The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-02-04
MAKESLONG VOYAGE
OWNER RUNS s7o MILES IN FIFTY
FOOT LAUNCH.
coes from ketehlkan, Alaska, to Ia
coma, Wash.-captaIn Had Not
Been Over Route for Eight
Years and Carried No Charts.

Tacoma, Wash. Without charts OF
any kind, over a course parts of which
he had not travelled IN years and IN a
dense Puget Sound fog, Z. Forss, a
former Tacoman, finished a voyage
from Ketchikan. Alaska, to Tacoma in
the Teddy, 56-foot launch. The dis
tance, $40 miles, was covered in ten
days. winds and thick weather having
caused delay.
The Teddy ran only five hours the
first day out. the sea being too rough
for comfort. Both the Gulf Of Georgia
and Dixon's entrance were found
rather tumultuous for a 50-footer She
carried, besides Capt Forss. Peter Os-
lund. the engineer; Mrs. VIII Forss,
the owners daughterin-law, and three
other passengers. Mr.. and Mrs. Newell
and child. OF Colby.
At Seymour Narrows a 12-mile cur
rent was encountered BY taking ad-
vantage Of an eddy the Teddy got
through after an all day pull. In a 1T
tie cove the men went ashore and in 15
minutes killed two large buck deer,
which furnished venison until their ar
rival at Tacoma.
Arriving at the Sound, Capt. Forss
found thick weather BY instinct alone
he made his way without mishap to
Colby, where he landed the Newell
family, and then ran into the narrow
entrance of Gig Harbor to leave his
daughter-in-law, who had relatives re-
siding there. He had not navigated
these waters in eight years and his
feat is considered remarkable. He
states that on the entire cruise he
never made a mistake OF more than
half a point In his calculations. He
had charts Of no part Of the route,
copies not being obtainable in Ketch-
ikan when he left there.
The Teddy is fitted with 20-horse
power four cycle engine. II consumed
2S0 gallons Of gasoline on the cruise.
Capt. Forss is proud Of the perform
ances Of the launch and Of her engines.
They have seen hard service and at
one time the engine ran three years
without repairs OF any kind. There
were no accidents on the cruise except
the striking Of timber when running
in the fog one day. This tore loose the
Teddy's shoe. but did no serious in
jury.
The reason for Capt Forss voyage
was to have repairs made to the
launch. she was damaged somewhat
last summer in a collision with the
steamer Delhi, which backed onto her
in the night This will necessitate re-
building her cabins. She has a large
cook galley and accommodations for
half dozen passengers. She is lying
near the Eleventh street bridge.
For three years Capt Forss used his
launch to carry the United States
mails on one of the most lonely of
Uncle Sans far flung postal routes.
His route extended from Ketchikan
around Prince OF Wales island and a
number of smaller bodies OF land to
Wrangel, a distance Of 1876 miles. The
round trim ~ $50 miles, with dozen
stops on the way. was made in a week
Most Of the stations were canneries
and Indian villages.
Last summer and two previous sum-
mers the Teddy was used by Prof o.
NJ. Leland of Cornell university and
party of his students on the boundary
survey. This work is not yet finished,
and the distinguished professor will
likely charter the launch for another
season.
Mr.. Forss lived in Tacoma seven
or eight years ago. operating launches
and having other business on the wa.
ter front.
-. -. 49, - -st