The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
History of Navigation on the
Chesapeake.
MARYLAND WAS FIRST CRAFT
Fast rs Any Boat I'm Fifty Years
FOIIOwing-Few Accommodations
for Passengers-BeRan to Run I'm
1918 from Baltimore to Talbot.
HuII Built Flat Like Schooner.


the Baltimore American. The announce
ment read:
This superior vessel is now prepared
and has commenced the tour Of opera
tions for which she has been destined.
She has been planned. constructed, and
equipped by the ablest artists and ma
terials. Machinery. furniture, and work
manship are all OF the best kinds,
These have all been provided and APP
piled under the constant superintend-
ence of Capt Barber and Capt. Vickers
in alternate attendance as the skillful
agents OF the company. and both are
deeply interested IN the undertaking. The
greatest confidence may therefore be re-
posed in the soundness OF the vessel and
the safeness Of her machinery.
Accommodations ExtOIied.
The accommodations on board and the
Arrangements OF the apartments for ele-
gance. convenience. and security cannot
be exceeded-and her exterior appearance
is extremely beautiful.
"She will leave Easton every Monday
and Thursday at O'Clock in the morn
| ing call at Annapolis to land and receive
passengers. and proceed 20 Baltimore in
the evening of the same day. where she
will arrive az 6 o'clock. Returning. she
will leave Baltimore every Wednesday
and Saturday az the same hour. call at
Annapolis to land and receive passengers.
and proceed to EastOn in the evening Of
the same day, whore she viii arrive at
| the like hour.
Persons desiring breakfast can have
d, 4
vited 10 avail themselves Of this agreeable
conveyance and they are assured that
svery care and attention viii be exerted
to give them satisfaction
Clement Vickers. Commodore.
"Easton. June Z.
~. B.-Persons desiring 70 take horses
and carriages on board are requested 10
| have them sent 10 the boat an hour previ-
ous 10 her sailing
| The Maryland left the foot OF Com
merce street. and passage 20 Annapolis
and return was S2-no reduction being
made in price If the traveller journeyed
only one way.
First steamer In ISIS.
The St. Michaers CMd1 Comet printed
in 1871 interesting data contributed by
James f. Byrd. now OF the Baltimore
Steam Packet Company, concerning the
steamboat lines that ran 90 Talbot COun-
/ ty According 10 the Comet. IL was about
] 1915 when the first steamboat appeared
in the waters OF Talbot County and estab-
| lished steam communication with the city
of Baltimore. The chronicle goes on 10
say:
THE Maryland, the first steamboat
! that plowed the waterways OF Talbot
| County, II seen now. as the inhabitants
Of Talbot County saw her in ISIS would
/ be fully as great a curiosity as she was
then TO the many who had never seen
steamboat before"
/ The hull OF the Maryland was built
/ like that Of a broad. fiat-bOttomed schoon-
er with full bows and a square stern
/ She had no upper joiner work OF any de-
! scriptiOn. all her accommodations for
passengers being below deck. and besides
being Of a primitive kind were limited.
the hull being occupied not only by boil
ers and engines. but also for the storage
Of freight and cord wood-the fuel then
| exclusively used 10 generate steam. She
was steered from the stern by tiiler
and provided with a bowsprit but for
what purpose is not known. as she had
no mssts
] The Maryland. however, was no SLOW
| coach" Steamboats, We're about as fast In
/ her day as they were I'm lS77. for while
there were many improvements there was
little acceleration in speed during the
fifty years succeeding lSiS
The Old Paul Jones.
After the Maryland abandoned the Tai
bot route the steamer Paul Jones con-
tinued communications between Balti-
more and Talbot coming on the route
in 1898. She was a marked contrast to
her predecessor. since in modelling her the
builders went 10 the other extreme
AS the Maryland was too broad and
| dutchy. the Paul Jones was too narrow
and sharp-so much 50 that when launch
ed she would not ride the waters like
thing Of life but laid upon her beam
and had to be logged and alterations
made before she could be used.
This steamer was an Improvement upon
the Maryland. in having a small saloon
on her main deck, thus giving better ac-
| commodations to the travelling public.
! The first commander of the Paul Jones
was Capt. George w Russell for many
years afterward weIl-knOwn command
er for the Old Bay Line. II was while in
command of the Paul Jones that Capt.
! Russell established the reputation, which
| he ever after sustained. for care and
ability in the discharge Of his duty as
steamboat commander.
Following the Paul Jones 10 Talbot
came the Osiris in 1919. While this steam
er was smaller than either the Maryland
or the Paul Jones. she was more modern
in design and had fair passenger accom-
modauons, boasting good saloon and
other improvements. After staying on
the Talbot route FOR several years she
was sold 10 parties in Norfolk. but after
ward bought back and again. placed on
the route between Baltimore and Talbot
/ in 1850 She ran for some time and was
then sold to parties in Charleston and
put on a route between that city and
Sullivans Island
II is said that the Osiris was the first
steamboat upon which the Confederate
flag was ho!sted The stanch little craft
was destroyed during the civil war.
The Osiris was commanded al one time
by Capt. J. d. Turner.
End Of the Cambridge.
In 1876 the Cambridge was built in Bal
timore especially for the Talbot communi-
cation with this city. and was in every
respect irst-class boat.
It was said that her speed had never
been attained (up to 1ST) by any other
boat upon the route. with the single ex-
ception Of the fine steamer Pentz, OF the
Maryland Steamboat Company. The Cam
bridge was first commanded by Capt j.
d. Turner. who was succeeded in 1S4s by
Capt. James Tilghman. who was in turn
succeeded by Capt. John r Griffith.
Capt Griffith was in command OF the
Cambridge when she was destroyed by
fire on the RappahannOck River in 1881.
while on a trip from Fredericksburg to
Baltimore. in this disaster. by lis cool
courage and excellent judgment. Capt
Griffith succeeded in landing his passen-
gers and crew without the loss Of a single