Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 496, 14 January 1902 — PORTLAND DREADED BY SHIPPING MEN [ARTICLE]

PORTLAND DREADED BY SHIPPING MEN

FAL L * gANDBANK'S HARD TRIP The 3nt s- Vesse Was Over Two Wee*s Wa t -3 for a P, ct—Had to Pet Back to Sea Seve-a T me* —F -a . was Toeed to Astoria. Captain J V Robbins master cf the British -hip Falk land bank, has ma lea r--- —to r - ag- nts of his ex peri* r.- • - off the month of thb Columbia riv-'-r. ;n whi' h he lays -tress up- : on th 1-ead w ch -hipping men! have of b- ing ordered to Portland to I load H- ompiain- of both th*.- tug boat and pilot service afforded Portland siopping and insi-ts that both are wholly inadequate. Captain Robbins report i- as follow*; "I ma a fa r run from Santa Rasa! a having that p r* November ras wit miles of bar. wh n we m>’t a sucn ol southi ast -■ ms and very bad wcath-'r. and. knowing it to be a very dangcrou- p rr to approach with 1 a heavy ship in ballast. 1 awaited a chance to run in. I got within thirty miles of the lightship again on 1) ci-miit r 7. but bad weather threatening went to sea again. On the 9th | I ran in. being in company with the j ship William Mitchell, which spoke thi pilot i ittter b- fore I did. and took I the only pilot there was ffom her. I i still kept running tm- ship for the j pilot i utt-r. feeling confident of get-1 ting my pilot, whi h would have been I a great relief and help to me in case of hazy weather or a chance offering j to run in over the bar. But aft*r get- i ting within a half mile of the pilot - cutter she hoisted a signal saying. No pilot on hoard.’ Wo then had to mak- .-ail and use all judgment and opportunity of getting the ship out of a dangerous position and to sea again, which 1 thought at times it would be impossible to do. I therefore had cables and anchors chained for letting go. Fortunately a I change of wind to the southeast sprung up. and we got off sucre again. I the following day bring again twenty I to thirty mil, s we-t southwest of the ! port, again in company with the ship Mitchell, wlrch --hip has not arrived in yet. I again worked my ship up to the lightship on D comber 13. and at daylight got a pilot, also a tugboat. and wn- towed to Astoria, after spending a very anxious ten days off the port. • "1 think for a great shipping port lik this and the amount of tonnage visiting it annually, especially the number of ballast ships coming here to load, that the great dread all sailing captains have of this port would be greatly lessened, providing we could feel confident when running down on a lee shore to know a pilot could be had at all times and a goo i tug just att* nding to ships in as-1 sisting them into anchorage and back to help another ship awaiting its services. For in-tanoe. when speaking the pilot boat and getting no pilot, the boatkeeper or captain of the boat informed me no towboat would be down until the following morning. Therefore the thought of having to lay all night with the prospects of no assistance. I cannot help but saying. in all my experience of twenty- ' -i- y*-ar.- as a shipmast-r and en-j! feting many difficult harbors in all . Pacts of th*- world, that if some better;, assistance coaid be extended to .-hipsj> loming hen- to load, that the dread |J of coming here would b- greatly re- J lieved." , ... i t