The Republican journal., 1911-11-16
Steamboat and Auto.

when the question was asked at one state
occu, anr said, Bring all you can get" 1t was
the writers first trip to Boston one of the
new boats. and comparing her equipment and
accommodations with the earlier craft called up
many interesting "reminiscences. The dining
saloon or tie main deck, with the large win
dows commanding views of the shores of
the tumbling waters, is certainly an improve
ment over having meals served in stuffy hold,
or, as the case later, on the saloon deck
forward. Then the carpets in those days
and this Yves true also Of the hotels-were lurid
in their colors with roses as large as cabbages;
the furniture upholstered with red or green
plush velvet and the woodwork in all the
colors of the rainbow, set off with gilt. Not
all the staterooms were provided with lights,
and these were oil lamps. Now we see car
pets of subdued hues, woodwork of plain
white, and electric lights in every stateroom.
The big paddle boxes have disappeared and
turbines send the boats along at nearly double
the speed of the old side wheelers.
The writer's earliest recollection of steam
boating is of a trip from Machiasport to Bel
fast in the steamer T. F. Secor in 1886. A stop
was made at Southwest harbor to land or take on
passengers by small boat 1t was very rough
crossing Bluehll bay. and the Secor, a speedy
little boat in her day, was tossed about like an
egg shell. The writer also recalls the arrival
at Belfast of the steamer Daniel Webster on
her first trip April 81, 1858. She was new
boat and respondent in fresh paint and var
nish. On her warehouses were medalions of
Daniel Nebster, anG she had two lofty smoke
stacks abreast, as did the river boats in those
days. Her commander was Capt. Joseph
Farwen of Rockland who on this occasion wore
a black hroadcloth suit and shiny silk hat,
and her clerk was Edward Cushing Of Camden.
The Webster ran to Portland for many years,
and during the first season had as a competitor
the steamer Governor of the Peoples line. In
that year the Penobscot and Boston ran in op-
position on the Boston line and tickets were
advertised at dollar and even given away,
with meals thrown in. In those days the
steamers landed at what was known later as
Simpsons wharf, and there was building on
the wharf in which hot and cold sea baths were
furnished. In 1856 the Miller wharf, now the
Eastern Steamship companys wharf, was COM
pleted. The pier of the Belfast Fuel & Hay
Co occupies the place of the old wharf.
The steamers of the Sanford line were near
ly all familiar to the writer, who made trips on
many of them. Wlliamson's History in re-
cording the success of this line says: Among
the pilots whose skill has contributed to this
end may be mentioned the following from Bel
fast: Captains William Flowers, Samuel G.
Flowers, W. c. Rogers, William R. Roix, Robert
Otis Patterson, Reuel Stanley, Henry E. Brown,
Thomas R. Shute and David H. Staples" Many
additions might be made to this list.
On the recent trip in the Belfast two passen-
gers were overheard discussing the rough ex-
perience Of the steamer Katahdin, when she
narrowly escaped going to the bottom with all
on board and finally got into Portsmouth with
six feet of water in her hold. Later in the
evening in talking over old steamboat days
with Capt. Curtis this incident was mentioned.
Capt. Curtis of the officers of the Ka-
tahdln at this time and it was against his adj
vice that the steamer put to sea instead of
making for Portland harbor. In writing this
article it was thought that some account of
his Incident, taken from the files, might be of
interest, but several suggested dates have been
looked up without result. 1t is recalled, how
ever, that the officers of the steamer were
equal to the occasion and that the passengers
also manifested good courage in the face of
impending disaster The purser, George Wood
IF & firm
that he had had enough of steamboating and
engaged in the insurance business in Boston.
He went to the other shore some years ago,
and Capt. Curtis ard chief officer Birmingham
are today the only survivors of the old-time
steamboat men on this line.
In the many trips to Boston the writer never
failed to be Oh deck when the steamer was
going up the harbor. The passing years have
brought many changes. In the outer harbor
we passed big iron freighter under foreign
coors. In the i.arbor at anchor were two six
masters, four or five four-masters, and num-
Der of barges, but no seuare-riggers. At the
yacht anchorage was one large and one small
steam yacht and sloop. A ship is curiosity
nowadays,
Automobile rides about Boston and its sub
urbs brought to mind how limited was the
writers knowledge of that city. In the earli-
est visits the Boston Athaneum, with its col
lection Of paintings and statuary, the stores
where paintings were on sale and the second
hand book stores in Cornhill claimed attention.
The common and its frog pond were also visit
ed, but what is now the public garden was
then swamp. The first hotel recalled is the
United States, but for many years Parkers
was my stopping place. In later years Law
Leys yard in South Boston was the special at
traction, and there were seen in various stages
Of construction three successful defenders of
the Americas cup, with many other craft,
steam and SAIL of more or less note. There
we're no signs there of mo Admittance.
Enquire at the Office but visitors were free to
stroll about the yard and even to board the
yachts, and the writer had the pleasure of
thus inspecting the Mayfower when she was
in the dock fitting out. Paintings and sculp-
ture no longer attract as in earlier years, book
collecting has been given up and yachts have
had their day, but visit to Boston is not COM
plete without walk through the common to
the public garden and an hour or two spent
there among the flowers and shrubs, watching
the swans and the swan boats.
~ Id %ha