The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 71

STEVENSON'S 'ARTICLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE THEATERS FASHIONS SCOUT NEWS NEW YORK CITY, SUNDAY, OCTOBER, 7. 1923. til St York I Eluah.i Brave Sandy Hook Pilots Who Guide Half the Shipping Wealth of America Into and Out of the Port of New York of sailing boats the sport often became dangerous, as pilots In their quest of game frequently cruised from 500 to 600 miles out of Sandy Hook. There were numerous tragedies of the sea among the pilot boats and the records show that many of them were lost with their crews. But the greatest dangers came with the Civil War.

After the tiring upon Fort Snmter tho Sandy Hook pilots ran the greatest risks. Confederate privateers, posing as legitimate merchant vessels, decoyed the pilot boats out to sea and captured and destroyed tbern. The records chow that up to 1895 thirty-four pilot boats had been lost and fifty-oni pilots had lost thel? How the Sturdy Combi-nation of 120 Men From New York and New Jer sey, Running Their Own Organization Under State Commissioners, Have Re duced Piloting to an Exact Science Municipal Club of Brooklyn Spends a Day With the Sea Kings. By FREDERICK BOYD STEVENSON lives in the discharge of their duty. How the Union of New York And New Jersey Pilots Made Piloting a Science.

In 1895 there were on duty 166 pilots on twenty-nine pilot boats covering the sens between New Yon; Harbor and Cape Sable to tho East and as far as the Virginia Capes to the South. At that time the competition was fierce. It was a free-for-all race between those boats. It was a dangerous, unsystematized calling that was wearing out the men engaged In it. So the New York ami foreign shipping coming to and going New Jersey pilots got together and HROUGH th neck of Ambrose Channel, 2,000 feet from this country In one year one- I'lgainaeu lub ottuuy nuuti riivuo As wide, iulo an expansive hnr- sociation.

It is composed of 120 half of It passed through the Port of Now York. 1 pilots. They elect their own officers. In 1020, which was the largest year of shipping In the Port of New York, the Imports amounted in value to and the exports to $3,283,873,342, making a total valuation of foreign commerce for this port alone of $6,170,494,431. The total valuation of the imports of the en tire country during that year was $5,238,481,490 and the total valuation of the exports of the entire country during that enr was $8,080,480,821, so it will be sten that the Port of New York'j Imports during that year were 54.8 percent of the total Imports of the country and that tho Port of New York's exports during that year were 39.01 percent of the total exports of the country.

The falling off in our foreign trade from the high mark set in 1020 is partly duo to the French Invasion of Germany, thus greatly reducing the production of two great Industrial Captain Frank P. Van Pelt is presl-dent of tlie New York Association and Captain J. F. Hopkins is president of the New Jersey Association. They wcm both on board tho Sandy Hook pilot boat the other day, as were also Captain 'A.

M. Beebr, for forty-one years a pilot; Captain Dtvereaux, shiretary of the Joint Executive Committee of the New York and New Jersey Associations, and Captain J. E. MeCarty. AH the men share equally Jn the profits of piloting, which amounts annually to between $6,000 and $7,000 for each member of the organization.

With tlie new order of things camo the change from sail to steam, in 1S96 twenty-four sail boats had been taken from tlie service, five retained to serve as emergency pilot boats. The last ot the old sailing boats to do duty as a station boat was the Alexander M. Lawrence No. 4, which was still in service when the steam pilot boat New York weut Into commission. Severe Training Of Young Men For Job of Pilot.

In addition to the regular pilots and the apprentices, who must serve for years before being allowed to qualify as full-fledged pilots, thero are always a number of young men waiting to be called Into the service. The waiting list varies from seventy to, one hundred. When the pilots' committee finally decides that a young man will make a good pilot he is taken into the service, but before lie. Is made a pilot he must undergo long and severe course of training. He has no houis of work or leisure.

He works as long as it is necessary to work. Ho is one of the crew of one of the pilot boats. He steers the boat, helps to keep it clean and paints It. Ho rows with another appren. tlce one of the yawls that carries tho pilot out to the Incoming ship or or, spreading out with a frontage or 771 niihs nnd bordered with 728 groat piers, parses one-half of the v'ist shipping iif wealth of the world tint comes tnto and goes out from (lie United States each year.

And all this wealth that Is broaght lore and that Is sent from here, and till the human beings who come here nnd who leave hero depend for safety and welfare upon the technical tUIll and the during bravery of 120 men. It matters not how the fierce storms rag: It matters not how the waves, In tlieir fury, become mountains. It innttors not what hour of day or Light tlio comes Those men are there! They are eternally on the Job! Who an; those men? They are the pilots of the Port of New York. And the Pint of New York Is the greatest port In the world. And those 120 men I say It with, cut reservation are the greatest pilots in the world.

The other day I saw those men at work. I was the guest of the Municipal Club of Brooklyn, which in itself Is a unique and a con-wructivo organization. It has no club bouse, no regular meeting place, jet each of Its meetings la replete ith Interest that appeals to the thor-(ughly practical and Instructive side of life. The president of the Municipal Club. Is Almet need Latson; the first vice president Is John N.

Harraan: the second vice president Is John S. Crolghton; the treasurer la John H. Coodbody, and the secretary Is A. H. Roome.

The Municipal Club But I was going to tell you about Hie pilots. The Mnn'cipal Club was the guest of the Sandy Hook Pilots Association, comprising tlic pilots of New York nnd New Jersey. There are three pilot vessels the Sandy Hook, the New Jersey and an auxiliary boat, the Trenton. The trip the other day was made on the Sandy Hook. Port of New York Does Fifty Percent of Shipping In Greatest Nation To the pilots of Sandy Hook the THE PILOT countries.

But glance at the figures of the eight years preceding 1920 will show the great strides that the Port of New York was making in foreigu trade. For example, in 1012 the total valuation of foreign trade in this port was $1,70.1,800.123. In 1915 it was $2,124,502,146. In 1916 it was In 1917 it was $4,391,318,859. Iu 1910 It was $4,638,497,318.

The First Pilot Who Sailed the Waters On a Log. During tho years 1915; 1910, 1917 and 1918 our foreign trade was, of course, stimulated by the Great War, and in 1920 the return of the European countries to a peace basis and their endeavor to venew trade re. suited in the greatest year of foreign trade this country has ever ex. ptrlenced. That increase would have continued had it not been for th present disturbed conditions all over Europe.

But when the world again becomes stabilized ns It must or revert to barbarism the Uuited States will be the leading country for Import and export shipping of the other combination of two words. The missioners are elected by members Randall, as coxswain, and proceeded In stately fashion across the Bay to I he Buttery where the citizenry wel of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of New York and two are elected comed them with loud acclaim." by the presidents and vice presidents It is not likely, however, that pilot of the marine Insurance companies of age was an organized profession in first is "Pljl," which menns "pole" that is, "straight" and the second Is "Lood," which menns "lead." And so we get the combination, "Stralght-Lead." The first professional pilot was Frans Nnerehout, who in the Proviuce of Zeelnnd in 1719 announced himself ns a "Pljl Loods" prepared to take sailing ships in and the city, represented in the Board of Underwriters. And the Sandy Hook pilots will Marcus H. Tracy is the president make this business sate. of tlie present Board of Commission dungerous nnd intricate passes into tho haven of security.

And It Is a long cry to our great mercantile fleets today from the 3,000 ers and the other members of tho Board arc: Arthur M. Smith, Joseph out of the harbors of Holland, whose depths and dnnger points he had stud P. Morrell, Georgo L. Norton and Melville M. Crockett.

Today the system of pilotage Is as well organized as any other business Who are the pilots? It is a long story, beginning wltt that first pilot, Usoous, tho Phoenician, who centuries before the founding of the maritime City of Tyre In 1300 B. found that, by straddling a log he could travel qver the water, and continuing to the present pilots who, with all the equipments of modern science and the experience nnd training of 3,500 years, guide our monster ships of the sea over the ships of Queen Seinirnnils of Assyria which conquered the 4,000 ships of Stuuialmti's somewhere In the year B. C. But the earliest, record of profes-slunql pilots comes to us from the Netherlands which Is fatuous in deed nnd history as the first great marl-time nation of tho world. Our word "pilot" conies from the Dutch.

It Is And tho Port, of New York will do the greatest part of this foreign busi America until 1S37. Until that year every pilot worked for himself. Before tho regular system ot pilotage was established, masters of ships when needing such service hniled a llsherinan, took him aboard and had him act as a pilot into or out of the harlior. It is true that the State of New York long before that year had licensed experienced mariners as pilots, but the craft was first placed under the control of a State Commission In 1S37, when an act creating such a Commission was passed hy the New Jersey Legislature. Racing for the Ship In the Old Days Of Free-for-All.

The New York State Board ot Commissioners of Pilots was created In and hns been since amended several times. In IsmJ the Consolidation Act was passed relating to Sandy Hook Pilots. This Act pro ness. ied and located. The history of pilotlug in America doubtless goes back to the days ot Hendrlk Hudson.

But when Hudson nea red the shores of New York there was no pilot to welcome him oft Sandy Hook, but be had to carefully sound his own way, which he doubtless did with a lead and line from the deck of his Halve Muan, The first known American pilots were John and James Seaward. -They camo over in the Mayflower. One of the earliest records of professional pilots In this country was during the time of President Washington. It is stated that the President "arrived nt Eliznbcthtown, where he was met hy the Congress deputation and other STEAM PILOT BOAT SANDY HOOK, and the 120 pilots who are engagea In It have a perfect working organ, tzation. Back In there were twenty-three pilots whh four pilot sailing bouts.

Three of the boats cruised about and the fourth remained as station boat In proximity, to the lightship to Insure tho bringing ashore of the pilot who had taken a ship out of the harbor and who was after the lightship was safely passed. In addition to the New York plIofs, nine pilots went out in a bout built by the State of New Jersey, a total of thirty-two. Competition naturally rail strong and racing for ship was one of the takes him off the outgoing ship. Ho must be on cull any time, day or night. And his training lasts for tin year, anil then he Is a pllor.

But his hard work does not enil then, for his name is posted In rotation on the board of aetlvi service men, nnd he is not excused from going on duty, no matter how ninny ships ho has piloted, until relieved. Picking the pilot seems pic-turesque and romantic to nil foreign voyngers, from the time that the trim gray yacht glides alongside the ship, shunts the yawl, ami the pilot nimbly climbs over tlio sidt up the monkctr ladder, ami takes complete chargo in' the sailing of the ship, until tee hawsers arc made fust at the pier. But hack of It all there Is the hardest kind of Viork. The sturdy frame of tho pilot, Ms keen eye, mid his determined fere do not tell the story of the hardships of his life, nor of dignitaries upon the occasion of lil people of the Hutted States owe a ('rep debt of if latitude. Because of I heir skill nnd knowledge and daring the Port of New ITork has grown from an Insignificant harbor on the Atlantic Ocean to the greatest port In the world.

In 1022 the Imports to the Port of New York totaled in value and the total value of imports to nil districts of the Unite! Stales was In the same year the export from lltn Port of New York tciStJfd In value $1,493,100,798 and the total Milne of export from all districts of tlio United Sta'e was $3,831,459,049. In wolds, the total value of foreign "oiiiinoreo that passed through ll.o Port of New York In JIC2 was $1,154 and the total nlno foii-lgn commerce that piisscd through all the ports of the ulled Slne was Thus It will be seen that of all th second inauguration. These all, with General Washington, eiiiluirkcd In the barge manned by thirteen pilots In white uniforms, commanded hy Commodore Nicholson and with John vides for Board of Commissioner consisting of five persons, to hold office for two years from tlio Cine of lliclr election. Three of these Com leM'IIIng sports that udded sost to an I exciting profession. The one who reached the ship iTrst got the Job of bringing l.cr Into port.

In the old days the courage that Is within his heart, So let's off our bats to tho pilots of Sandy Hook. They have-made New York tho greatest harbor In the greatest ship. ping country of the world. And they have made the United Slates a protprrmia laud for you and Read Frederick Boyd Stevenson's column, "The Top of the News," published every week day in the first column of the feature page of The Eagle. me to lire In..