Rosalie (steamship)

The steamboat "Rosalie" operated from 1893 to 1918 as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet, also operating out of Victoria, B.C. In 1898, "Rosalie" went north with many other Puget Sound steamboats to join the Klondike Gold Rush.Newell, Gordon R., "Ships of the Inland Sea", at 124-26, Binford and Mort, Portland OR (2nd Ed. 1960)]

Construction

"Rosalie" was built at Alameda, California in 1893 originally for the Alameda ferry service.Newell, Gordon R., and Williamson, Joe, "Pacific Coastal Liners", at 87, 94, and 112, Bonanza Books, New York, NY 1959] She was convert|136|ft|0|m|lk=on|abbr=on long, convert|27|ft|0|m|lk=on|abbr=on on the beam, with convert|9|ft|0|m|lk=on|abbr=on depth of hold.Newell, Gordon R., ed., "H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest", at 14, 35, 46, 55, 67, 76, 87, 100, 134, 141, 144, 210, 301, 414, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA 1966] She was powered by a compound steam engine.

Opposing the Southern Pacific Railroad

Oakland merchant John L. Davie utilized the "Rosalie" in 1894 to demonstrate that monopolistic and corrupt practices by the Southern Pacific Railroad's Big Four could be resisted. She was utilized as a ferryboat competing against the established monopoly service across San Francisco Bay, but at first was blockaded by Southern Pacific ships. In one incident, as the Southern Pacific's "Alameda" entered its namesake estuary and ignored her whistle, the "Rosalie" crashed into the rear end of the "Alameda". The railroad relented and the "Rosalie" continued freely competing with the Southern Pacific ferries.Stone, Irving, "Men to Match My Mountains", p 397, Garden City, NY: Doubleday Publishing, 1956]

Puget Sound service

Rosalie was brought north from California to run from Puget Sound to Alaska. After two Alaska voyages, "Rosalie" was purchased by Capt. D.B Jackson, then doing business as the Northwestern Steamship Company, to serve on Puget Sound with the older sidewheelers "George E. Starr" and "Idaho". She was placed on the Tacoma-Seattle-Victoria route, under Capt. C.W. Ames as master and Capt. William Williamson as pilot. When news of the Klondike gold strike hit Seattle, "Rosalie" was pulled from service (this on July 25, 1897) for some reconstruction to prepare her to go north again with the gold seekers. Capt, George Roberts replaced Captain Ames, and George Lent, a partner in the Alaska Steamship Company, took over as engineer. Charles E. Peabody assumed the all-important financial position of purser.

Return to Alaska

By 1898, "Rosalie" was controlled by the Washington & Alaska Steamship Company in which among others Charles E. Peabody ("Rosalie" 's purser) was interested. The company ran six sailings a month from Seattle, to Mary Island, Metlakatla, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, Dyea, Haines Mission and Skagway with the "Rosalie" among other vessels.

Return to Puget Sound as boom fades

"Rosalie" ran in on the Alaska route from 1897 to 1900. By 1900, the extreme boom for transport to the Klondike golf fields had faded, and "Rosalie" was returned to Puget Sound, this time as the first vessel in the ownership of Joshua Green, who had set up business as the Puget Sound Navigation Co.. Green had secured six mail route contracts on Puget Sound and was looking to buy other vessels in addition to "Rosalie" to serve the contracts. Green set "Rosalie" running between Puget Sound and British Columbia points. In 1903, Captain Roberts was appointed master of the new inland steamship "Clallam" which soon thereafter sank in terrible circumstances in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. On January 11, 1907, "Rosalie" assisted at the wreck of the "Alice Gertrude" which in a fog had run around on Clallam Reef. In 1908, "Rosalie" managed to ram the then new steam ferry "West Seattle." Also in 1908, the Puget Sound Navigation company, which had purchased the steel steamer "Chippewa" found her expensive to operate, and so "Rosalie" replaced her on the Victoria run in the off-season. "Rosalie" was standing by at Colman dock on May 19, 1912, when "Flyer" had extended her gangplank improperly, causing it to collapse and throw people that had been on it into the water. The crew of "Rosalie" lowered a boat to assist the fireboat "Snoqualmie" and the launch "Skeeter" in rescuing the people; sadly despite these efforts, two passengers were drowned.

Out of service and destruction by fire

By 1918, "Rosalie" had been taken out of service and laid up in the West Waterway in Seattle. On June 22, 1918 she was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Notes

External links

=University of Washington on-line

* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=665&CISOBOX=1&REC=6 "Geo. E. Starr" and "Rosalie" at piers in Seattle] This photograph shows "Rosalie" with the older sidewheeler "Geo. E. Starr" in the background, showing the contrast between the two types of vessels.
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=769&CISOBOX=1&REC=11 "Rosalie" with sails set] This photograph shows the "Rosalie" flying her auxiliary schooner rig. Steamers built before 1900 commonly carried auxiliary sails in case of engine failure or a shortage of fuel.
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/transportation&CISOPTR=541&CISOBOX=1&REC=1 Passengers on "Rosalie" posing in front of wheelhouse, 1899] This photograph shows well the details of the pilot house and forward cabin and railing structures of the "Rosalie" as well as the 1899 clothing fashions of the passengers.