Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-25

machinery This invention of Mr.. Pages Is
undoubtedly great invention and We gee no
reason why 1t should not in time superseoe the
use OF steam, at least as propelling power.
X X
But to return to Capt. Bob Walters
"reminiscences of Potomac steam
boats: when l came here" he SAD.
"the great southern route was by
water to Aqua creek, and the boats
there connected with trains OF the
Richmond and Fredericksburg rail-
road. The steamboats, on the line
were the Chesapeake, Augusta ana
Sidney. The Powhatan came here as
one of the boats of that line in lS43.
She was built expressly for winter
/ travel, and had, believe. the first
steam Whistle used on the Potomac
river. l remember that it was COM
mon occurrence when she was laid
up for a day or two to change the
whistle to another boat In 1S45 the
Mount Vernon was added to the line.
! Next came the steamer Baltimore.
which was built in Philadelphia in
1S47. After the war she was sold
to the Clydes of Phiadelphia and was
destroyed by fire. The Philadelphia
was the next boat on the southern
line, but she performed little service
here. She was built in Philadelphia
of iron, to run between Norfolk and
Seaford. Del, and came here in 1850.
/ ment service, and during the civil
| war was known as the Ironsides- The
Pow haitian also was taken over by
the government and renamed the King
Philip. The government also com,
Wandered the Mount Vernon and
changed her name to the Mount
Washington
The oldest two Potomac captains
are now Capt. Matthew kersey of
1903 South Lee street. Alexandria. and
Capt. Henry Davis. who lives at 225
1st street northwest. Capt. Kersey
is eighty seven years old and Capt.
Davis is slightly his junior. The
Star on March 10, 1918, published this:
Capt. Henry Davis. the veteran commander
Of the tug James o. Carter. celebrated his
| semi centennial as a tugbOat man on the Pc
tomac last Sunday. With the exception OF
Capt. Matthew kersey, master Of the Smoot
tug Herbert, Capt. Davis has held n license
| as mate and master of steamboats, longer tina
| any other man in service on the river. ana put
| few now in charge OF tugs or steamers on
| Chesapeake bay surpass him in length OF serv-
| ice. Capt Davis previous to taking TO rug
| boating service a master Of sailing craft.
March I, 1865. he joined the government tug
William Fisher and after year with hef
went into another Army tug. the Ariel. re-
naming with her nine years. Except Tor
period of four months which he spent in com
mand of Washngton-owned tug on the
! Cape Fear river and three months on the tug
| Alexander the Rappahanock river. Capt.
| Davis has spent the years from 1889 navigat-
F., ing the Potomac. He has owned or had an
| interest in the tugs Mary Lewis McFadden.
| J. W. Alexander, Camilla and James o. carter.
Capt kersey was born in SUSSEX
county, Del, in 1886. He began his
career in 1856 in the tug Dolphin on
the Delaware and in 1857 went in the
tug Jacob G. Nafey. His father, John
kersey. was a master of sailing yes
sells, and he retired in 1858. Matthew
succeeding him in comma nd of the
Charles s.. ship trading in the
Chesapeake and tributaries. In this
craft he often came up the Potomac
river. He returned to steamboating
in 1861, and. with the j. L. Pussy of
Chester. brought a tow of coal barees
,, to Georgetown. While lying there
the civil war broke out and Capt.
Kersey and asked about the Pussy
which was the fastest tug on the
Delaware She was taken over by
the government. Capt. Kersey was re-
tanned as her commander. hoWltzer
mounted on her and she was used as
the dispatch boat of the Potomac
| fiotilla. The Rambler will use the
history of this boat in future nara :
tive on the Potomac fotilla and the
! Confederate batteries on Freestone
Cockpit Postum Nose and Shipping
/ points. After serving the govern
i ment, Capt. herSey went Win tne
| old Potomac Towing Company. in the
boats Tempest and Potomac. He bull
/ the first tug constructed at Alexan.
dria. the keystone. in 1872. In 1S7:
| he built the VIM. j.. Booth and in 1881
the Juno. Selling the Juno. he went
| in the Annie on the James river. but
returned to the Potomac to comma nc
the Louis Smoot boat. Resale. and
later in the Herbert. remaining with
| the Smoot boats Tor fifteen years
until an injury received by falling
down a hatch compelled his retire
ment recently. Capt. Kersey married
first Hannah P. Brown of Delaware
| She died at Alexandra and the cap
tain married Miss Jennie Arnold OF
| the eastern shore. His living chill
! dren are VIM. B. and Frank r. ker-
sey, marine engineers. of Philadel-
phia; Parke A. of the Alexandria
torpedo plant; Clara v. Henderson
| of Baltimore, and Ada A. Posey OF
| Washington. son of Capt. Kersey
Matthew, jr., was lost at sea in the
tug Mascot. of which he was chief engi-
neer. Capt. Kersey has twenty grand
children and thirteen great-grandchil-
dren.