Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-05-01
NEW BANGOR STEAMER.
crry OF BANGOR WILL SOON
BE WITHDRAWN.
NEW TURBINE. STEAMER CITY OF
c.xpEN WILL sUPERCEDE HER
NEW ERA IN srEAMBoATING.


From the Lewiston Jowrwai.l
Az. broken down race horse must con-
..,t itself with memories Of former vic
.orv AZ it listens to the plaudits Of the
crowd for the king Of the turf, so must
The stsunch old City Of Bangor, for years
oueeu and pride Of the Boston and Bangor
I'm 90 to the rear and see herself sup
,I.nted by a now favorite in the eyes Of
The travelling public. So, too, must the
c;tv of Rockland, who for the past six
.essons has been the Bsn9or's rival for
Arst place in the hearts Of travellers, sec
berself 70 to second place.
But 1t is not going to be 20 hird on the
Rocklsnd as upon the Bangor. She will
.till remain on her original run, ct least
tor this season. For the year 1907 the City
of Rockland will continue to ply between
The ports of Bangor and Boston. Not 80
the City Of Bangor. Some day, probably
in mid June, the Bangor will steam away
from the Eastern Steamship Co.'S wharf in
Bangor and 70 down the Penobscot on
her last regular trip out OF the city.
As she moves away steam whistles on
mills and smaller craft will blare het
good byes and people along the shores
who have known and admired her since
the first time she came steaming up the
river in June, 1894, will wave an Affection
ate and, by some, fond adieu. And on
the next afternoon, gaudily bedecked with
flags, q band Of music playing, her decks
lined with people there will steam down
Boston harbor the new queen OF the
route; yes, the new queen Of the Esstern's
entire feet. And with the sailing OF this
new queen will be marked another step In
the passing Of the side-w wheel type Of
steamboats, for outside and coastwise
business.
But with the going Of these boats it
must not be forgotten that they have been
great factors in the upbuilding Of Maine.
Not only of Maine, but Of the entire coun-
try. Long before the railroads penetrated
this State the steamboats, were doing BUSH
ness. Upon them people depended for
communication with the outside world.
They caused the Maine coast to grow, for
they furnished the only means Of rapid
communication between the State and
Boston, then as now, the commercial
head for Maine.
They supplanted the old time packets,
those fast sailing schooners Of the days
before Fulton adapted steam to water
travel. They made it possible to accom-
plish, regardless OF wind and tide, in
few hours what under former conditions
required days to do. Unless the wind was
in the right quarter the packets, fast sail
ors though they were, could not make the
speed. On the other hand the steamboats,,
side-wheelers, slow as they were compared
to twentieth century standards, forged
ahead even though it were dead calm or
the wind was blowing hard against them
And with the coming Of this new me-
thod OF water propulsion commerce grew.
The Maine coast prospered, as did the en-
tire coast OF the country. But the day OF
the side-wheeler is gone. A new type Of
craft is taking its place.
Steamboat men have for a nun Der Of
years, more years than the general public
known that a change must come.
They have realized that the present float
ing palaces Of the side-wheel type must
give way to different style Of boat. They
understood that while on rivers and in
harbors the side wheelers OF the present
type were all right, that outside, where
they were liable to meet rough weather
with no warning, it was different. In
order to secure the room which the needs
OF modern travel called for they had to
build superstructure on superstructure
until the boats became almost top heavy.
conditions such as these, combined with
the light draft Of the boats Of this style,
rendered them most top heavy and very
unseaworthy. While steamboat men
knew this, it was not until the terrible
disaster to the Portland in the November
gale 1898 that the general public came to
understand it. That disaster marked the
beginning Of the end. Since then some
lde-wheelers have been built, but the de-
mand has been for different style of boat.
The perfecting Of the tubine engine for
marine purposes solved the problem.
THE NEW ERA.
AS soon as 1t had been demonstrated
That the turbine boats were all that was
required; that they were speedier and
SAFER than the boats now in use, the East
efn Steamship Co., always seeking that
winch best safeguards the interests of its
patrons, as well as gets them to their des-
tnations at the earliest possible moment,
uecided to adopt boats of that character.
Inc first Of these to be built was the
governor Cobb, which was put in COM
mission last winter on the route between
boston and st. John. This is the COM
Pany's longest outside route and, there
sofe' 1t was felt that upon it should go the
nfst OF the new boats. The Gov. Cobb
nas been success from the start. She
aas proven herself all that could be asked
'or as sea boat and has developed all the
speed expected.
out before the Cobb was in commission
asecond turbine was under construction
ano within few weeks was launched at
na'n, where she is now being put in read