Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-10
NEW TUG IN SERVICE
ALoNzo n. GUSHING ARRIVES AT
FORT WASHINGTON.

The tug Lieut.. Alonzo H. Gushing Of the
u. 8. army quartermasters department
service, which arrived at Fort Washington
Friday last, making her first trip to this
city yesterday, in place OF the tug Gibbon
Ii handsome craft, and il one of the
largest Of her class in the army service
She has the distinction of being one OF the
few boats on the list OF the quartermas-
ter's department that was built for the
service.
The vessel is. as was stated In The Star
yesterday, a vessel of 106 gross and 81 net
| tons burden. and is '95 feet long. 20 feet
wide and has a depth Of hold of ten feet.
She is constructed Of steel, both hull and
house, and was built from plans prepared
by the U. s. army naval architects at Bal
timore In 1899. and is especially adapted to
service as a tender between this city and
| the army posts on the Potomac.
Back of her pilot house is a large cabin,
In which ten or twelve persons may be
seated with comfort and this will be used
by the officers and their families In travel
| ing between Fort Washington and Fort
Hunt and this city. In good weather the
deck over the engine room and after cabin
will also be used by the officers and their
families.
On the main deck, forward and aft, are
cabins that will be used by the non-com-
mtssiohed. officers and their families, and
by the men, These cab are large and
airy and are comfortably fitted out with
leather-covered settees. running around the
walls of the cabins, leave wide space in
the center of the room for chairs. b..
The tug can carry fifty persons under
shelter with ease, and a hundred and fifty
men could be carried upon her decks and
walkways.
While considerably larger than the Glib
bon, the Gushing has but little more deck
room for the storage OF freight, and it is
proposed to remove a large ice box on the
after end of the tug and some other ma
terial that will give her more room as a
freight carrier AS she will be used to
transport Ice. groceries and other supplies
to the forts and bring shipments back to
this city. she will want ample deck room.
She is equipped with large fore and aft
compound engine, working at a steam pres
sure of about 130 pound to the square inch.
She will. 1t is stated, make between twelve
and fifteen miles an hour. Yesterday she
made the trip from Fort Washington here
IN considerably less than an hour, running
against the tide. When she is in thorough
order 1t is expected she will make the
twelve miles in about forty-five minutes.
Came From Florida Waters.
The Lieut.. Gushing comes here from Fort
Dade, Florida, where she has been super
seeded by one of the new steamers recently
built at Philadelphia for the Quartermasters
department. Capt. Crockett Of the quar-
termasters department service brought the
Gushing from Florida here She left Fort
Dade about noon August Is last. and came
by easy stages up the coast, making stops
at all the larger ports for coal, water and
other supplies. Owing to her draft she was
unable to take advantage OF the inland
waterways, but had to make the trip out
side.
She was caught in several storms, but
succeeded in making harbor in safety,
though those aboard her were considerably
shaken up more than once. She came in
the capes Of the Chesapeake Thursday
morning and lay overnight at Colonial
Beach EARLY Friday morning she re-
sumed her trip, and arrived at Fort WASH
ington Friday shortly after noon.
The officers at Fort Washington are
greatly pleased with the new boat, which
Is to be given q general overLau.lng and
put in the best of order for service on
the Potomac. Some changes will also
be made in her interior ARRANGEMENTS
to fit her for the service expected of her
For the present she will mkae two round
trips daily between this city and the forts,
but this service may be increased when 1t
is known exactly what the new craft can
do.
The old tug Gibbon. which has been the
is to go to Fort Dade prior to being sent
to one Of the army stations on the Atlantic
coast. She will leave Fort Washington in
day or two, and Capt. Crockett, who
brought the Gushing here. will be in COM
mand of her on the trip down the coast.
Capt. Thomas Todd and crew of the Glib
bon have been transferred in a body to the
Gushing, and will have charge of her while
on the Potomac