John H. Couch (side-wheeler)
.jpg) Steamer John H. Couch sometime between 1863 and 1870.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Route | Willamette and Columbia rivers |
| Builder | John Bruce |
| Identification | U.S. # 13622 |
| Fate | Dismantled |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | riverine all-purpose |
| Tonnage | 255.24 gross register tons |
| Length | 122 ft (37.2 m) |
| Beam | 21 ft (6.4 m) over hull (exclusive of guards). |
| Installed power | steam engines, with bore of 14.375 in (365.1 mm) and stroke of 54 ft (16.46 m). |
| Propulsion | side-wheels |
John H. Couch was a side-wheel driven steamboat that operated on the Columbia and lower Willamette rivers from 1863 to 1873. Informally the vessel was known as the Couch.
Construction
[edit]John H. Couch was built at Westport, Oregon in 1863.[1] The boat was named after a prominent seaman, John H. Couch, who was also Oregon’s first inspector of hulls.[1] The boat was built by Capt. Charles Holman, D. Huntington, and Capt. Oliff Olsen.[1] Holman owned one-half of the boat, with the others holding a one-third and a one-sixth share, respectively.[1]
The shipbuilder was John Bruce, of Astoria.[2]
Design, dimensions, and engineering
[edit]John H. Couch was a side-wheel driven vessel. It was built to run from Portland to Astoria, Oregon.[1] The official merchant vessel registry number was 13622.[3]
John H. Couch was 122 ft (37.2 m) long, with a beam of 21 ft (6.4 m), exclusive of the guards and the paddle-wheel housings.[1] Gross tonnage was 255.24 tons.[3] The engines had cylinders with an inside bore of 14 and three-eighths inches with a stroke of 54 inches.[1]
Operations
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John H. Couch operated for a time in opposition to the dominant steamboat concern on the river, the Oregon Steam Navigation Company.[1] O.S.N was running the steamer Julia against the Couch on the Astoria route.[1]
In January 1865, O.S.N. bought the Couch, as well as the steamers Cowlitz (ex Swan) and Belle, which were also owned by Holman, Huntington, and Olsen.[1] Once O.S.N. had the Couch, it withdrew Julia from the Astoria route.[1]
O.S.N. kept the Couch on the Astoria run under Capt. J.O. Van Bergen, as master, with Richard Hoyt, Jr. as purser.[1] During summer, the boat was sometimes engaged in excursion business.[1] Van Bergen was succeed in command by Capt. Henry A. Snow, who remained in charge until 1870.[1]
In November 1866, the Couch had a contract to carry the U.S. mail from Portland to Astoria.[4] Captain Snow was then in command.[4] Couch left Portland for Astoria and way landings at 6:00 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays of each week.[4] Returning, Couch departed Astoria on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 6:00 a.m.[4]
Captain Grenville Reed was also reported to have been in command of the John H. Couch for five years.[5]
Disposition
[edit]By 1870, Couch was no longer fit to carry passengers and was retired from service.[1] In January 1873, Couch was dismantled, with the boat’s engines being salvaged and sent to the upper Columbia, to be installed on another steamer.[1]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Wright, E.W., ed. (1895). "Chapter VI: The Oregon Steam Navigation Company's Best Days, Many New Steamers in Puget Sound Waters". Lewis & Dryden's Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Portland, OR: Lewis and Dryden Printing Co. pp. 117–118, 123. LCCN 28001147.
- ^ "Ship Building". Oregon City Enterprise. Vol. 1, no. 38. Oregon City, OR: D.C. Ireland. July 13, 1867. p.2, col.1.
- ^ a b U.S. Treasury Dept, Statistics Bureau (1870). Annual List of Merchant Vessels (FY end Jun 30, 1869). Vol. 2. Wash. DC: GPO. p. 118.
- ^ a b c d Ainsworth, John C.; Oregon Steam Navigation Co. (November 10, 1866). "Astoria Route — The U.S. Mail Steamer John H. Couch". Oregon City Enterprise (advertisement). Oregon City, OR. p.3, col.4.
- ^ "Veteran Pilot is Dead — Captain Grenville Reed Passes Away at Astoria, Aged 73". Morning Oregonian. Vol. 52, no. 16, 276. Portland, OR. January 23, 1913. p.4, col.5.
References
[edit]Printed sources
[edit]- Wright, E.W., ed. (1895). Lewis & Dryden's Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Portland, OR: Lewis and Dryden Printing Co. LCCN 28001147.