Bailey Gatzert (sternwheeler)

The "Bailey Gatzert" was a famous sternwheel steamboat that ran on the Columbia River and Puget Sound from the 1890s to the 1920s. She was named after Bailey Gatzert, an early businessman and mayor of Seattle. She was commonly called "the "Bailey", or by those rivermen who did not appreciate her large wake, the "Daily Bastard."

Design and Construction

The "Bailey Gatzert" was built at Ballard, Washington in 1890 by John J. HollandKline, M.S, and Bayless, G.A.," Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound", at 88-89, 232, and 309, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4] for W.K. Struve and associates. Her dimensions as originally built were 177' long, 32.2' wide, and 8' depth-of-hold, and rated at 560 tons capacity.Newell, Gordon, R., ed., "H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest", at 291, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1966] She was launched sidewise and fully ready to steam. Immediately after launching, she was taken to Tacoma and back to Seattle on her first voyage. A lot of money was spent on her interior design, which was supervised by a British artist named Harnett.

Operating History

After her launch in 1890, her owners placed "Bailey Gatzert" on on the run from Seattle to Tacoma and Olympia. One of her few rivals for speed on this route was the side-wheeler "T.J. Potter". In 1892, the "Bailey" was bought by the Columbia River & Puget Sound Navigation Company, and transferred to the Columbia river, where she ran on the Portland-Astoria route, and, later, from Portland to The Dalles, on passenger runs and excursions. She was a popular boat during the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, and a musical piece, the "Bailey Gatzert March", was composed in honor of the vessel.
* [http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/_files/_doc_files/Sheet%20Music%20Bailey%20Gatzert%20March%20FSDM2.jpgcover sheet of the "Bailey Gatzert March"]

First reconstruction in 1907

In 1907, the "Bailey" was rebuilt with a stronger and heavier hull, and engines from the dismantled "Telephone", herself once considered a crack steamboat on the Columbia river. As rebuilt, the Bailey's dimensions were 194.3' long, 32.8' beam, 8' depth of hold, and rated at 878 tons. The "Bailey" had also acquired the "Telephone"'s steam five-tone chime whistle.

Operations after first reconstruction

"Bailey Gatzert" continued to operate on the Columbia River, becoming well-known as an excursion boat, under the ownership of The Dalles, Portland, and Astoria Navigation Company. After about 1915, the steamboat trade on the Columbia fell off sharply. In 1917, the Navy Yard Route, an affiliate of the Puget Sound Navigation Company, bought her and returned her to Puget Sound under towfor use on the Seattle-Bremerton run, which was then booming because of war-related ship construction. The "Bailey Gatzert " began service again in Puget Sound on April 18, 1918.

Conversion to automobile ferry

In 1920, "Bailey Gatzert" was converted to an automobile ferry at Todd Shipyards in Seattle. She was widened ("sponsoned out") and fitted with an elevator to load and unload automobiles, thus becoming the first automobile ferry on the Seattle-Bremerton route. The vessel then carried about 25 cars.

The "Bailey Gatzert" ran three daily round-trips and four on weekends, with R.B Holbrook as her first captain. Later, Captain Wallace Mangan, of the "H.B. Kennedy", took his place. When Mangan was assigned back to the "Kennedy", Harry Anderson took over as captain of the "Bailey Gatzert", becoming the youngest master of the Navy Yard line. (Anderson later went on to become the operating manager of the Washington State ferry system.)

Final disposition

"Bailey Gatzert" was taken out of service in 1926, and her hull was converted to a floating machine shop in Lake Union. Her nameboard and whistle were preserved however, at a museum in Seattle.

Depiction on postage stamp

In 1996, the "Bailey Gatzert" was honored by being depicted on a U.S. postage stamp.

Notes

ee also

*Steamboats of the Columbia River
*"T.J. Potter"

External links

Photographs

* [http://boundless.uoregon.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/wwdl&CISOPTR=504&CISOBOX=1&REC=12 "Bailey Gatzert" at a landing (old tinted postcard)] This image shows how even the largest sternwheeler could make a landing any almost any bank along the river. Sidewheelers required docks, which made them undesirable and very few were built after about 1865.
* [http://photos.salemhistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/max&CISOPTR=2894&REC=3 "Bailey Gatzert" in Cascade Locks] This photograph shows clearly the details of the steamer. It is (misdated as 1926; it cannot be later than 1917, the latest date the steamer was on the Columbia River.

Models

* [http://www.pbase.com/wdwrth/image/87993264 Model of the "Bailey Gatzert" at Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum, Bonneville Dam]