The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-10-10
SNOHOMISH
HAS TRIAL
NEW LIFE SAVING TUG FOR
SOUND WATERS is
UNIQUE.
Passes Acceptance Trial in Man.
ner Showing Thorough Adapta-
bjlity-Especially Built for Rough
Weather Off Cape Flattery and
Vancouver Island.

Designed as veritable floating life
saving station, and especially built
for a limited territory on the Pacific
,oast which will cover British as we'll
90 American waters, the life saving
tnr Snohomish passed through her
ocrentance trial off Delawaer Break
water in stormy conditions well adapt
Cd TO try out her capabilities
The Snohomish is the only vessel of
her kind in American waters, and per-
hans in the world, and was especially
built for service in the vicinity of
Game Flattery, the northwesternmost
noint on the coast line of the state of
Washington. Her headquarters will be
in Neah bay. Her territory will ex-
tend from this point to the coast line
of Vancouver island, British Cloum-
bia. and through the straits of Juan de
Fuca to Puget sound.
During the last century nearly 700
live and millions of dollars worth of
property have been lost in that vicin-
itv through wrecks due to fogs and
haze. which prevail half of the year,
and to cratic currents which are al
most impossible of navigation.
The construction Of the Snohomish,
however, is dierctly the result of the
wreck of the coatswise steamer Valen-
Ella. on the night Of January %, 1906,
when 1876 lives were lost. Many ves-
sells. like the Valencia, have failed to
pick up the light at the entrance to
the straits of Juan de Fuca, and were
wrecked at the foot of the high cliffs
on the unsettled portions Of Vancou
yer island, and, going straight on, pas
sed the turning point into the straits
and piled up on the rocks of the rug
ged island.
After the Valencia disaster Presi-
dent Roosevelt appointed a commission
to investigate the catastrophe, and
after many propositions involving
many life saving schemes, among them
International life saving stations along
the Vancouver island coast, the COM
mission recommended that ''first
class ocean going lie saving steamer
or tug. Differed and manned by the
most skillful life saving crew availa-
bic. should be stationed at Neah bay,
which is within five miles of Cape
Flattery and the entrance to the straits,
and the only available harbor in that
vicinity, to be equipped with the best
possible appliances Of surf boats and
life boats, with a wireless telegraph
apparatus.
Constructed for S189,O57
Congress shortly afterward appro-
priated 5000, 900 to carry out the rec
concentration of the commission, pro-
viding that the life saving tug should
be constructed and operated by the
revenue cutter service. The Pusey &
Jones Company, of Wilmington, Del
aware, constructed the tug under bid
of SlS9, 067 and she was named Sno-
hOmish.
The Snohomish, in her acceptance
trial developed maximum speed OF
l4la knots an hour aud an average
speed for four hours Of 1855 knots
This showing is considered remark
able, as the trial was held in very
heavy weather, the tail end OF West
Indian hurricane which had reached
the coast of the United States. At
times the waves went completely over
her tunnels Other shipping was
afraid to venture out in the gale and
remained snug in the harbor.
Tests Of some of the life saving ap-
paratus of the Snohomish were also
made during the acceptance trial.
She IS fitted out with every known ap-
pllance used in life saving, having on
board two self-b ailing and self-right-
ing life boats, life raft, line throw
Ing gun, breeches buoy, complete
equipment of life bouys and life pre-
servers, wireless telegraphy, Ardois
system for night signalling, additional
Searchlight, wrecking apparatus for
pumping out vessels and fire exiting
ulShing appliances
The life saving tug is considered as
modern in all respects as the derellct
destroyer, which was provided for at
The same time by congress and is also
under the revenue cutter service.
Had vessel of the Snohomish type
Oeen on hand at the time of the Valen-
Ga wreck she could have used all her
NE saving apparatus from the water
sue OF the wreck and not improbably
nave saved the entire 1856 persons lost.
The interior arrangements of the
Shohomish and her equipment posses
the special features which fit her for
me dtuies to be performed. AS Neah
o"y, the headquarters Of the new craft,
Is about as dreary and unattractive .
pace as can be imagined, much atten-
.loh has been given in her construction
u providing as comfortable living
4durters for the officers and crew az
'ould be fitted in the limited space
available
The tug is 152 feet long and has .
Trean draught of IL feet ~ inches