A Steamboat Race on Puget Sound Settles a Year of Bragging

The passengers and crews of two well-known Sound steamers had the excitement of witnessing and participating in a lively race yesterday, and the victorious contestant will wear a blue ribbon at her mast in the future unless the loser can increase her racing qualities.

The Clan McDonald and the Henry Bailey both run on the Skagit river route. At both ends of the route the respective speed of each boat has been discussed for more than a year. Some months ago the Bailey was remodeled and Captain Le Baillister believed that her speed was increased. Yesterday the Bailey left Mount Vernon at 7:30 o'clock in the morning. Four hours later the Clan McDonald departed. She saw nothing of the Bailey, supposing that that steamer had come on to Seattle, but as the McDonald neared Clinton, distant from Seattle twenty-eight miles, her passengers heard the familiar toot of the Bailey signalling to drop line at the wharf. The Bailey swung out into the Sound just ahead of the Clan and uttered a shriek from the whistle as a signal of challenge. Captain H. H. McDonald, commander of the McDonald, went below and found but 100 pounds of steam. The Bailey was without load, while the McDonald was piled high with hay. The Bailey was prepared for the contest and she steamed ahead, but not for long, for the wood was piled into the furnace of the McDonald and gradually she crawled up on her rival, and then, amid great enthusiasm and the most intense excitement, crept past her. It was still light when the race commenced and at 7:35 the Clan touched at Lilly, Bogardus Co.'s wharf. Five minutes later the Bailey passed her and the victorious steamer gave her a volley of whistles, which she took up and answered to imply that she was unwilling to give up the pennant on one race.