THE WEST SHORE-
CAPT. HOYT'S LAST TRIP.
TUl! FROZEN COI.IMBIA OK l86l A PERIL
OUS TRIP TO ASTORU REMINISCENCES OF
AS OLD STEAMBOAT PILOT,
As a seasonable treat to the numerous
readers of the West Shore, we present
below the narrative of an old River Pilot,
41 well known and estimable citizen, who
as a participant in the scenes and inci
dents related. It will not lie out of jilace
here to remark that the winter of 1861-1
was the severest in the intensity and dura
tion of the cold weather of any ever ex
perienced in Oregon since its settlement by
the whites. At that time the strong and
staunch little side-wheel steamer Mult
nomah, owned and commanded by Capt.
Richard Hint, of honored memory and
one of the pioneer steamboatmcn on
Oregon waters, was employed upon the
route between this city and Astoria. For
4lic information of those who were not re
sidents here during Capt. Hoyt's lifetime
vc will briefly sketch that sturdy, sterling
and noblc-soulcd old commander.
( AIT. RICIIAKII I10VT
Was in stature hardly up to standard
"medium height, but he was powerfully
moulded and had a giant's .strength.
Tough as heart of live-oak, hardy as iron, p
and possessed of a vigor of liotly and an un
common elasticity of step and action, he
united wilh these robust physical qualities
the best characteristics and attributes which
attest while tliey adorn superior human
iialurc. (If an indomilahle will and
the highest order of true bravery, and an
unswerving integrity in his dealings wilh
men, he was equally noted and beloved for
lii.s innate chivalry and great-hearted gen
erusily. No terror could daunt, no hard
ship deler him, in the performance of
what he felt to be his duly; and yet, such
was the unaffected simplicity of his nature,
it never fucmred to lim,iclf that he had
in -any perilous emergency or desperate
undertaking done anything csiecially
worthy of notice or of praise. Anient in his
demonstration of kindness and charity
toward any lie deemed worthy, he had
nothing of that bisc alloy which icrseculcs
the object of its dislike ami adds to hatred
the evil quality of vengeance. The l ittle
Folk were esiecially proud of him, and
vhen as passengers on his bouts with thefr
urerts or guardians they were always sure
of n glorious mad romp with gallant
"Captain Dick," as he was affectionately
known tothetn. I lis kiiullv, honest face was
ever welcome, and his hearty grip of fcl- f f
lowslup was heartily responded to, among kj
his hosts of friends wherever he was If
known ; ami they all still preserve his
memory Iresh and green, and mingle theft. Yi-
j.jawi iL.is.im ii'iumisiciiccs wim sorrow j v'. -
for his deaih as they recall and fondly
though sadly linger over the recollections Elf-, ZJf ''
which cluster about his name. And now PV:i ''!tL'
.10 resume ihc thread of the narrative of
(his last trip on the waters of the Columbia
and ihc Willamette, which he had so long
and so successfully navigated.
Gov. George Abernethy of this city, who
was on her way home from a holiday visit
here and at Oregon City. On that event
ful and perilous trip the young lady proved
herself to be as courageous asshe was fair,
and as patient as she was amiable and
good. The Multnomah encountered no
difficulty until after, she had pissed Wil
lamette Slough and got into the Columbia,
where floating ice covered pretty nearly
the w hole surface of the river. In some
places it was frozen solid and stationary.
A few miles down the steamboat was al
most blockaded by the floating masses and
was extricated only after a good deal of
trouble. In backing her to make space
for good headway through the ice right
ahead the rudder was badly disabled, and
this accident caused much difficulty sub
sequently, as it deprived Capt. Hoyt of that
perfect command of his vessel which was
so verv essential.
A PROPOSITION TO Tl'R.N HACK
Was at that time made by several of die
The steamer's headway was very slow.
Snow commenced to fall thick and fast so
as to obstruct the vision and make it diffi
cult to distinguish the customary land
marks the ebb tide bearing down the
moving ice with a velocity threatening to
the vessel's safety and rendering it next to
impossible to keep her to her course, dis
abled as she was at the helm ; and, to add
to the discomfort and perils of the situ
ation, the afternoon was fading away into
the uncertain gloom of evening. It was
all-important to reach Oak Toiut not only
to land Miss Aliernethy, but also there to
w ood up and to procure good store of pro
visions for the trip, which already began to
show tokens that it would not be finished
for days to come ; and moreover, it was
Capt. Hint's intention to run his vessel in
the slip there for the night, and to resume
the effort to proceed down the river the
next morning in the full light of the day.
Hut Oak Point could not be reached, and
ti the nest best, or, indeed, the onlv
ViltJ-ifV. ' ;r?r"
l-t-VJ . ,C1
"M
I
HIE START KIR ASIXIR1A.
The high water of the " Flood" of
HVcember, 1801, was succeeded by unpre
cedented deep snow in the middle of the
nionlh, and by ice in the rivers. Naviga
tion had been suspended on the Columbia,
and for more tlun two weeks no steam
ship from California had ascended the river,
nor had any of the river boats made the
Hip to Astoria. Capt, Hoyt then owned
the line of steamboats uYh plied Uion that
route, and of these the Multnomah was best
adapted for nuking headway in or against
the ice. lie resolved to reopen commu
nication wilh the mouth of the river, if it
vere sible. Accordingly, on the morn
ing of January 4, l S 0 j , with a small num
lier of useturcrs on board and provis
sioni enough for three days, lie started lor
the trial in the stout littte steamer. Among
the passengers was the daughter of Mr.
Ales. Aberiirthv of Oak Point, brother of
passengers to the Captain, but 1I1: sturdy
old commander responded : that he had
left Portland to make the trip to Astoria:
that he still felt convinced he could get
the steamer there ; and that he should 11.11
abandon the trial nor turn her head on the
return trip until he found he could not ac
complish his purpose. His resolute, linn,
yet quiet manner, dispelled the doubts and
fears of all and inspired them with full
confidence in his ability to do what he
proposed and with hope for the bed. Hut,
as it proved, determination and hope were
for men to persist in and cling to; yet
Nature could interpose obstructions ini
possible to overcome or, if at all, only
by means of the invincible resolution
to surmount even-obstacle, and by the s'dll
and patience and perseverance coinmen
urate to the daring and diiTuuii adven
ture. TROl llIS AND DASHERS RRKALI.
After battling for hours with the floes of
thick ice, at last Coffin Rock was passed.
thing to do under the circumstances, a
landing place was found a few miles further
down at the foot of a small island on the
Oregon side, where the river was free of
moving ice and the only thing to fear was
to be frozen in during the night.
tRO.KN IS ASOlllKIt I1AV or TOILS.
It was a fearfully inclement night. The
cold w as intense and the snow storm raged
wilh increased violence. As the fast fall
ing Hakes fell utwn the water they froze
with the rapidly forming ice, and when
morning dawned the Multnomah was
frozen fast all alwut, and from shore to
shore, a mile across, the iceiridge stretched
wilh only the small openings known as air
holes here and there.
The situation was critical and somewhat
alarming. The wood was nearly .11 ,.
I suuied, the stuck of provisions would serve
oronp two u..ys longer, and the weather
signs were anything cxceH favorable Dur
ing the morning the strong ebb tide
caused the ice to break away in the clun.
January,
nel of the river, and Capt Hoyt resolved
to make an effort to cut the steamboat
clear of the pack just about her, then to
force her through into the open channel
way, and from that to push for the most
feasible landing place where wood could
be got. The passengers, together with the
crew fourteen persons in all willingly
and with alacrity went to the work, and
after considerable exertion they cut the
steamer loose in an hour or two. Steam
was up, and the channel was successfully
made, but not without great danger two or
or three times of being encompassed
and crushed or wrecked by the
large floes of thick and sharp cutting
ice which rushed down with the rapid
flowing tide. But it was almost dark
when this much had been accmplished,
and the hopes of nearly all on board began
to sink at the dismal and threatening pros
pects before them. Capt. Hoyt, however,
showed neither lack of confidence in his
ability to battle his way to safe haven at
Cathlamet then the only place it seemed
possible the steamer could reach, nor
anything beyond that proper anxiety which
a commander ought to have for those under
his care and protection. With buoyant
spirits and stout heart, and by words of
cheer and comfort to his passengers, and
inspiriting commands to his crew, he main
tained good feeling and thorough disci
pline on board. Good fortune attended his
unceasing efforts, and just at night-fall, with
the last stick of fire wood fed to the boiler
and the dimishing steam at low gauge, the
Multnomah made a landing, not at Cath-,
lamet, but at a point eight miles above,
THE THIRD DAY WOOD IT OFF AUAl.W
At the earliest light of day next morn
ing, all, passengers and crew alike, started
to get a supply of wood. An old scow
upon the beach was seized on and speedily '
chopied into fuel, and yielded about two
cords. In an abandoned cabin covered
with snow which was fully four feet deep
were found several sacks of, damaged
flour, and, underneath the floor were two
mall pigs nearly starved, thin as famine
could reduce them, but still alive, and 4
as it was ascertained, as lively and vigorous i
of foot in trying to escape as wild rabbits. .
But their pursuers were in the predicament
of the boy who was desperately hunting
the woodchuck it was not a question
whether they could catch the animals; it
was simply imperative that they had to
capture them; and they did; though not
without a long hunt and tough chase, for
the little porkers would dive into the deep
now and emerge feet away in a direction
opposite to that they had headed, quite as
porpoises dive and sport at sea. By the
time the wood was put on board and the .
prizes for the larder safely stowed, the day
had gone, and there remained nothing to
do but to tie up again for the night, and
await whatever Fate or Fortune should the
next day compel or cheer them to do.
THE FOl'RTH DAY K0 CATHLAMET YET,
The morning broke with discouraging
portents, yet all on board felt a better de
gree of confidence than had possessed them
the morning of the preceding day. The
snow-fall continued without abatement,
and the frosty surface of the river, with the
snow became so thickly crusted that it
offered serious obstruction to the steamer'j
headway, as Capt. Hoyt labored to get her
through the floating ice to Cathlamet.
The effort proved fruitless. All that day
the battle with the elements was stoutly,
persistently, desperately maintained, with
all the odds so much against the brave
little steamer and her strong-willed, un
flinching commander; but at last he had
to succumb, and, disappointed and regret
ful, but not disheartened nor dismayed,
gain he had to seek the inhospitable
landing-place of the night before, from
which he had started that morning; and
again it was made with not another stick of
wood left unbumed for steam.
A DREARY EIGHTH OF JANUARY,
Once more at early daybreak all