahdIn siwevs d6Glsd She navsr lost No ,te "a
or any freight and, IN short. such was her luck
| TO regard her bearing charmed existence. She
| Sound, until the summer of 1895. when. the new
| the old Kate" as She was Familiarity called was
| The Cambridge. which was the fastest and most
| elegantly finished steamer that ever came Ban
| gor was lost on old Man Ledge. February 10.
| 1856. by blunder Of ner pilot She popular
boat boat; but had more than her share of bad luck.
having been ashoce several times. and once when
| she was brand new, narrowly escaped loss. with
| In the summer Of 1901 the Boston and Bangor
SIealnSdmP COMPANY. which formed In 1873, had
| by Charles W Morse Of New-Y6rk ana which has
! also acquired the Kennebec Portland and Inter
national national lines The business on the Boston and
wheelers City OF Bangor and City Of Rockland fine
| ,steamboating down East is different thing now
from what it was in the old days. 1t is related by
the bin Of fare on the boats consisted chiefly OF
but plenty to drink Now there is grt 20 S5J.
| to eat, and not so much drinking- The dinners on
| the Boston and Bangor boats are as good as those
served in most hotels and the general accommoda
| Captain Charles 3 Sanford, who for MANY wears
Line was one of the most forcefu and pictIresdUe
| Characters OF the Eastern coast He was born in
| ming between that port and NewYorL oI G too<
naturally to the business and rose RAPIDLY 10 he
master and owner At one time ne was worth
| about $4,000 all made in steamboatinp but he
lived high and at the time Of his death few years
! ago had little property. He was absolute master
| of everything connected with his boats and his
| word law on deck or in the Offices some Of
| his savings and dOingS remembered 10
day. although he retired from steamboating in 1915
| once. when he heard some of the deckhands of the
| Cambridge swearing over their work he roared at
/ them
.Avast there. you fellows 7 want you TO know
| that If there's any swearing fighting or drinking
| to be done on this line I'll do II myself-you fell
/ lows tend to the work.
| At another time the Cambridge ran into a
| schooner in the PenObScot River "a ser+ her 10