Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1916-08-17
AT WHEEL 81 YEARS
Continued from Page u

! jauntily ashore. At another time,
the str. Sebascodegan was held off
Orrs until the people there had cut
q channel for her with saws and
axes, SO that she could run up to the
wharf. During these strenuous win
tiers the Portland route lay outside of
Little Mark Island and inside Green
Island passage, by Portland Head
Light to Portland.
One winter in the eighties, the
mail to Chebeague was taken by
Capt. Long from the Portland post
Office and using Gen. Manager Isaiah
Daniels horse, he drove through to
the Yarmouth shore, thence off across
TWO miles of ice to Chebeague. The
steamer meanwhile lay at the dock
in Portland. The earliest all round
service in Casco Bay was performed
by the old str. Henrietta This boat
was built about 1875 by the people
on the different islands, but was soon
discontinued because it did not pay
well enough. About the year 1884
the Harpswell Steamboat Company
had it's beginnings, and finally evolv-
ed a paying business for two boats
in summer and one in winter. In
1888 the new str. Merryconeag, nam
ed after the beautiful Merriconeag
Sound, but with a twist in the SPELL
ing, was built for the line at East
Deering and Capt. Long took COM
y mand of her. One of his first johs
was the towing 81 TIE o1d Gordon SssI
jerks beach, Chebeague, where she 4
was stripped and burned and her
valuable materials Sold Some of the |
scrap and broken pieces. including
the pilot house, may still be found
there. Soon the Alice was sold to I
Lubec parties to make room for the |
larger steamers required for the in. |
Creasing business at the fast build |
ing island landings. The str. Sebas-
codegan, named for the largest island |
in the Bay, was built to take the |
place of the Gordon. The Merrycon-
Gag was then sold to Capt. Archbold
and run on the Portland Rockland
route. She passed from there to
Bennett & Course Of the Blue Hill
line, and this venture failing, was
sold under the hammer to the Casco
Bay Steamboat Co., then q rival of
the Harpswell company. The steam
er had over $4,000 spent on her in re-
pairs, alterations, electric equipment,
ETC., and was soon ploughing the
waters again where she was first
launched.
require a heavier steamer, with 1000
capacity, Capt. Long, senior in COM
mand Of the prosperous Harpswell
line, was given the commission to
bring up the Machigonne, a palatial
and handsomely appointed vessel
costing nearly 100000, which had
just been built at Philadelphia for
service here. This ship was brought
from that city under her own steam
with Capt. Long at the wheel and
Chief Engineer George H. Doughty
in charge Of the engine room. The
Machigonne had steam steering gear
and was the pride of the Bay until it
was found that she was a white ele-
phant," for expense beside being too
large for the wharves as then built.
She was sold to Massachusetts,
company and runs now from Boston
to Nahant. Capt. Long has seen
some years in the pilot house of the
str. Aucocisco also, taking her when
new, while Capt. Morrill, and Capt
Bert Daniels were handling the Sc
bascodegan. the latter boat was al
ways great favorite in the Bay and
races between her and Aucocisco
were frequent. The winner was al
ways the boat which had the most
steam pressure ct the time OF meet
ing, and efforts to raise the pressure
by forced draft were always exciting
to the passengers. The Sebascode-
gan is now in New York, renamed
the Commander.
Taking all the years Of steamboat
ing, IL Is doubtful IL better boat
than the Merryconeag has ever been
put on the line" says Capt. Long.
She Is still keeping her routine
schedule and with the Aucocisco. Ia
one of the two steamers on which
everyone in the Bay feels safe and
likes to travel, both because OF the
strict adherence TO time schedule and
because OF the confidence which the
public has in the sterling ability of
the men at the wheel.
Among present and past captains
who nave served with Capt. Long are
Capt. G. b. Morrill, Of the Aucocisco:
Capt. Herbert Thompson of the For
est Queen; Capt. Bert Stockbridge of
the Maquoit; Capt. Foye of the EN-
tia; Capt. Prout, now of the u. g.