Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-04-01
Washlugtpn Standard
OLYMPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL I, 1901.
In the Pioneer DAVIS.

etehiiicis anu we 'HercIpfc supplement-
it from personal remembrance and
some notes furnished by George H.
Hines, the Oregon historian, and
James II. Price, whose boyhood days
date back TO the pioneer times on the
Willamette, whose father in the 5Os,
owned and operated the ferry at
Oregon City when it was a rival for
future greatness, with Portland.
The first transportation between
these points began in 1851, by a
clinker built" whale boat, owned by
Nelson Barnes, Jr, Ga brother OF Geo.
a. Barnes, Of this city, and his partner
(names not remembered) who made
the distance to and fro each day by
means Of an lash breeze" carrying
passengers one way for -, distance
twelve miles. This service was soon
afterward followed by small iron pro-
peller steamer, named the Washing
ton, and commanded by Capt. Murray
Afterwards We believe the steamer
Eagle a still smaller propeller, afforded
a local service at times to Oregon City
and then the Cascades, from Portland.
She was commanded by "Capt Dick"
Williams.
At this time the steamer Columbia
was making trips between Portland
and Astoria. The Lot Whitcomb,
named after her builder and owner,
was launched at Milwaukee, another
rival OF Portland, situate midway be.
tween Portland and Oregon City, six
miles from either. w. N. Horton was
engineer on her and also the Fashion
a later boat, before he came to Olym.
pia to reside.
Probably the finest boat that ever
ran on the Willamette and Columbia
rivers was contemporaneous with the
Whitcomb. She was an iron vessel of
ample size, and came around the Horn
with four masts, schooner rugged, and
her machinery ard upper works slowed
away in her hull. She had two con-
densing engines OF $50 horsepower
and fine accommodations when her
cabins and furniture were placed. She
was commanded by Capt. Derbrow
and ran between Portland and Astoria,
carrying an attenuated mail.sack and
apassenger or two and few tons OF
freight when they they offered. The
Whitcomb probably did the larger To-
cal business, being a home product, but
the Willamette had a mail contract, a
far better and surer recource long as
it lasted. An adjunct of the former
craft was a large wharf-boat and ware.
house on the water front, at Portland,
which was facetiously called "Lot's
Wife,"
The Hoosier, on the Upper William
cite river, was simply ships long
boat, heightened out by having another
section placed in the center, and her
motor was a pile.driver engine and
boiler. She was commanded success
sively by George Swain. George A.
Pease and J. D. Miller. The long boat
was hauled over the falls previous to
construction of the steamer, in June,
1851. Her power was 90 limited that
when she came to moderate rapid
she had to tie up for few moments,
"get breath" as it were. and by squirt
pass the obstruction. When this
could not be done, q line was thrown
ashore ond the windlass used. When
her shaft broke, one day, four miles
below Salem, she was tied up to tree
and the engineer and deck-hand took
the broken shaft on their shoulders
and carried it to town for welding.
This will give some idea of the size OF
the steamer. She was, however, a
money-maker and is said to have been
the sponsor Of quite number OF other
boats.
The steamer Senorita had q memoir
able history. She originally piled on
the upper Willamette, and was known
as the Gazelle. She burst her boiler
at Canemah, a little town just above
the falls and a suburb of Oregon City,
April 9Th, 1854. 1t seems that her
engineer, Pete Williams. known as
"Dutch Pete," went up town, leaving
the rising steam throttled. and the re-
suit was an explosion and loss of life.
The wreck was bought by Capt. Will
liams, w. B. Wells and others, who
lowered it over the falls Aug. II, 1855,
refitted it into comfortable steamer
which they rechristened Senorita.
Another tragic event connected with
early steamboating was the loss of the
Portland, which drifted over the falls
while crossing from Canemah to the
Basin" where transfers were made
to the boats on the lower river. A
long detour up the river was gener.
ally made to escape the swift current.
In this instance, the boat was caught
and was slowly but surely drawn to
the fearful cascade. An anxious
crowd lined the shore and bluffs, or
either side, anxious but utterly power.
less to aid. while those on board made
frantic efforts to crowd up steam fol
the last chance OF escape by her motor
wheel. But all was in vain. Foot BY
foot, inch by inch, she neared the fear
full vortex, until it was reached ant
about half of her hull hung over thu
chasm, when she broke in two, tha
act drawing the whistle.cord and caus
ing her to give last shrek, announc
l.