City of Shelton was built in 1895 at Shelton, Washington, to replace Willie on the Olympia-Shelton route. She was 99.8 feet long, 20.5 on the beam, with a 6' depth of hold, and rated at 190 tons.[2]City of Shelton was one of the few vessels built on the Sound at that time because an economic depression had driven down business.[3]
Operationsedit
One of her competitors was Marion, a small propeller-driven steamboat with an award-winning triple expansion engine. Marion's crew derisively named City of Shelton "Old Wet-Butt" after the spray thrown up on her deck by her unguarded sternwheel. During one race, when Marion was running at full speed, her shaft broke, and she had to whistle for assistance to City of Shelton who towed her into Olympia.[3]
City of Shelton once ran aground at Arcadia Point in a fog. While waiting for the tide to come in and float her off, the cook had himself lowered overboard in a bosun's chair and came back with three huge geoduck clams, weighing a total of 12 pounds, which he made into chowder. Newell describes the reaction of the rest of the crew:
Everyone was happy but the vessel's navigating officers. The mate summed up their attitude when he leaned from the pilot house window, ejected a quid of tobacco in the direction of the cook's trophies, and growled contemptuously, "Yah, you t'ink a steamer iss to dig clams."[4]
In March 1905, following the recent loss of the steamer Clallam in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, steamboat inspectors cracked down and levied heavy fines against a number of steamboats on Puget Sound for inadequate safety equipment, including the City of Shelton, fined for having no signs advising passengers of life preservers, and no log of boat or fire drills.[3][5] Her original fine of $500 (a lot of money for the time) was later reduced to $10, presumably as a result of curing the safety defects.[6]
City of Shelton ran on the Olympia-Shelton run until 1907, when the Shelton Transportation Co. replaced her with S.G. Simpson. City of Shelton's last skipper on the regular route was Capt. Ed Gustafson, who with mate Ole Gustafson and engineer John Lesli took over the new sternwheeler S.G. Simpson. City of Shelton was kept on as a reserve boat until about 1912, when she was sold to the American Tug Boat Co., an Everett concern.[7] George E. Barlow (1842-1912) was another captain of City of Shelton.[1]
Abandonmentedit
Her new owners did not put City of Shelton to use, but simply moored her on Dead Water Slough in the Snohomish River with the Edison where eventually she fell apart in about 1930.[1][8]
^ abcNewell, Gordon R., ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, at 140 and 214, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1966 ISBN0-87564-220-9
^"Three Fines Assessed Yesterday on Vessels", Port Townsend Leader, March 15, 1905, page 2, col.2[permanent dead link]
^"Fines reduced on vessels", Port Townsend Leader, April 4, 1905, page 4, col.1[permanent dead link]
^McCurdy, at 140 (showing photo of S.G. Simpson at Hartstene Island)
^Newell, Gordon R., and Williamson, Joe, Pacific Steamboats, at 49, Bonanza Books, New York, NY 1958 (showing photo of City of Shelton apparently abandoned, moored next to Edison)
January 01, 1970
city, shelton, sternwheeler, steamboat, city, shelton, operated, 1890s, early, 1900s, part, puget, sound, mosquito, fleet, city, sheltonhistory, namecity, shelton, ownershelton, transportation, company, routeolympia, shelton, completed1895, shelton, washington. The steamboat City of Shelton operated in the 1890s and early 1900s as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet 1 City of SheltonHistory NameCity of Shelton OwnerShelton Transportation Company RouteOlympia Shelton Completed1895 at Shelton Washington In service1895 Out of service1912 FateMoored Dead Water Slough on Snohomish River 1912 deteriorated and fell apart by the 1930s General characteristics TypeInland and riverine passenger freighter Tonnage190 Length99 8 ft 30 4 m Beam20 5 ft 6 2 m Depth6 ft 1 8 m Installed powersteam Propulsionsternwheel Contents 1 Construction 2 Operations 3 Abandonment 4 See also 5 NotesConstruction editCity of Shelton was built in 1895 at Shelton Washington to replace Willie on the Olympia Shelton route She was 99 8 feet long 20 5 on the beam with a 6 depth of hold and rated at 190 tons 2 City of Shelton was one of the few vessels built on the Sound at that time because an economic depression had driven down business 3 Operations editOne of her competitors was Marion a small propeller driven steamboat with an award winning triple expansion engine Marion s crew derisively named City of Shelton Old Wet Butt after the spray thrown up on her deck by her unguarded sternwheel During one race when Marion was running at full speed her shaft broke and she had to whistle for assistance to City of Shelton who towed her into Olympia 3 City of Shelton once ran aground at Arcadia Point in a fog While waiting for the tide to come in and float her off the cook had himself lowered overboard in a bosun s chair and came back with three huge geoduck clams weighing a total of 12 pounds which he made into chowder Newell describes the reaction of the rest of the crew Everyone was happy but the vessel s navigating officers The mate summed up their attitude when he leaned from the pilot house window ejected a quid of tobacco in the direction of the cook s trophies and growled contemptuously Yah you t ink a steamer iss to dig clams 4 In March 1905 following the recent loss of the steamer Clallam in the Strait of Juan de Fuca steamboat inspectors cracked down and levied heavy fines against a number of steamboats on Puget Sound for inadequate safety equipment including the City of Shelton fined for having no signs advising passengers of life preservers and no log of boat or fire drills 3 5 Her original fine of 500 a lot of money for the time was later reduced to 10 presumably as a result of curing the safety defects 6 City of Shelton ran on the Olympia Shelton run until 1907 when the Shelton Transportation Co replaced her with S G Simpson City of Shelton s last skipper on the regular route was Capt Ed Gustafson who with mate Ole Gustafson and engineer John Lesli took over the new sternwheeler S G Simpson City of Shelton was kept on as a reserve boat until about 1912 when she was sold to the American Tug Boat Co an Everett concern 7 George E Barlow 1842 1912 was another captain of City of Shelton 1 Abandonment editHer new owners did not put City of Shelton to use but simply moored her on Dead Water Slough in the Snohomish River with the Edison where eventually she fell apart in about 1930 1 8 See also editS G Simpson sternwheeler Notes edit a b c Newell Gordon R ed H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest at 140 and 214 Superior Publishing Seattle WA 1966 ISBN 0 87564 220 9 McCurdy at 140 a b c Newell Gordon R Ships of the Inland Sea at 124 125 145 152 54 Binford and Mort Portland OR 2nd Ed 1960 Newell Ships of the Inland Sea at 169 Three Fines Assessed Yesterday on Vessels Port Townsend Leader March 15 1905 page 2 col 2 permanent dead link Fines reduced on vessels Port Townsend Leader April 4 1905 page 4 col 1 permanent dead link McCurdy at 140 showing photo of S G Simpson at Hartstene Island Newell Gordon R and Williamson Joe Pacific Steamboats at 49 Bonanza Books New York NY 1958 showing photo of City of Shelton apparently abandoned moored next to Edison Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title City of Shelton sternwheeler amp oldid 1145667890, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
