ANCIENT RELIC ISS
PLACED AT SITKA
^ Built at Sitka in 1863, entirely ot
yellow cedar, hand-hewn planking,
fastened together with hand
wrought copper and iron spikes, with
^ "tier boilers of solid copper, the old
ship Politkofsky, flagship of the
Russian North American Company's
fleet, after having served the needs
kof man for over fifty-three years, lies
Totting on the mud of the Yukon
flats, at St. Michael.
The only relics of the old steamer
In Juneau at the present time are a
hand-wrought spike, a small piece of
her yellow cedar keel, and the oU
cannon which arrived from Seattle
the other day, and which is to be
mounted in the yard of the gov
ernor’s office in the near future.
V The old cannon was caBt in Sitka
in 1850, in the large foundry which
the Russians maintained there. It
was mounted on the deck of the Pol
itkofsky, where it did duty for many
years in warning off the attacks of
^ unfriendly Indian tribes. When the
A oT^f steamer was finally dismautled
at Port Blakely, Washington, the old
gun ttvas taken from her and placed
in storage there. It arrived at Ju
neau recently, having been
sent north by the Port Blakely Mill
Company as a present to the Alaska
Histolcal Museum and Library.
The Politkofsky has an interest
ing history, and one which is hound
closely with the early settlements of
the Alaskan coast. Many articles
have been printed about the old boat,
but they are mostly noted for their
> Inaccuracies. The following facts
have been taken from the original
rooiclrotione r»F th/> voccolc in tha
v
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Juneau customs house of the United
States and from bills of sale filed in
the same place.
The Politkofsky was built at
Sitka in 1863, entirely of material
hewn from the virgin forests near
Sitka, or taken from the ground of
Alaska, with the exception of the
boilers and engines, which were
built at Baltimore, Maryland, and
Boston, Massachusetts, and brought
around the Horn to Sitka, where
they were installed in the ship. She
was a side-wheel steamer, 129.5 feet
long, 21.3 feet wide, 8.9 feet deep.
255.44 gross tons, 174.89 net tons,
and with 352 horsepower.
In March, 1867, Prince Dimitri
Maksantoff, chief administrator of
the Russian American Company, sold
the steamer to Hayward M. Hutch
inson and Abraham Hirsh, of Sitka,
for $4,000. The new owners then
sold her in 1868 to the Hutchinson
Kohl Company for $10,000. This
sale was on the 15th of January. She
was taken south by Captain Kohl
and arrived at Victoria, B. C., on
1869, and was still later in the
same year taken to San Francisco,
where she was altered and rebuilt.
Here,'also, the famous coppor boilers
were removed from the "Polly,'’ as
she was’ called, and after others ljad
been installed she sailect back to
Puget Sound. In 1872 she was sold
to the Dexter-Horton Company for
$5,900, and later was transferred to
the Port Blakely Mill Company. She
did duty as a tug boat for the mill
company until 1 897 and did trojan
dMy bringing large towns of the
monstrous logs of the Puget Sound
section to the mill.
In 1897 the “Polly” was dis
mantled and in company with the
Eliza Anderson departed for St. Mi
chael in tow of the tug Richard Hol
yoke. This was the last voyage of
the "Polly.” She was nearly lost in
a storm while en route, but for
&even long days and nights the t g
dield to the tow. At Dutch Harbor
the Eliza Anderson was entirely
abandoned, but the “Polly” was
brought safely to port. She was
A)
)
N. E. OHLSSON
Groceries and Home Baking
We Deliver
5th Ave., bet. I and K.
FURNITURE
Chiffoniers
Dining Room Tables
Dining Room Chairs
Just Arrived
Davenports
Sanitary Couches
Upholstered Rockers
KM ANN
Fourth Ave. and K St.
HE CAN SUPPLY YOUR WANT AND AT
A REASONABLE PRICE
iftier again »uia uy mw uwums nuu
was used for years as a lighter at
St. Michael.
During a storm In 1903 the
"Polly” broke loose and drifted on
the beach near the army post. Al-'
though some of her staunch old tim
bers are still defying the elements,
she is almost unrecognizable as the
remains of the old and staunch
"Polly." . The Victoria Colonist of
April 22, 1868, printed the follow
ing about the "Polly” on her ar
rival there from the north:
“Sitka may be well proud of her
marine architecture. The steamer
Politkofsky is one of the most mag
nificent specimens of home-made
marine architecture we have yet be
held. She looks af if she had been
thrown together after dark by an
Indian ship carpenter with stone
tools. Her engines were good and
were formerly in a Russian fur com
pany’s steamer which was wrecked
near Sitka some years ago. Her
boilers are of copper, three-quarters
of an inch thick, and is alone worth
the price Captain Kohl paid for the
whole concern. We hear she Is to
be rebuilt. She needs it. To be ap
preciated she must be seen.”
In connection with the history of
the Politkofsky the story of the rise
and fall of the shipbuilding industry
in Alaska would be not far amiss.
The first ship actually built in
Alaska was constructed of spruce
hewn lumber at Resurrection . bay,
near Seward, in 1794, by an English
man named Shields, who was a sub
lieutenant under Adimarl Baranolt'
on the ship Orel. This ship was
christened the Phoenix, and was 79
feet long. Above the water line her
seams were caulked with moss, and
her sails w-ere made from old
patched tarpaulins.
Then followed the Dolphin and
the Olga, 40 and 35 feet respectively
in length, Spruce island,
near Kodiak, and which were
launched''* jnf 17^5. At Yaautat, in
1803-4f flyj Ros^islof and the Ermak
were f built/ .'These were small
schooners and* carried the expedition
avenged~"The massacre of the tirst
settlers In Old Sitka.
After the establishment of the
second colony at Sitka a shipyard
was established, with foundry, ma
chine shops and all the necessary ac
cessories. Shipbuilding flourished
until 1819, when the seat of the in
dustry was transferred to Fort Ross,
California, but was later again
transferred back to Sitka.
During the operation of the Sitka
plant the tender Avos, the brig
Sitka, the brig Chirekof and a ship
named Otkrietie, 300 tons, were
built. In 1834 four tenders of 55
tons each were built at Sitka, as well
as three schooners of from 65 to 100
tons each and a ship of 130 tons.
Between 1839 and 1842 the steamer
Nikolai I„ of 60 horsepower, and the
steam tug Muir were constructed.
The machinery for the larger
steamer was imported from Boston,
and everything for the Muir was
built in the Sitka shops. The Niko
lai I. was later wrecked and the en
gines were taken out and installed
in the Politkofsky when she was
built in 1863.
With the passing of the territory
to the American government the
shipyard was dismantled and the
boat building industry in Alaska
since that time has been confined to
small schooners and fishing boats.
THE MODEL, 4TH, E AND F STS.
Power boat offices at The Model
for Knik and Matanuska, Kern
creek, Hope and way points.
C. F. PETERSON, Agent.
Singer Sewing Machines sold on
easy terms. C. B. Wark, manufac
facturer’s agent. 6-13tf
Singer Sewing Machines sold on
easy terms. C. B. Wark, manufac
facturer’s agent. 6-13tf
Notice to the Public:
We Have Completed Our Line of
CLOTHING
Which has just arrived and we are ready to dress you
up with a
PRESS SHRUNK KAUFFMAN SUIT,
JOHN B. STETSON HAT, AND PACKARD SHOES. !
CARROLL & CO.
Fourth and E Sts.
Carrol Building Anchorage, Alaska
Barrington Navigation Company
HAZEL B NO. 2
Will leave for Talkeetna
and all points on the
Susitna River, 6 p. m. Tonight
For Information, Passenger and Freight Rates apply
Office Fourth and C Street.
S. C. BARRINGTON, FRANK MORTIMER,
Manager. Agent.
P. O. SUNBERG
Cor. 4th and C
Groceries and General Merchandise
Reasonable Prices and a Square Deal to Everybody.
Umjerene ciene i dobra podvorba svakomu jednako.
Moose Creek Road House
Where AH Trails Meet
Ira C. Brown.Proprietor
The Arcade
SOFT DRINKS OF ALL KINDS.
CIGARS : TOBACCOS : FRUITS
D. ZARELLI, Propr. Fourth Ave., bet. C and D
Snabdieven raznim cigari, clgarete duhanom 1 candy. Cdena voda
na counteru uvjek. Preporuca ae slavenima.
JUST OPENED
HOTEL PARSONS
Modern Hotel
Hot and Cold Water on Each Floor
Bath? in Connection
Terms Moderate
H. St., Between Third and Fourth Aves., Anchorage, Alaska.
’Frisco Cafe
The Place of Good Eats. For Ladies and Gentlemen
OPEN DAY AND NIGHT
EVERYTHING IN SEASON AND SERVICE THE VERY BEST
ONCE A PATRON ALWAYS A PATRON
Private Boxes for Large or Small Parties
J.UJ.u
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DAWN OF THE ELECTRICAL ERA
IN RAILROADING
-
The All-Steel “Olympian” and “Columbian” Trains Now
Operated Electrically Over the Rocky Mountains
Progress has no age. Onward is ever the slogan of railway construction, operation and efficiency. In this forward
movement electricity challenges the supremacy of steam, and on the Scroll of time the yeajJ.916 marks the dawn of the electrical era in
railroading—-and the accomplishment of a definite step to conserve the world’s energies. It is particularly fitting that the “Milwaukee,"
which since its inception has been identified with great pioneering achievements, should have been able to carry through to definite
accomplishment the dream and aspirations of engineers and scientists by the electrification of 440 miles of its main line through a region
demanding the utmost of energy and efficiency in locomotives
4«o nties or nain Line Electrified
The electrified district is that of the Great Continental
Divide, extending from Avery, Idaho, to Harlowton,
Mont., a distance of 440 miles. (115 miles, from Deer
Lodge to Three Forks, now in operation.)
World’s Mightiest Locomotives
The electric locomotives which pull "The Olympian"
and “The Columbian” over the mountain divisions are
the most powerful built. They are 112 feet long and
weigh 284 tons. They require no coal or water, run
at an even speed, are thoroughly dependable in all
temperatures, take the heaviest grades with compara
tive ease, are smokeless and dustless.
Powor from Mountain Streams
The power used to operate the electric locomotives is
obtained from mountain waterfalls instead of from
coal—marking a definite step to conserve the world's
resources. This power in 100,000 volts alternating
current, is delivered to the 14 sub-stations of the rail
way and there transformed to 3,000 volts direct—the
voltage direct current adapted for railway work in the
worm. Hagenerative Braking
One of the scientific marvels is regenerative braking,
by which the train on down grades, instead of con
suming electricity, actually produces it while travel
ing onward, and by which at the same time, the speed
of the train is kept under perfect control.
This is the first use of direct current regenerative
braking. It provides maximum safety, eliminates
wheel, brakeshoe and track' wear and overheating,
insures a uniform speed and recovers from 25% to
52% of power.
More Efficient Operation
With eletkrifleation has come more efficient and
economical operation; a better maintenance of sched
ules; the practical elimination of delays due to
weather conditions; smoother riding caused by
greater evenness of speed: enhanced comfort due to
greater cleauljuess, and a pronounced improvement
of the view from car window and observation plat
form, owing to freedom from smoke and cinders.
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. raul Railway
The advantages of electrification, added to the superb equipment and luxurious appointments of “The Olympian" and “The
Columbian," the renowned personal service of the employees, the splendid physical condition of the road and the extent and
variety of the scenery makes the “Milwaukee” more than ever the road of efficiency, comfort and charm. Kemember this
fact when planning your next trip to the East. Booklet giving complete Information free On request.
F.jB. TRACEY, Agent, Alashe Steamship Co., Anchorage. A. E. HARRIS, T.P.A., C.M. & St.P. Ry, Junean
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