V20 N4 Tugs on the Great River Highway

the

UARTERDECK

Vol. 20 No. 4

Autumn 1994

A review and newsletter from the Columbia River Maritime Museum at 1792 Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon

"Brix-Astoria," special limited edition print hand-colored by artist L. Cedric "Lowell" Janson, 1992. Courtesy of Bill W. Dodge 10th Street Collection Gallery. The name Knappton Towboat Co. of 1923 was changed to Brix Maritime Co. in 1990.

It has recently been purchased by Foss Maritime Co.

Tugs on the Great River Highway It's not uncommon to see people leaning on the rail of the 17th St. pier admiring the little tugboats alongside the great ships. Tugs are generally thought of as whimsical little boats with lots of character, but in reality they are strong and powerful vessels.

Tugs and towboats are the horsepower of the Columbia, the great river highway.

These strong boats are dwarfed by the massive ships, but they can maneuver them through small spaces, heavy winds and fierce currents. They can tow tens of thousands of tons at one time and push

500 times their own weight. Some tugs can handle three to five barges at a time.

The tug is only as effective as its crew.

Harmony and communication are imperative. The demands on the crew can make the job extremely dangerous, with work around the clock and in all types of weather. Deckhands can fall when jumping from one barge to another or between bundles on log rafts. Some work regular days; others are on call at any hour and may work for weeks at a time. It is said that a strong marriage is crucial in this occupation.

Museum staff and volunteers recently experienced the work of tugs at first hand during the lightship Columbia's October trip upriver to Portland. It was fascinating to watch the captain's precise handling of the boat and how he could maneuver it to gently kiss the side of the ship. The tug could turn on a dime, moving to the bow and stern to align the ship perfectly for docking.

In this issue, join guest author Harold Nelson for a look back at Knappton Towboats and the world of tugs and towboating on the Columbia.

Afterguard

from the Wheelhouse ...

Ward V. Cook, President Ted Natt, Vice President Richard T. Carruthers, Secretary Robley Mangold, Treasurer Alan C. Goudy, Immediate Past Pres.

Jerry L. Ostermiller, Director

Board of Trustees: Darryl Bergerson Mitch Boyce Peter Brix Allen V. Cellars Maurie D. Clark Jack R. Dant Anita Decker Thomas R. Dyer Jon Englund Carl Fisher J. W. 'Bud' Forrester Walter Gadsby, Jr. Evelyn Georges James H. Gilbaugh, Jr. Alan Green, Jr. Don M. Haskell Eric 'Skip' Hauke Robert G. Hemphill W. Louis Larson Eugene Lowe John McGowan Anne Morden David M. Myers Ed Nelson, Jr. Charles Shea Roy Snell Herbert Steinmeyer William T. C. Stevens Willis Van Dusen Frank Warren

Museum Staff: Russ Bean Celerino Bebeloni Chris Bennett Karen Carpenter Trish Custard John Davis John Dirschel Marietta Donei; Cris Ek Charlotte Jackson Steve Kann Lynne Leland Jim Nyberg Rose Palazzo W. Hampton Scudder Mark Tolonen Justine Van Sickle Anne Witty Rachel Wynne

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Hampton Scudder assists as Director Jerry Ostermiller dons scuba equipment to survey the mooring basin for planned improvements. Trustee Richard Carruthers offers moral encouragement.

"If We Build It, They Will Come ... " Two years ago the City of Astoria built a transient moorage facility at the Columbia River Maritime Museum. This facility, now serving recreational boaters, has also attracted the attention of cruise ship operators desiring a major port of call on the lower Columbia.

While a significant number of recreational boats use the dock, larger vessels are currently limited by the 9-foot depth. To solve this problem, the Museum requested funds for a dredging project from the Northwest Oregon Economic Alliance. The State of Oregon Regional Strategies Funding program, based on lottery dollars, came through with a $52,000 grant to dredge the basin.

The dredging project will help secure new tourism markets by enabling cruise vessels to moor conveniently close to downtown businesses and the Museum. The newly-emerging cruise ship industry has virtually exploded.

Currently, four cruise ship operators - Yachtship Cruise Lines, Wilderness Cruises, Alaska Sightseeing/Cruise West, and American Waterways - have requested mooring arrangements here.

The cruise ships will have a substantial impact on the local economy, and should not be underestimated. In 1994, cruise ships brought us 12,500 new visitors! These visitors are generally well-to-do and spend significant amounts of money. Most importantly, cruise ship visitors spread the word about our fine Museum.

The cruise ship business also provides exciting opportunities to increase off season tourism, as half of the ships cruise the Columbia River during the spring and fall. Finally, the basin dredging project provides a fine addition to the City of Astoria's plan to improve the waterfront. As I write, the City of Astoria is beginning construction on a riverside walkway extending from the Museum westward into the downtown core. The walkway, designed for pedestrians, will be 10 feet wide, lighted and landscaped. It will include resting benches and interpretive signage. A "people's park" at 16th Street, built by the Astoria Rotary Club, makes an excellent river observation point and picnic area.

These waterfront projects will integrate cruise ship moorage and our Museum with downtown Astoria. The City, visitors, residents, and the Museum will all benefit through this partnership. If this year's cruise ship activity is any indication of what the future holds, then we can say with confidence, "If we build it, they will come. " - Jerry Ostermiller, Director

Columbia's Adventure Upriver On October 11th, the lightship left her berth in Astoria to voyage up the Columbia River . Her destination: the Oregon Maritime Center & Museum in Portland, where Columbia took part in the dedication of the historic sternwheeler Portland's new permanent berth on Front Avenue. This also marked the first joint Trustee meeting for these two Oregon maritime organizations. From the moment the Columbia left the dock, her goodwill voyage was a great success.

Columbia serves as the flagship of the Maritime Museum. Her operational skipper for this voyage, Hampton Scudder (who is CRMM Exhibit Specialist when he is ashore), remarked that whether docked or under power, the essence of the vessel is her enthusiastic volunteers.

"A trip such as this is a great opportunity to complete some needed projects.

Mechanically, the vessel is in excellent shape; it took very little work to get her operational." Hampton skippered the ship under the supervision of various Columbia River pilots, who were aboard whenever the ship was under weigh. The lightship Columbia is not licensed for passengers, but she needed a crew. During the week-long voyage, more than 100 people worked aboard her - a volunteer crew capable of everything from running the engines to cleaning the galley. Key crew members stayed aboard for the week, including Curator of Operations Steve Kann, CRMM volunteer Bob Chamberlain, and Executive Director

Jerry Ostermiller. Chief engineer Dennis McNally and a contingent of excellent engineers from the Oregon Maritime Center & Museum worked alongside new crew members every leg of the trip.

And the pilots allowed even greenhorns to take the helm - whenever the ship was not maneuvering in an awkward situation.

Trip planning began months ago in coordination with the Board of Trustees and the Oregon Maritime Center & Museum. As the ship's departure drew near, Trish Custard, Visitor Services and Education Coordinator, and Chris Bennett, Volunteer Coordinator, juggled the logistics of crewing several legs of the voyage. A hundred different schedules ... who was staying aboard overnight... who needed to meet the ship where ... they met this tedious task with success.

Proving that all CRMM staff can and do wear many hats, Fiscal Officer Marietta Doney supplied tasty provisions to satisfy appetites sharpened by the river voyage and autumn air.

Along the river, the Columbia was guided by the able services of the Columbia River Pilots and accompanied by Foss Maritime tugs. Both groups donated their professional services - many thanks!

The Port of Longview provided overnight berthing, as did Foss Maritime headquarters at St. Johns Bridge. Upon her arrival in Portland, the Columbia was greeted by the Port of Portland fireboat, gushing sprays of colored water, and

then docked outboard of the sternwheeler Portland.

The lightship Columbia and her crew thoroughly enjoyed their stay in Portland. The Trustees of the Oregon Maritime Center & Museum met with CRMM Trustees and enjoyed a warm evening getting to know one another better. Perhaps best of all was the opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the sternwheeler Portland at her waterfront berth at McCall Waterfront Park, a suitably visible place for Oregon's only working steam sternwheeler tug. Congratulations to our colleagues upriver for a job well done with the steamer Portland, and kudos to the many volunteers who made her preservation possible. And, as for the lightship Columbia's 1994 voyage, congratulations and thanks are in order to all the CRMM crew, volunteers and staff alike, greenhorns and veterans. Like any successful voyage, many hated to see it come to an end ... even though the 17th Street pier makes a mighty nice home for this retired floating lighthouse!

the QUARTERDECK Volume 20 No.4

The lightship Columbia tied up to the sternwheeler Portland at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland.

Quarterdeck, Vol. 20 No. 4

The QUARTERDECK is published four times a year by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103.

Editor, Karen Carpenter. Editorial Staff: Jerry Ostermiller, Anne Witty, Trish Custard, Rachel Wynne.

Photo and illustration credits: Mooring survey, page 1, photographed by Marietta Doney; Pride of Baltimore II and USS Astoria Bell, page 4, photographed by Anne Witty; Dobbins Lifeboats, Page 5, CRMM archives; The Knappton, page 6, CRMM archives; The Irene, page 8, CRMM archives, The Melville and the diesel Melville, page 9, CRMM archives; Legacy and Testament, page 11, courtesy of CRMM Book Store; Lutheran Church Choir, page 12, photographed by Anne Witty.

Printed at Anchor Graphics, Astoria, Oregon

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Columbia River Maritime Museum News and Notes A Visit from the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II

The topsail schooner Pride of Baltimore II sails into the Maritime Museum dock in August, 1994.

The Summer of 1994 flew by in a flurry of maritime activity at the Museum, dock, and plaza. On August 12th, the magnificent sailing vessel Pride of Baltimore II sailed in stately fashion up the Columbia River to dock at the Maritime Museum. The vessel and her crew were Astoria's honored guests for four days during their first visit to Oregon. The vessel serves as a goodwill ambassador for the state of Maryland and the port of Baltimore.

While she was here, the Pride II lent the flair of maritime heritage to the Astoria Regatta Twilight Boat Parade. With her raking masts and sharp hull lines, the vessel is the only existing example of an 1812-era Baltimore clipper type. She is the successor to an earlier Pride of Baltimore, which was lost at sea in May 1986 with the loss of four crew. Readers may remember that the first Pride of Baltimore visited Astoria in July 1983.

U.S.S. ASTORIA Bell Dedicated The U.S. Navy light cruiser Astoria (CL90), launched in 1942, was named after an earlier vessel lost in 1942 during the pivotal Battle of Savo Island. On August 9th, the 52nd anniversary of that battle, veterans, friends and community members gathered on the Museum Plaza to pay tribute to both gallant ships, their crews, and all who served during the Second World War. Astoria Mayor Willis Van Dusen unveiled the bell, displayed on the Plaza.

A brief memorial service followed, during which flowers were strewn on the river waters under bright sunshine. The American Legion organized a moving and dignified ceremony in honor of all who sacrificed, and those who survived.

The City of Astoria World War Two Commemorative City committee, the 2nd U.S. Battery C, and representatives of local government and military units also participated.

The USS Astoria Bell is on loan to the Museum from the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. The American Legion color guard flew the Navy flag during dedication and memorial ceremonies on USS Astoria Day.

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Another Look The summer 1994 cover photograph showing Astoria's waterfront behind the scenes at a turn of the century Regatta intrigued a number of people. Several readers wrote with the elucidation we requested. Frank Hildebrand of Bend noted that what we had called the "texas and pilot house of a steamboat" is in fact the Parker House Hotel, an opinion corroborated by Bruce Berney, Astoria Public Library Director. Mr. Berney writes that the structure in question is "the north half of the Parker House, a landmark on the corner of 9th and Astor which miraculously survived even the fire of 1922." Mr. Berney's research using other building evidence in the photograph dates it to 1894 or 1895.

On the vessels, Bill Wilkinson, Director Emeritus of The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, wrote with great enthusiasm about the image. "What an outstanding photograph! It is filled with tremendous interest and of course I am particularly interested in the two lifeboats in the immediate foreground.

[They] are modified Dobbins ... originally developed by the Superintendent of the Lifesaving Service on the Great Lakes in the early 1880s. Capt. Dobbins was looking for a perfect rescue craft. He wanted the lightness and the maneuverability of the surfboat type but, at the same time, the stability and self-righting features of the heavier, larger lifeboat based on the design of the 1873 English lifeboat. As a result the Dobbins Lifeboat was a serious compromise and, if one reads through all the records, it became obvious that after some limited initial success, the boat was gradually phased out. The Lifesaving Service modified the Dobbins design significantly and a few of these boats were

Another look: In the upper left corner is the Parker House Hotel and in the foreground are two modified Dobbins Lifeboats.

1990.66.35

built for lifeboat stations on the Pacific Northwest coast. I believe they were also used in the San Francisco area. The boats in your pho.tograph are of the modified type which was used from the 1890's to the turn of the century time frame. This picture of these two boats is the best one I have seen for picking up detail. Most pictures of the Dobbins Lifeboat are side profile views taken from a distance and it is very difficult to pick up the detail. The Dobbins Lifeboat did play a development role in the evolution of late 19th century coastal rescue lifeboat design and for that reason it is for me of strong historical interest. The only thing that perplexes me is that I cannot see anywhere a lifeboat designation painted on either the bow or the stern. As you know, usually each

Chart Your Course Through History Thanks to a generous grant from Northwest Natural Gas, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is now able to offer educational materials to visiting school groups. Developed to prepare students and teachers for a visit to the Museum, Chart Your Course Through History is a packet of materials including teacher information and student activities. The packet will be sent to all school groups that make reservations for a Museum visit. Designed to meet the curriculum standards of both Oregon and Washington, Chart Your Course Through History reinforces student skills in math, English, social studies and science while introduc-

Quarterdeck, Vol. 20 No. 4

ing students to topics they will explore during a tour of the Museum. Separate packets were created for elementary and middle school grades.

This project was undertaken after a survey of visiting school groups during Spring 1994. In the survey, teachers were asked to list the type of educational materials they would like to see the Museum provide. Pre-visit materials, such as Chart Your Course Through History, were the most requested materials. With funding from Northwest Natural Gas, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is able to meet this important educational need.

boat was marked on the bow with the U.S. Lifesav~ng Service and on the stern with the name of the station."

Thanks to all who wrote to contribute to our understanding of Astoria's waterfront in the last 100 years.

Navy Photography Highlighted In December, the Museum will open an exhibition of ouustanding original photographs taken by the late Victor Jorgensen of Lake Oswego. During the Second World War, Mr. Jorgensen drew photographer's duty with Edward Steichen's special photographic unit in the U.S. Navy. The men's orders were to go wherever they needed to go to document the war in the Pacific. The resultant work was made famous through widespread publication during and after the war.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum is fortunate to be able to display more than 50 works of Victor Jorgensen's vast photographic portfolio. The images, selected by Mr. Jorgensen himself before his death and subsequently by his wife Betty, cover his 1943 and 1944 assignments aboard the aircraft carriers USS Lexington, USS Monterey, and the hospital ship USS Solace. Aboard the USS Albert Grant, Victor Jorgensen followed MacArthur to the Philippines.

In the next Quarterdeck, we will profile Victor Jorgensen. Plan to visit the special exhibition, in the Museum's Kern Room, between this December and June 1995.

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Knappton Towboat - The Early Years

by Harold Nelson Knappton Towboat Company began at Knappton, Washington, in 1920, moving to Astoria in 1923, where under succeeding ownership it still occupies the same office and moorage as a branch at the foot of 14th Street. The company enjoyed exceptional growth and prosperity over the years despite adversity. This was accomplished through the vision, strength and direction of its management, together with the performance of a loyal and dedicated professional workforce. Corporate headquarters in recent years has been on the shore of the Willamette River near Linnton, Oregon.

Pioneers of Pacific County The Brix family, company founders, settled during the 1880s in Pacific County, Washington, becoming involved in the Frankfurt, Naselle, Grays River and Deep River areas. In 1909, Knappton Mills & Lumber Company, situated on the north shore of the Columbia River at Knappton, Washington, was acquired from Simpson Lumber Company. This was an ideal business combination. Cut your own timber and mill it in your own mill. And also do the towing.

A few steam tugs were purchased to deliver logs from the rafting grounds to the newly acquired mill. It was not long before the demand for commercial towing service from other mills was increasing. This presented an opportunity to participate and share in this growing log towing industry.

On October 14, 1920, Knappton Towboat Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington and the towing interests were spun off from the Knappton Mill operation. One might say this was the birth of the company.

From relatively small beginnings and local stature it would grow into one of the major towing companies on the West Coast, serving both river and ocean customers from the Columbia River, Puget Sound and Alaska.

Knappton's first acquisition was Callender Navigation Company of Astoria, Oregon, in 1922. Callender was an oldtime leader on the lower Columbia River, serving the area with towing, freight and passenger service for a number of years.

Offices Moved In September 1923, the decision was made to move the operations office from Knappton to Astoria and locate in the former Callender dock and moorage at the foot of 14th Street. The Astoria branch office and moorage have been maintained here until the present, except for several years during and after World War II, when facilities were moved to the slip between Piers 2 and 3 at the Astoria port docks.

In 1942, the Portland office was made headquarters, with Astoria becoming a branch office, as it is today. Necessitating this management shift was the business development of a much larger area of the Columbia and Willamette River systems.

The upper Columbia, especially, was on its way to becoming one of the nation's major transportation waterways.

This narrative is largely a recollection covering 1929 through 1941, resulting from my father's association with the company. I myself worked intermittently on most of the boats from 1936 through 1941. Following my graduation from high school, I also worked for Arrow Tug & Barge during 1936-37 as deck hand and skipper. The marine community, especially towboating, has continued to hold my interest through the years.

The Office Force During this period, the men staffing the office (not all at the same time) were Art Bell, Charlie Callender, Harry Flavel, Frank Humble, H. B. Settem, Henry Skibbe and Fred Meyer. In 1931, young and handsome Fred Meyer was assigned to the Astoria branch of the company, which he covered for a number of years.

Later, he was transferred to Portland.

Under his guidance the company experienced steady growth and, in 1960, he became the president. The assignment in Astoria had served him well, not only honing his managerial skills, but also finding a wife and fathering two sons before returning to Portland.

The Wood Fleet The vessels varied in age, power and size; many were previously owned by towing, passenger and freight interests.

Some were eventually converted from steam to diesel. The original wood-hulled steam vessels were Defender, General

Washington, Ida W., John F. Cudahy, Knappton, Little Myrtle, Myrtle, Melville and Shamrock. Earlier the Shamrock oper-

The Knappton as a steam tug, Clark Bell skipper, Ed Shatto engineer. 1963.105.

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ated as a passenger and excursion boat between South Bend and Nahcotta on Willapa Bay before being acquired by Knappton.

Converted to diesel were the Myrtle with a 325 H.P. Washington Estep, the Little Myrtle (renamed Tonquin) with a 200 H . P. Atlas Imperial, and the Melville with a 440 H.P. Washington Estep. These were the reliable, popular, heavy-duty, low r .p .m . engines of the period. The Washington was built in Seattle, the Atlas in Oakland. The Melville was altered by lengthening the stern by about 12'-15', deckhouse remodeling and a new air-driven tow winch for outside towing. She made many a tow up the coast from the Siletz and Nehalem Bays with Davis log

rafts. Mike Lawlis, skipper, Bill Truman, engineer, Harry Chatterton, mate, and "Jumbo" Carlson, deckhand, crewed at the time. I don't recall the cook's name.

The first boat built for Knappton was the Irene, built in 1925 at Wilson Shipyard on Youngs Bay. She was powered with a 110 H.P. Atlas. The Irene was named after one of the Brix girls.

Noydena The 100' steel hull Noydena was built in 1932 at Slidell, Louisiana, for LouisianaTexas Waterways Corporation. She was powered by twin 350 H.P. Atlas Imperials.

She was christened the Jennie Barbour for her trial run August 26, 1932. Western Transportation purchased her in April 1934, brought her under her own power to Astoria on a 36-day, 5500 mile trip.

Following a few minor additions in Portland, she received a new name: Chief. She was based in Astoria for years, towing rafts out of Youngs Bay to Blind Slough for Crown. John Ostergaard was skipper and Al Wrangile mate. She was acquired when Knappton purchased Arrow Tug & Barge in 1961. Renamed Noydena and given a new superstructure and a lot more horses, she is still doing her share of pulling and pushing.

Coastal Ocean Rafts The Davis rafts were about 250' in length, 10' deep and consisted mainly of spruce and hemlock bundled and lashed together with 2" cable and clamps. You might say they were a miniature Benson "cigar" raft of rather crude construction.

They did allow ocean towing for log delivery up the coast, weather permitting, in winter. A breakup grounds for sorting logs into flat river rafts was maintained in Youngs River near the Callender dolphins and later at Burnside. Nick Warila ran the booms.

Occasionally, an unwelcome breakup would occur in the winter on the way up the coast. Art Bell, one-time skipper of the Tyee, told me of one of his winter tows out of Nehalem. Soon after clearing the bar, a sou'wester picked up, giving him a good tail wind up the coast. However, by the time he reached the Columbia, gale force winds had developed . He eventually pulled into the slip at Pier 2 in Astoria with about 1 /3 of the raft and a tangled mess of binding cable on the end of his towline. Years later, the Tyee was caught in storms off the Nehalem bar and twice blown ashore. She was refloated after the first grounding but was a total loss after the second. Were those the "good old days" the boatmen talk about when they gather to reminisce?

Quarterdeck, Vol . 20 No. 4

Lincoln County Boom on the Siletz above Taft had two tugs, the Chahunta, 400 H .P., and Dodeco, 200 H .P., which regularly towed rafts to Astoria.

To serve the needs of the lower Columbia, Knappton had three wood barges, No . 5 and No. 7, plus an oil barge equipped with a steam oil pump. This limited some oil jobs to the steamers Defender and Knappton . Many jobs were logging camp needs. Railroad locomotives and steam donkeys required a lot of oil. A creamery at Grays River was a regular customer and furnished its own steam for the barge pump. The Irene handled this job. No. 5 and No. 7 were used for transferring lumber from the Prouty Mill at Warrenton to ships docked at the Astoria port dock and upriver milldocks.

Logging locomotives and donkeys were moved by barge from one operation to another.

An old barge digger called the Buster was used for digging sand. Its use was ended by a severe winter "blow." She was about to be retired anyway.

This type of transportation was gradually coming to a close. Improvements and the opening of new highways from Longview through Cathlamet to Skamokawa, Grays River, Deep River, Naselle and Ilwaco opened the way for motor vehicle competition. An all-weather improved highway now joined Knappton with the Ocean Beach Highway at Naselle.

The General Washington was replaced by the Pioneer, a small car ferry providing service between Astoria and Knappton twice a day. A round trip took about two hours. Ollie Layzell, a former captain of the General Washington and his deckhand, Frank Ross, were now winding down long careers on the river . Gay Munson, engineer, took care of the 65 H.P. Fairbanks. Gay was a close friend of my family, so I would enjoy a "free" ride every so often during my teens. To accommodate a car slip for vehicle loading, a special angled moorage was cut into the face of the Knappton dock and warehouse at the foot of 14th Street. The present dock and warehouse have been restored to the original alignment.

Vessels Moved to Portland

Old Time Skippers

Vessels relocated to operate out of Portland were the steamers Ida W., Shamrock and the newly diesel-powered Myrtle.

Clark Bell and Connie Johns, skippers of the Shamrock and Myrtle, went along.

Clark and Art Bell were brothers. Their father was old Captain Tom Bell, a pioneer steamboatman at South Bend on Willapa Bay. He was a one-time owner of the Defender, an early training ground for Art and Clark. Bringing us up to more recent times, we have Clark, Jr., better known as Tom Bell, the grandson of Old Tom. Tommy put in about 42 years, 8 months with Knappton in Portland, retiring in 1988 as one of its long-time and well-liked skippers. Tom died in 1994.

To the best of my knowledge, all the old timers are now deceased. Among the skippers were Clark Bell, George Gaither, Mark Gaither, John Hanhela, Bill Jacobson, Connie Johns, Arve Larson, Mike Lawlis, Ollie Layzell, Oscar Nelson (my father) and John Sigfridson. Clark Bell and Mike Lewis later joined the Columbia River pilots.

Of special interest, I feel, is the family following that occurred in the rivermen fraternity. John's son, Delbert Sigfridson, also worked for Knappton before becoming a Columbia River pilot. Delbert passed away recently. His son, Reed, followed in his father's footsteps to become a pilot also. I had the pleasure of meeting Reed recently at Delbert's funeral.

Barge and Digger Equipment

Passenger, Freight and Ferry Service Besides towing, Knappton provided other services in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The General Washington was a freight and passenger steamer, running daily except Sunday between Astoria and Deep River, Washington. She docked at the foot of 14th Street. Stops were made at a number of landings between Knappton and the town of Deep River, which consisted mostly of a planked float moored to a piling placed by farmers along Deep River. Milk cans, a sack of feed or a bale of hay were typical freight cargoes.

On occasion a trip to Astoria by the North Shore residents provided an opportunity to enjoy "the outside world."

Deck Hands, Skippers of the Future If one aspires to be a towboat skipper, there is only one place to begin - as a deckhand . During this period of time the following worked as deckhands: Frank Boebert, Arne Bummala, Ralph "Jumbo" Carlson, Peter Heldt, Frank Johnson, Ben Sarijarvi Lake, Andy Larson, John Lassila, Lawrence Lawlis, John Van Osdel and Frank Ross . Bummala, Carlson, Lassila and Van Osdel eventually became skippers. It was typical back then for a crew to work the same boat for many years together. I think first place goes to Connie Johns, Pete Heldt and Henry Wrangila, who worked together on the old wood Myrtle and the new steel hull Myrtle.

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The author's father, Oscar Nelson, was skipper of the Irene for 28 years.

Engineers No Longer Needed With the conversion from steam to diesel, particularly the lower powered boats, an engineer was no longer required. Those still around were Al Anderson, Gay Munson, Ed Shatto, Bill Truman, Jimmy Walgren and Henry Wrangila. Henry's brother, Al, was mate on the Chief.

One of the most enjoyable periods I experienced on the river was decking on the steamer Defender with Johnny Sigfridson and Jimmie Walgren. No other way can you capture the comfort of a wood hull and the smooth, quiet, rhythmic sound of a triple expansion steam engine pulling a 600 thousand scale old growth fir raft behind.

Logging Company Operations Log towing accounted for the bulk of the work. Large railroad operations were cutting huge amounts of old growth fir plus lesser amounts of hemlock, spruce and cedar. An occasional alder raft went to B. P. John Furniture in Portland.

Tidewater Timber and Chester-Potter dumped logs in the Klaskanine, Crown Willamette below the falls on Youngs River. Labiske dumped in the Walluski from trucks. Tidewater had their own boat, the Florence B, which dropped rafts to the rafting grounds on lower Youngs River.

Over on the Lewis & Clark were Eastern-Western and La Dee Logging. In later 8

years Crown Willamette finished up their Youngs River show and moved to Lewis & Clark, using trucks by replacing the rails with a road. There was also a truck dump and booming ground on lower Youngs River near the old Highway 30 bridge, one near the bridge on Lewis & Clark, as well as a dump on the Skipanon at Warrenton above the highway and railroad bridge. Ole Nygaard had both the latter dumps. Nick Warila had the Youngs River dump.

There were a number of gypos truck logging in the area. Included were Lewis and Malone, Jens Lerbeck, and Ernie Dawson and Bill Hollenbeck. Trucks were their method of transport from woods to water, as they didn't have large stands of timber to justify railroads.

With this amount of timber being rafted, one can see the need for towboats.

Knappton, Arrow, Shaver, Westport Towing, Walter Lendten, Shephard, Smith and Western Transportation all shared the work to varying degrees. I remember on one occasion counting five tows of one or two rafts each going up river in front of town. The tows would come out of Youngs Bay on the last of the ebb. On a low runout a fair ebb would still be running at Pier 3. The flood would eventually help them along.

time. The boiler was fired by hogfuel supplied by Prouty and Youngs Bay Lumber mills on the Skipanon at Warrenton. This kept my dad busy on the Irene making round trips every three days or so.

Logging camps required oil for firing their donkeys and engines. This provided towing work in Youngs, Lewis & Clark and Deep Rivers. A large volume of logs was being dumped on the Washington side of the river in Deep River. Some of these logs were towed to the mill at Knappton.

Gilpin Construction, later absorbed by General Construction, maintained a pile driver in Astoria. This provided tow jobs to move the driver about. Fish traps were still operating on the Washington shore and required maintenance.

Dolphins for log storage, booms, jetties, navigation aids and beacons, dock and bridge repairs provided plenty of work and enough variety to make each day something to look forward to. Rafts were processed by the numerous sawmills on the river. This meant delivering rafts and returning empty sticks to the rafting grounds. An occasional anchor was lost by a freighter when a weak link gave way. A grapple dragged from a barge with a winch would soon find the chain and retrieve it. Repairing or building dikes, cleaning debris from log dumps and digging sand were among the jobs requiring bucket digger tow jobs. An occasional submarine telephone cable installation required a towboat.

Art Zimmerman, Astoria, and his partner Fred Devine, Portland, were commercial divers who required assistance. One job I remember was the collision and sinking of the Italian freighter Fe/tre near Prescott in late 1936. I was on the Arrow No. 3 at the time. The Feltre was refloated, towed to Portland for dry docking and returned to service. On another occasion, the Nightingale, a converted purse seiner taken over by the Navy before Pearl Harbor, hit a buoy opposite Fort Stevens on December 26, 1941, and sank.

General Construction's new digger, Astoria, was used in the raising. The Knappton and Irene assisted. Strong east winds, coupled with a sizable ground swell, hampered what turned out to be an allnight job.

This is what makes towboating fascinating. You never know what you will do or where you will go.

Variety Made the Work Interesting

Pearl Harbor

Pacific Power & Light was operating their steam power-plant on Youngs Bay near the old Highway 30 bridge at this

Sunday, December 7, 1941, was a work day for the Irene. I was decking for my dad. We towed 2 sets of boomsticks from

Blind Slough to Deep River, returning to our dock in Astoria about 3:30 in the afternoon. All the other boats were in that Sunday. As we pulled in, I noticed Fred Meyer standing near the ladder of our tie-up space. Did he have another job for us? No. What he had to tell us was the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. My last workday on the river was December 31, 1941.

Once you have spent time on the water you never lose that longing for it. I still take an occasional ride for the day in the Portland area. Log rafts, barges, ship jobs, they all brought back the memories that helped me write this story.

Acquisitions While working on this article, Peter Brix furnished me with some information which I hope will be of interest to the reader. This additional material also stimulated my own memory of events. I learned a bit more of Knappton's "Early Years," for which I extend my thanks and appreciation to Peter.

To share in this business, an aggressive acquisition program was pursued during the next decades, through 1979, in which the following companies were acquired: Carl Bernet, 1943; Jones Towboat Company, 1945; Arrow Tug and Barge Company, 1961; Westport Towboat Company, 1963; Lafferty Transportation, 1968; Columbia Pacific Towing Corporation, 1971; Brusco Towboat Company, 1978; Smith Tug and Barge, 1979; and Washington Tug and Barge, 1979.

The company experienced phenomenal growth under the stewardship of Peter Brix, CEO, great-grandson of one of the original founders. To honor the family founders, the company adopted the name of Brix Maritime in 1990.

After completing the above story, I learned the company was being sold to Foss Maritime of Seattle, a company dating back to the mid-1800s in Tacoma.

I hope the Brix name will remain . Time will tell. [Editor's note: The Brix name is not being retained] .

My Last Trip Outside The mention of Foss brings back memories of one of the most exciting experiences of my teenage years in Astoria. It was about 1937-38. The Arthur Foss was about a 90' wood hull converted from steam to a The Melville as a steamer with passengers at Astoria Washington 700 H.P. Regatta. She was built as an 86' steamer in 1903 at Asin 1934. She berthed toria. First owned by Callender Navigation, she was acoccasionally at the quired by Knappton Towboat about 1922. 1963.112.la Knappton dock in Astoria. Her skipper was Vince Miller, a veteran of the Sound.

These were heavy duty, low R.P.M. enThey needed an assistant in the engine gines. I alternated 6 hours on, 6 off with room for a trip to San Francisco, so they Bob, the Chief. We dropped a barge off at hired me sight unseen. Someone in the Newport on the way south, hitting the Knappton office said I could handle it. In bottom once when crossing the bar at those days, Atlas, Washington, EnNewport. No leaks were detected and we terprise and Union engines were the proceeded south to San Francisco. Our mainstays of power. Automatic self-oiltow back north was a converted freighter ing systems probably weren't even equipped to process pilchards (sardines). thought of. Lubricating with an oil can This fishery was developing at Astoria was necessary for the overhead rocker and continued for a number of years. I arms on top of the cylinder, as well as oil remember two things on the way north. cups at various locations.

The Northwest wind was strong the first night out. I didn't feel too well and stuck my head out the partially-opened engine room door most of my watch that night.

Another night I had to awaken Bob. One of the fuel injectors clogged and we had to replace it. It turned out to be a fairly easy task, considering what happened.

Bob knew his diesels pretty well.

On arrival at the mouth of the Columbia, the freighter was moored to dolphins just above Hammond, near where the present Bio-Products plant is located.

This was my last coastwise trip on a tug.

I shall never forget it.

The Melville after being converted to diesel. Photo taken off Nehalem River entrance. As an "outside" tug, she had her stern extended 12-15 feet. She was not really built for ocean service - too light, too limber.

1963.112.lb

Quarterdeck, Vol. 20 No. 4

Harold C. "Harry" Nelson is an Astoria native now living in Portland. Mr. Nelson is a frequent contributor to historical journals in the Columbia Pacific region.

9

New Members - April 1- June 30, 1994 INDIVIDUAL

FAMILY

Bev Christman Theodore C. Edquist A. J. Field William J. Hanable Leroy Koski John Neece Stephen E. Thompson Doris M. Willis

Ray & Alice Ala Jim & Bonnie Beeks Arnold & Rosie Biskar Harvey & Elese Claussen Captain & Mrs. Cliff Craigie Mr. & Mrs. John J. Dirschel Leonard H. Ellis & Charleen Hadfield David & Diane Fry

William Gavin Laura Goodson Erin House Douglas G. Houser KenKakuk Lyle Kreps Donald Magnusen Richard B. Mathiot Connie & Bruce McCornack Irwin McFadden

David & Dorothy Milholland Dana & Tobi Nason Jerry Nichols Ricardo Perez Richard Pettersen John Platt & Elizabeth Furse Ron Rucks John Shearer Jeremy A. Snow Bob Ward

Increased Memberships - April 1- June 30, 1994 FAMILY

SUPPORTING

SUSTAINING

James & Lucille Scarborough Mr. & Mrs. John P. Walsh Joseph L. Heinz Judge & Mrs. John L. Price

Ralph Wirfs & Karen Kenyon Mr. & Mrs. C. A. Harrison Vern Cook Supply, Inc. Mark & Margaret Freeman

Brenda Hood Paul Seamons & Dee Vadnais James W. Young Peter Pan Market

Susan Schnitzer Captain & Mrs. Martin West CAPTAIN

Charles Shea

• Memorial Donations - April 1- June 30, 1994 PAULA GRACE ANET

BARBARA L. GLIMSDALE

Mr. & Mrs. Don E. Link

Mr. & Mrs. Raymond A. Willis

EUGENE DANIEL LUKOSZYK Mrs. Harry L. Larson

PHILIP BRYCE MORFITT

Dorothea J. Handran

HANNAH J. ANGBERG

LISETT K. HAGLUND

VEIKKO ALLEN MANNERS

Ed Lundholm Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Barendse Mr. & Mrs. Robert Erickson Mr. & Mrs. Harold C. Hendriksen Ron & Vicki Westerland Mrs. Vern Mogenson

Anna Basel G. John Haglund Emmy Oren

Mr. & Mrs. Raymond V. Johnson Donald V. Riswick

RALPH HENDRICKSON

GERTRUDE MILLER

JEAN STEELE BADEWITZ Eugene & Virginia Walters Stephen, Pamela & Logan

Mr. & Mrs. Allen V. Cellars

Ed Lundholm

JOE

CELIA E. HILL

ALBERT J. MITTET

Dorothea J. Handran

Frances M. Straumfjord Mr. & Mrs. Ward Paldanius Donald & Nancy Hoff Anna Basel & Family Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Thorsness Douglas & June Bracher Mrs. Vern Mogenson Mr. & Mrs. Ernest E. Brown Mr. & Mrs. Ernest J. Barrows Mr. & Mrs. Harry L. Larson Mr. & Mrs. George Abrahamsen Joseph & Gwynn Bakkensen Mr. & Mrs. Russ Fluhrer Gib & Linda Williamson John & Elfi Nordgren Lee Westley Mr. & Mrs. Eino Mattson Dennis Larson Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Macdonald

Ed Lundholm Theresa Wilson Dorothea J. Handran Helen & Ralph Clendening Jack & Ruth Parnell Dr. & Mrs. David I. Williams

WILMA JEAN HARTLEY

RASMUS MATHIESEN

Dr. & Mrs. David I. Williams

Earl & Zona Malinen

Hawkes Susan & James Skidmore Friends of Jean Badewitz at Willamette Industries Homer Davenport Jim & Evelyn Hanks Don & Alice Oetinger James & Ellen Sedell David & Debbie Craig William & Shirley Lee Lewis V. Boyle

Captain & Mrs. Joseph Bruneau

WARREN E. BECHTOLT, SR.

GORDON L. KLUGE

Mr. & Mrs. Ken R. Hickenbottom

Dorothea J. Handran

KEN CRUSE Mr. & Mrs. Raymond A. Willis

Mr. & Mrs. Sven B. Lund Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Frame

DERALD

K. GARRISON

Oliver A. Schulz

NELSA. HOWE

Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Oja GEORGE F. JOHNSON

LEITA E. JONES

Phil L. Nock ROBERT B. KING

Oliver A. Schulz

WARNER H. LEONARDO

GEORGE B. LOTZ

Marguerite S. Moyer

0oROTHY ANN MOHN Bill & Madonna Pitman

EDWARD MORGAN Yergen & Meyer, CPA's JOHN BURR 0sBURN Yergen & Meyer, CPA's MARGARET ANN PARKER

Curtis Olson

H. PARNELL, JR.

HENRY ERLING RAMVICK

Mrs. Arthur C. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. J. E. Grove Mrs. Audrey Leslie Elsie C. Osterlund Mr. & Mrs. Gerry E. Backanen Walt & Doris McManis Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Lahti Clarence & Carol Barendse Leo & Elna Marlantes Joy R. Black Mr. & Mrs. Harry L. Larson Mr. & Mrs. Alan Takalo Mr. & Mrs. John Estoos Violet F. Skipper Stanley K. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Eldred Olson

Mr. & Mrs. Arvid North Mr. & Mrs. George E. Siverson Mr. & Mrs. Carl F. Aarnio Armas & Thelma Niskanen Mr. & Mrs. Fred Leslie Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Leslie Howard & Mary Lovvold Mr. & Mrs. Albert Luukinen Georgia Maki Mildred L. Nicholas, Susan Hoffman & Joseph Totrault Beverly Aspmo Amelia Bristow Mr. & Mrs. Hobe Kytr Donald V. Riswick Mr. & Mrs. Jon W. Westerholm

PATRICIA ANNE SIMONSEN

Dr. & Mrs. Jukka Perkiomaki Mr. & Mrs. Toivo Mustonen Mr. & Mrs. Carl Bondietti Mr. & Mrs. John W. Schiffer

C. TAYLOR Ed Lundholm

FANNIE

COLLEEN THOMPSON

Rosanna Tuveng & Family ROBERT A. TUOMI

Howard & Ruth Ann Gray Mr. & Mrs. Grant Orr Dorothea J. Handran

JOHN MICHAEL WEST Mr. & Mrs. Carl Bondietti DR. JAMES

P.

WHITTEMORE

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Tevis FREDRICK MAXON WING

Lucille & Bill Perkins

Special Donations Sedgwick James, Inc. Dan Foley Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Lowe Mr. & Mrs. Don M. Haskell Mr. & Mrs. J. W. Forrester

KAST Radio Maurie Clark Mr. & Mrs. W. Dennis Hall James H. Jensen Captain & Mrs. C. S. Wetherell Henningsen Cold Storage Company Gainor 0. Minott The Wheeler Foundation Ted Natt La Fete Galante

'TIS THE SEASON FOR A MERRY TIME LOOK WHAT'S IN STORE Now is the time for all good members to come to the Museum Store and take advantage of their 10% discount on holiday purchases. We've stocked it with the newest books and baubles; everything that is sure to please the hard-to-please sailor or armchair historian in the family. With the holidays fast approaching, stop by and investigate the stacks and shelves. We enjoy seeing our members visit the store because it gives us a chance to re-establish old friendships and develop new ones.

NORTHWEST PASSAGES A Literary Anthologtj of the Pacific Northwest From Coyote Tales to Roadside Attractions, edited by Bruce Barcott. Sasquatch

NEW TITLES

Thomas C. Gillmer. McGraw Hill Pub., 1992. hardback 24.95/22.45.

This book tells the whole story of the Baltimore Clippers from their birth on Maryland's Eastern Shore through their fall from grace to their rebirth in the 1970s along the shores of Baltimore's renovated waterfront. The true account of the tragic loss of the replica schooner Pride of Baltimore and the building of her new, larger sister ship, Pride of Baltimore II, are thoroughly told in this book.

Books, 1994. softback 15.95/14.35.

The Pacific Northwest exists not only as a region but as an idea, formed in the dreams and disillusionments of those who came to stay and those who were only passing through. This compelling anthology traces the evolving nature of that idea, revealing the underlying spirit that forms the foundation of the Northwest identity.

SOURCES OF THE RIVER Tracking David Thompson Across Western North America, by Jack Nisbet. Sasquatch Books, 1994. softback 12.95/11.65.

In this true story adventure the author re-creates the life and times of David Thompson, fur trader, explorer, surveyor, and map maker. From 1784-1812, Thompson explored western North America, and his journals provide the earliest written accounts of the natural history and indigenous cultures of the inland northwest. Thompson was the first person to chart the entire length of the Columbia River. His wilderness expeditions have become legend.

Quarterdeck, Vol. 20 No. 4

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE The Story of the Baltimore Clipper, by

THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE The U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1878-1915, LEGACY AND TESTAMENT The Story of the Columbia River Gillnetters, by Irene Martin. WSU Press, 1994. softback 20.00/18.00.

Perhaps no environmental issue facing the Pacific Northwest has the potential to affect more lives than the controversy over endangered salmon on the Columbia River system. Now, for the first time, Legacy and Testament gives a human dimension to the issue, providing the first in-depth look at the life of the Columbia River gillnetter.

by Dennis L. Noble . Naval Institute Press, 1994. hardback 27.95/25.15.

Considered one of the most valorous organizations ever run by the U.S. government, the Service carried out thousands of rescues, and many of its men lost their lives in the effort to save others.

For sailors and general readers who enjoy sea adventures, as well as buffs interested in learning about an aspect of maritime heritage that has been largely overlooked. This story of the forgotten soldiers of the surf will both captivate and educate.

11

Columbia River Maritime Museum's Annual Holiday Program Sunday, December 11th The Museum will be hosting a great program of musical entertainment and a book-signing party with four Pacific Northwest authors who have new books available. Irene Martin of Skamakowa, Washington, will sign her book Legacy and Testament and Bob Cortright from Portland, Oregon, will be here to sign his book, Bridging, a beautiful photographic tribute to the building of bridges locally, nationally and worldwide. Sharlene and Ted Nelson of Federal Way, Washington, visit us with their book The Umbrella

Guide to Oregon Lighthouses.

Among many entertainers, The Lutheran Church Choir brings in the holiday spirit at the Annual Holiday Program in 1993.

COLUMBIA RIVER MARITIME MUSEUM 1792 MARINE DRIVE ASTORIA, OREGON 97103

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