The company was organized in the Spring of 1889 and charter in 1890 with the capital largely coming from Washingtonians. A bill was introduced on January 4, 1890 for incorporation in the
Virginia State Senate. The object of the company was to equip and operate a line of steamers for the transport of passengers and freight between
Washington, DC and
Norfolk, Virginia on the
Potomac River. The capital stock was to be no less than $100,000 and an option for a railroad to be built inland was introduced. The Company was to build four first-class powerful steamers with all modern improvements according to the incorporation bill. They would run from Washington, DC to Norfolk with stops in Alexandria at Old Point and Newport News. The original Commissioners were Chas. C. Duncanson, John Callahan and Levi Woodbury.
Early years (1890–1900) In 1890, the company started operating with a sidewheeler named the
George Leary. It operated from Washington to Norfolk with stops in Alexandria and Old Point Comfort. These boats would be known as the
Washington and the
Norfolk.
The Washington Its first steamer of the fleet that was to be nicknamed the
Potomac Palaces was the
Washington. It named after one of the ports being serviced by the company and was launched on November 22, 1890 in
Wilmington, Delaware. Manufactured by
Harlan and Hollingsworth, it was launched at 9 am on that day in the presence of several members of the company who had traveled to the city for the occasion. It was christened by Miss Jane McCoy, aged 12 years old and daughter of Dr. McCoy of
Philadelphia. It measured 258 feet in length with a width of 46 feet and a depth of 23 feet. It was made of iron and double-plated from the front to mid-ship at the waterline to allow it to cut through the ice that could form in the area. Six bulk heads divided the ship and offered additional protection in case of a leak occurring in a compartment. It was driven by a screw propeller of 13 1/2 in diameter with triple expansion engines of 2,000 horse power and 14 feet boilers guaranteeing a speed of 17 miles per hour. The steamer arrived at the DC wharf on March 26, 1891 under the command of Captain S. B. Davis who had been navigating the Potomac since 1871. On September 29, 1890, it was recommended by Captain Rossell that a lease be approved for a wharf located next to the arsenal wall. The steamboat company had made a request a few days earlier to have a landing point in the city. The recommendation called for an annual rent of $2,500 with an allowance of $1,500 for keeping the wharf in working order. It was approved by the Commissioners.
The Norfolk The second steamer of the fleet was named the
Norfolk after the second port being serviced by the company and was launched on January 10, 1891 at 12:25 in Wilmington and also manufactured by Harlan and Hollingsworth as its sister ship. It was christened by Bessie Callahan, the 18-year-old of John Callahan, one of the company's commissioner. It was built to exactly the same specification as its twin-sister, the
Washington. The Washington and the Norfolk were the only ones in Washington, DC able to navigate the Potomac when ice formed. Due to their design, they were able to crush the ice under their weight and make a channel to navigate. On February 7, 1895, while the rest of the boats had to remain docked, the steamboats were able to make the trips on time. Ice was reported to be heavy all the way to Piney Point and fields off Point Lookout. The line operated with two boats from 1891 to 1894. On September 13, 1894, the
Alexandria Gazette reported that the Mayor of Alexandria,
Henry Strauss, addressed a letter to the company informing them that its steamers were damaging the wharves as well as the small crafts docked there. They were going too fast as they passed the city as well as when they docked. Superintendent Callahan promptly acknowledged the concern and replied that he had ordered the captains to be careful and make sure no damages were done. This prompt response was probably warranted by the upcoming announcement done only two days later. On September 15, 1894, after months of speculation, it was announced by Superintendent John Callahan, that a third steamer was to be built. The route had been a success for the company and the traffic warranted a new addition to the line. It would operate during the day and be larger and more powerful than the other two steamers while retaining their comfort. The contract was awarded to the
Newport News Shipbuilding Company on November 15, 1894. The steamer would operate the day trip during the summers leaving Washington, DC at 8:30 am and arriving in Norfolk at 6:30 pm. It would be touching Alexandria,
Piney Point,
Point Lookout and
Old Point. In the winters, she would relieve the other two ships o the company during their annual docking and overhauling On March 9, 1895, the District Commissioners granted a revocable permit to the Company. This permit allowed them to dredge a slip 56 feet wide, support the sides with piles to make it a steamboat berth. It was not to extend beyond he west building line of Water Street SW nor beyond the harbor line. The permit could be revoked with a 60-day notice to the company.
The Newport News On April 9, 1895, the
Newport News is launched from the city for which it is a namesake. The trial trip took place on June 6, 1895 under the command of Captain Georghegan between
Old Point Light and
Windmill Point Light, a distance of 46 miles and back. The average speed was 19 miles with a maximum of 21 miles. The test was considered a success. On June 18, 1895 it was formally turned over to its owners. A formal ceremony took place. The same day, it made the trip upriver to Washington leaving Norfolk at 6:30 pm on rough waters and arriving in Washington at 6:00 am. The public was invited to visit the ship on Sunday, June 23, 1895. It would take over for a few days the evening trip while the other ships were overhauled until July 1. Starting on July 4, 1895, the 1,500-ton ship would provide run the day trip. The interior was furnished with heavy oak furniture richly upholstered in brown corduroy with
Louis XVI design. The interior woodwork was enameled white, picked out in gold in artistic
mermaid designs and panelings. In 1909, the new steamer is delivered, followed in 1911 with its sister ship, the
Northland. These boats had steel hulls unlike its predecessors who were made of charcoal iron. A scow belonging to Portch & Jones, dock builders and pile drivers, was moored to the wharf which was also on fire. Emmett I. Portch, head of the company, climbed over a wooden fence between the street and the river before jumping in a small boat in an attempt to row to the scow to save it. He took a butter barrel sitting on the dock and started throwing water at the fire while trying to untie the scow to move it from the dock. At that very moment, he was hit in the chest by a stream of water from a fire hose, knocking him 20 feet in the water. He was saved by two soldiers standing on another dock who had jumped in a boat to fish him out. He jumped back to the scow and managed to move it way.
Incidents on board In the night of January 7, 1935 at 10:50 pm, the
District of Columbia ran aground near Five-Point Lighthouse, 7 miles from
Colonial Beach, VA, 60 miles down the Potomac. Captain Posey was in command and had been on the Potomac since the 1890s. The poor visibility due to fog was blamed for the incident with 75 passengers on board and 29 automobiles. The passengers were removed from the boat by the ferry-boat,
Lord Baltimore on the following day at 10:15 am and taken to
Morgantown, MD. From there, they were taken to Potomac Beach where they were loaded on buses to Norfolk. In the afternoon, a Government tug-boat was attempting to pull the boat out but with no success. High tide was expected to pull it out. On April 13, 1941, a scuffle occurred on board the
Northland between Raymond F. Reutt, 24, a former football player and wrestler star of the
Virginia Military Institute living of Norfolk and the First Officer, Harry B. Murphy. Murphy was thrown over board from the hurricane deck by Reutt and disappeared. The
Northland stayed on site for two hours looking for Murphy but was unsuccessful in finding his body. The search for his body continued for several days. Reutt was arrested in Norfolk upon arrival. Since the incident took place in
Charles County, Maryland, it was determined that Maryland had jurisdiction. He was arraigned on charges of manslaughter with his bail set at $2,500 pending
extradition proceedings to Maryland. According to Captain Hewett's statement, he was told by the saloon watchman that three men were bothering other passengers and that Mr. Reutt was one of the men. He had posted a watchman in front of his room but found that the man along with another passenger had climbed on the top deck. Mr. Murphy arrived on the deck a few minutes later and took his right arm to encourage him to go back to his room as he was afraid he might fall overboard. The Captain grabbed the other arm. The defendant snatched his arm away from the Captain and whirled around toward the First Officer. The First Officer went overboard as the deck did not have a railing. The body of Harry B. Murphy was found on April 30, 1941 near where he had fallen and was found by another Captain operating between Morgantown and Colonial Beach. Raymond F. Reutt was acquitted on November 26, 1941 by a Jury in La Platte, MD. On March 26, 1942, the wife of Harry B. Murphy sued the company for negligence due to failing to provide proper safeguards. she was asking for $50,000.
World War II service After the
Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Federal Government requisitioned the
Northland and
Southland on July 9, 1942. The company is given 24-hour notice with no details on what they will be used for or if they will be paid. They are given to the British Allies. They were used in a decoy convoy along with several other ships in the area of St. John's, Newfoundland on September 21, 1942. They were used to draw German submarines away from another convoy carrying thousands of troops. The Southerland's gun crew is credited with a "probable kill" a
U-boat in the mid-Atlantic. The crew shot 14 rounds out of the 12-pounder to a periscope which had appeared on the starboard quarter. It was followed with a second emerging on the port quarter leading to 18 shells being sot. Only five of the eleven American ships made it to Great Britain, including the two steamers. All masters and chief engineers and 14 other officers received decorations from
King George VI. On November 26, 1948, after 58 years of service, the Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Company published a legal notice published in the local newspapers calling for a board of directors meeting recommending the liquidation of the company. The primary reason for this closure had to do with the high cost of equipment replacement. It had $940,000 in Government securities and the physical assets were valued at $269,000 in "floating equipment" (the
District of Columbia), the Norfolk Terminal ($108,000), the Alexandria Wharf ($11,000) and their Maine Avenue office ($26,000). ==Boats==