The Steamer Collision That Divided the Waterfront
After two rival steamers collided in the Tacoma harbor, an official inquiry revealed a comedy of errors and stubborn seamanship.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
About three weeks ago, during the hot opposition between the steamers Hayward and Fleetwood, the two boats left the Tacoma wharf at the same time. In making the turn to get out of that harbor, the two boats came together. The Hayward struck the Fleetwood, bow on, inflicting considerable damage and creating confusion and consternation among the passengers. Each boat claimed that the other was to blame, and the matter was called to the attention of the local inspectors, Messrs. Bulleine and Bryant, who at once instituted an official investigation into the causes of the collision. Yesterday afternoon, the inspectors made their findings. It appears that both sides were to blame. Captain Greene, of the Hayward, should have stopped his steamer when he saw a collision was inevitable, and the Fleetwood, instead of trying to cross the Hayward's bow, should have passed her astern on the starboard side. Captain Hatch was master of the Fleetwood, and should have taken his boat from the wharf later.
“Each boat claimed that the other was to blame, and the matter was called to the attention of the local inspectors.”
This 1887 report highlights the cutthroat nature of early Puget Sound maritime 'steamboat wars,' where competition often trumped safety. Much like modern logistics and transport corridors in Seattle, the high-stakes pressure to be first often left the safety of the public as an afterthought.
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