A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > Delaware > Sussex http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=642 Also visit our new sister site: http://www.Genealogy101.com Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=42358 Submitted by: Harrison H Howeth Article Title: Chester Daily Times Article Date: November 10 1879 Article Description: Delaware Bay & River Pilots Article Text: Monday, November 10, 1879: The pilots of the Delaware Bay and River are a body of men whose importance can hardly be over-estimated and while they pass our city in large vessels as often as twenty or thirty times a week, and sometimes land here, but little is known about them or their business by our citizens generally. They number about ninty or one hundred and make their headquarters at Lewes, Delaware, at which point they take charge of vessels using the Delaware River. They form a close guild, membership in which can only be obtained after a long and severe training which test the sobriety, honesty and endurance of the candidate in the most thorough manner. The pilots are held in rigid accountability for correct performance of duty, not only by the laws of the State but also by the regulations and by-laws of the Pilots Association. Official control of the pilots is held by the Wardens of the Port of Philadelphia who issue the license or 'branches' , and have the power to deprive a pilot of his l! icense in cases of dereliction of duty. The loss of license is very serious as a pilot is prohibited from practicing his vocation and livelihood under law. Dangers and hardships are many, they must be alert day and night, summer and winter, storm or calm and be ready at a moments notice to board any vessel that approaches the Capes with her 'jack' flying. Even ships from ports with Yellow Fever must be boarded and piloted to "quarantine" . In violent storms and bitter cold of the winter, he must stand by the wheel day and night and the worst the weather the more pressing are his services. In short, a good pilot must be fearless and once he has gone aboard a ship he dare not leave her until he places her in dock, no matter how long it may take. He may be frozen in ice for days or weeks. Woe be to the pilot whose ship runs aground or is in collision with another. There are about 99 Delaware bay and river pilots, perhaps 50 of! them apprentices learning the trade. The apprentices, many of them so ns, nephews or other close family, have already had a fair common school education, and are clean, bright, intellegent, healthy and cheerful. These apprentices are regularly indentured for a six year period, they sail and navigate the pilot boats, and a strict discipline is maintained but they are treated with consideration. At the end of the six year apprenticeship thay are given examinations, and if found competent, are recommended to the Board of Port Wardens who will issue them a "twelve foot branch" or license to pilot vessels which draw twelve feet of water or less. Eighteen months later, after passing another examination, he receives a "full branch" which entitles him to pilot any size vessel. There are five pilot boats and all carry their number in large black letters on their mainsails and fly a plain blue 'color'. They are owned by the pilots stock company and pay good dividends. Every pilot must use them and pay one third of the pilotage sum in proportion to one foot of draft. Of the five boats, three are known as 'cruising boats', the other two are 'station' or 'takeoff' boats. The cruising boats take on six pilots each and cruise out at sea to intercept incoming vessels and furnish them with pilots. The station boats cruise between Cape Henlopen and Cape May to take off pilots from vessels coming down the river on their way out to sea. Every vessel to a Pennsylvania port must pay a piloi fee, no matter if they take a pilot or not. This money is collected for a fund of the pilots society for relief of worn out pilots, widows and minor children of deceased pilots. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DE-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com