Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-10-31
SOME OLD STEA MERS.
FAMOUS OLD PENoBscoT RIVER
BOATS.
FIRST STEAMER EVER ON THE RIVER
APPEARED IN 1s24-BUILT FROM THE
HULLs OF TWO sCHooNERs.
IFrom Historical Sketch by James c. Burzell
of Bangor.l

The first steamboat was placed on the
Hudson river by Fulton in 1907; its speed
was five miles an hour. The first steam
boat which ever appeared on the Penob-
scot river came on Sunday evening, May
Is, 1924, commanded by the principal
agent of the Kennebe Steam Navigation
Co., Capt. Smith Cram, from Mont
vile, who contemplated making this
river branch of this line, should suit
able encouragement be gwen.
The subject created some interest, and,
says the Register of that date, $50 novel a
where one had never before been seen,
and without previous notice, occasioned a
very pleasing surprise"
At about 8 o'clock the next morning
120 persons went on board and were
safely transported to Bueksport; return
ing to Bangor in the afternoon after
having remained in Bucksport about an
hour.
The Maine, for that was the name of
this first steamboat, also made trip to
Belfast. attracting large crowd OF
spectators, and taking party TO Castine
ON an excursion. She was 4 side-wheel
steamer, constructed from the hulls Of
two schooners, with beams across each,
both keels being retained.
Her measurement was lbs tons; her cost,
with a second hand engine, was $4,000.
During that season she made weekly trips
from PASSPORT to Bath, and back, touch
ing at Belfast, connecting at Bath with
the Patent for Portland and Boston.
This was the Inauguration OF a steam
boat line along the coast of Maine. But
even at that early day, the undertaking
met with opposition. In June, the steam
brig New York, Capt. Rogers com
mander, commenced running three times
q month, from Boston to Portland, Belfast
and Eastport. She proved a formidable
competitor.
The fare from Belfast to Boston became
reduced to g, including meals. Persons
wishing to take passage from Boston were
requested to leave their names at the
Maine Hotel, as the boat would wait but
q short time; it was necessary for pas
sengers to make arrangements for being
called. Passengers could be landed at any
intermediate point, on the coast or river,
by previous agreement.
In 1926 all the steamboat lines in Maine
were controlled by the Kennebec Steam
Navigation Co. From this time until
1891, Bangor was visited occasionally
by the Waterville, Connecticut and other
steamers.
In 1884 the year in which Bangor be-
came city, its rapidly increasing popu-
lation and business requiring regular
commercial facilities of transportation,
the steamer Bangor of 400 tons, built in
New York, commenced running between
Bangor, Portland and Boston, Capt
George Barker, of Bangor, in command
followed by Capt. Samuel ii. Howes of
Chatham, Cape Cod, Mass, who contin-
ued until 1912, when he changed to the
Charter Oak. The Bangor arrived in
July II, 1884. she made her first excursion
trip down the Penobscot, Monday, July
IA, to Castine and Belfast, with nearly 400
ladies and gentlemen on board. Salutes
were exchanged at the different ports
with great rejoicing. The boat returned
at 8 o'clock, having accomplished the
circuit of nearly 100 miles in ten hours, in
GLIDING stops.
She sailed on her first trip to Boston,
Monday morning, July p, at O'Clock,
with nearly $50 passengers. She was at
last sold to go up the Mediterranean to
do service under Turkish name upon
Turkish waters.
The Boston Globe of April 10, 1898, says /:
''The first iron warship Of our navy was
the steamer Bangor. Half g century ago
this government purchased the first mer-
chant steamer for conversion into war
vessel. She was fitted out for active SER