Dode (steamboat)
Encyclopedia
Dode was a steamboat that ran on Hood Canal
and Puget Sound
from 1898 to 1900.
William J. Bryant. Prior to construction as the Dode, the Bryant had been one of a flotilla of Gold Rush ships sent to Alaska. Most of the vessels were older, some had been pulled off mud flats and given a paint job, which led a newspaper of the time to call them “floating coffins.”
In 1898, following return from Alaska, the Bryant was rebuilt into a propeller steamer for Capt. Dan Troutman's Hood Canal
service. The rebuilt vessel was named Dode after his nickname for his wife, Dora Wells Troutman, who was also a licensed captain. The Troutmans owned a farm at the small Hood Canal town of Lilliwaup. Captain Dan Troutman is reported to have mysteriously disappeared in 1899, forcing Dora Troutman to take over full management the Dode.
, Port Gamble
, Seabeck
, Brinnon
, Holly
, Dewatto, Lilliwaup Falls
, Hoodsport
and Union City. Dode typically left Pier 3 (now Pier 54) on a Tuesday, made all the stops on the run on that day, and then returned on the same route the next day to Seattle.
steamship service. Curtis, doing business as the Bellingham Bay Transportation Company, renamed Willapa as Bellingham. During 1903, the rapidly growing Puget Sound Navigation Co.
acquired Bellingham Transportation Company, but Dode and Willapa did not go to PSN operational control until the spring of 1904.
In 1904, with PSN now fully in control of the Bellingham company's boats, Dode was placed on routes connecting the various lumber company ports. On May 4, 1907, while proceeding in a heavy fog, Dode ran aground on Marrowstone Island near Fort Flagler. This proved to be not serious, as Dode was gotten off with only minor damage.
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
and Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
from 1898 to 1900.
Construction
Dode was originally the schoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
William J. Bryant. Prior to construction as the Dode, the Bryant had been one of a flotilla of Gold Rush ships sent to Alaska. Most of the vessels were older, some had been pulled off mud flats and given a paint job, which led a newspaper of the time to call them “floating coffins.”
In 1898, following return from Alaska, the Bryant was rebuilt into a propeller steamer for Capt. Dan Troutman's Hood Canal
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins, of Puget Sound in the state of Washington. Hood Canal is not a canal in the sense of being a man-made waterway—it is a natural waterway.-Geography:...
service. The rebuilt vessel was named Dode after his nickname for his wife, Dora Wells Troutman, who was also a licensed captain. The Troutmans owned a farm at the small Hood Canal town of Lilliwaup. Captain Dan Troutman is reported to have mysteriously disappeared in 1899, forcing Dora Troutman to take over full management the Dode.
Hood Canal route
As of 1900, Dode was the only boat on the Hood Canal route, which started at Seattle and included landings at KingstonKingston, Washington
-External links:* *...
, Port Gamble
Port Gamble, Washington
Port Gamble is an unincorporated community on the northwestern shore of the Kitsap Peninsula in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is also a small, similarly named bay, along which the community lies, near the entrance to Hood Canal. The unincorporated communities of Port Gamble and...
, Seabeck
Seabeck, Washington
Seabeck is a former mill town in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, on Hood Canal.- History :The name Seabeck comes from the Twana /ɬqábaqʷ/, from /ɬ-/, "far", /qab/, "smooth, calm", and /-aqʷ/, "water"....
, Brinnon
Brinnon, Washington
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 803 people, 413 households, and 258 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 81.3 people per square mile . There were 912 housing units at an average density of 92.4/sq mi...
, Holly
Holly, Washington
Holly is an unincorporated community in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. Named in 1895 for the presence of a large holly tree, Holly is located in the southwestern corner of the county, along the Hood Canal....
, Dewatto, Lilliwaup Falls
Lilliwaup, Washington
Lilliwaup is a small unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is located on the west shore of Hood Canal at the mouth of Lilliwaup Creek. US Highway 101 passes through the town.-History:...
, Hoodsport
Hoodsport, Washington
Hoodsport is an unincorporated community in Mason County, Washington, United States. Hoodsport is located along the Hood Canal, at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 119. Lake Cushman is nearby. Hoodsport is the gateway to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.The first...
and Union City. Dode typically left Pier 3 (now Pier 54) on a Tuesday, made all the stops on the run on that day, and then returned on the same route the next day to Seattle.
Transfer to Bellingham interests
In 1902, Captain C.E. Curtis acquired Dode, with plans to run the vessel with another steamer, the Willapa, which Curtis had acquired from the Canadian PacificCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
steamship service. Curtis, doing business as the Bellingham Bay Transportation Company, renamed Willapa as Bellingham. During 1903, the rapidly growing Puget Sound Navigation Co.
Puget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
acquired Bellingham Transportation Company, but Dode and Willapa did not go to PSN operational control until the spring of 1904.
Collsion and grounding
On December 6, 1903, in heavy fog,Willapa, by then renamed Bellingham, was towing Dode to Whatcom for repairs, the vessels still being run by the Bellingham Bay company. The fast steamer Flyer pulled away from the Seattle dock en route to Tacoma and five minutes later Bellingham collided with Flyer. Dode, under tow and unable to maneuver, also collided with Flyer. Flyer was badly, but not irreparably damaged. No one was injured. Flyer's passengers were taken off by boats from nearby vessels. Shortly after Dode was taken over by PSN, the company was hit by a seaman's strike. The workers who were seeking pay of $45 per month, shut down operation of all the company's boats for a while, but in the end they obtained their raise and returned to work.In 1904, with PSN now fully in control of the Bellingham company's boats, Dode was placed on routes connecting the various lumber company ports. On May 4, 1907, while proceeding in a heavy fog, Dode ran aground on Marrowstone Island near Fort Flagler. This proved to be not serious, as Dode was gotten off with only minor damage.