Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30
CHATS OF COMMERCE.
Daredevil Tugboatmen Of
Coast and Port.
RISKING THEIR LIVES
MORE EVERYDAY ADVENTURES
THAN DEEP SEA SAILORS.
Stories of Tugboat Owners and Their
Crews Told by Those Taking
Part.
RISKING THEIR LIVES

Written for The Evening Star by Bassett Staines.
A tiny tugboat was threading her way
full steam ahead. putting and snorting, into
the Brooklyn navy yard-dancing in ana
out among f1otilla of steam launches,
rowboats and scows as cleverly as a lady
in a crowded ball room.
Say, captainr' sang out an officer lean
ing over the rail of the cruiser Cincinnati.
Aren't you afraid to come into the navy
yard like that?"
Afraid retorted the tugboat skipper
in scornful tones. I'VE aren't afraid of
anything in this business. Give me dozen
old tugboatmen. and I'll come in and take
your blessed navy yard, battle ships and
air.
by the Lord" said the officer to himself
softly, looking at the old shellbacks fierce,
weather beaten face. Il believe he'd be
capable of 1t at a pinch"
This anecdote is illustrative of the frame
of mind of the typical tugboatman There
is no peril too great. no chance TOO rlsky
for these daredevilS of coast and port-ot
New York, Chicago, Boston. BALTIMORE,
Philadelphia. San Francisco. New orleans
and score of other American haroors.
Daily Perils of Tugboatmen.
Poet and novelist never tire of recountinS
the dangers to which the deep water sailor
is exposed. But he leads safe and placid
life compared to that of the tugboatman
who picks up living by plying to and FRO
among the crowded shipping of a busy port.
Daily almost hourly, the tugboatman faces
such perils come to the deep water sailor
only once in voyage or once In year
He knows this very well. and has lofty
contempt for them that go down to the
sea in ships and do their business on great
waters
eJy; Of
tugboat the other day Don't talk to me
about EN-! They're as timid as girls.
There's nothing l like better than hitching
my boat 'longside of tramp and just scar
ing the life out of the old man on the
bridge
How do you manage that?' he was
asked.
The captain spat COMPREHENSIVE.
"Why we just creep up in the dark until
we're right under his bows and then let off
an almighty big toot with the siren. Course
they haven't seen us. They never do see
anything on them blessed steamers. Our
toot just about scares the old man out of
his wits
when he gets over the shock we make a
bargain to bring him up the river and hitch
'longside. Course We come up pretty fast.
Times money in our business. He soon gets
scared to death running in and out among
dozens of ships when he's been used to hun
dredS of miles of open water all around
him. He stands it as long as he can but
at last he hOllerS down 10 us, Say, hadn
you better go bit slower The pilot grins
and, of course, l jest signal to my engineer
to shove her along a bit faster. We take
her full tilt on the wharf till that old man
on the bridge is trembling like jelly; and
then we jest stop her hundred feet off
and land her 'longsde as if she was glass.
You bet We teach those merchant shippers
that we know our business.
Slipping by Danger.
Standing by the side of Captain Peet as
he stee red the tugboat Baltic through
New Yorks crowded harbor gave an in
sight into the daily perils of the business
No sooner had the Baltic got clear of
her wharf than another tugboat bore down
on her starboard side and big ferryboat
threatened to ram her on the port 1t SEEM
ed impossible to escape a collision with one
or both of them, but Captain Peet gave
little twist to the wheel and the Baltic
glided out of danger, missing the stern of
the ferryboat by few feet.
Wasn't that a pretty near thing?" the