Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-31
sgo SHIPS WILL NOT WAIT
Leave Their Docks on the Minute Whether Passengers Are
 Aboard or Not.

''The old adags that time and tiae wait for no man will have to be changed to include steamships" remarked an old geafaFer a few days ago, after 8 young couple had been placed aboard a tugboat for chase down the harhor to catch a vessel for which thsy had bought tickets and which they had missed, re- 1ates the PittsbHrg Dispatch. Every minute counts nowadays with a steam ship captain, and he has orders not to hold his ship even for the president of the United States.
 People are not generally aware Ot this rule, and so passengers are fre- aaentIy left on the pier. If they are lucky they may secure a fast tug and catch the boat before she has passed out side of Sandy Hook. but more often they have to accommodate themselves with later passage on another vessel.
 Whenever steamship is scheduled to sail at ten o'clock in the morning, it uaeans that everything must be in Fead- ineas for her to leave promptly at that time. Her fires must be started in time to have full head of steam, and tugboats are chartered to help her out of her pier on the stroke of the hour To hold the sbip for a time after she is ready means a great expense to the company. There is the price of coal which is not a small item, and when five or six tugs are char tered at SIP an hour to swing the vessel out. the extra cost begins to mount up. Just suppose each steamship was held for l5 minutes after her sailing time, I %TanA 4fm %na would lose thousands of dollars in a year
 "Ghases down the bay after steam ships ara always exciting. If the steam ship has not gone too far, or if she has not worked up full speed, the late pas senger has some chance, but otherwise he might as well saFe his money. Several years ago a coaster, think 1t was the YHeatan, sailed for Havana and Mexico. There had been floods all through the southwest, stallfng the trains for weeks, and young man who had very important business to transact l in Mexico had raced to New York with the hope Of reaching Vera Cruz by the Yucatan.
 "FFe appeared at the pier about 20 minutes after the vessel had sailed. He puffed and fuxnsd for moment, until some one advised him to try a tugboat, Accepting the suggestion, he rushed to a nearby pier, where several big fel- ] lows were tied up. To the captain of one 1 of them he offered s15o if he caught the steamship.
 'eThe captain accepted and the chase i began. The tug swept down the bay, ! giving forth the greatest cloud of black smoke and showing the water up in huge 1 banefes of spray, So that her upper works were all wet. The day was rather nasty. Tine clouds hung low,- and a sea breeze brought in the fog gradually. The 1 further down the tug went the thicker ! became the weather. At last the steam , ship disappeared in the fog bank, but the captain Of the tug continued the chase, 1 not willing to lose the amount offered if he succeeded
 Finally, just off the Atlantic high lands, the fog became so bad thathe was compelled to quit the chase and turn in to shore. The young man was disap- pointed, and he aslEed if there was no other way of catching the vessel. The captain thought for moment
 z You go ashore he said, and get a train down to Atlantic City. If the Yu- ] catan has not passed before you get 1 there. you may be able to get another tug l to take you out to her
 T learned later that his having bson 20 minutes late at the pier in New York had cost him more than the amount Of I his. passage money on the Yucatan." ] g