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Washington off Becky's Garden, while those happy Irish
souls waved and sang in unison, "Goodbye, goodbye,
goodbye!" She docked at Centre Harbor scant minutes
ahead of Mount Washington and Elmer Davis sounded the final
jingle to the engineer with a cryptic remark. "That's
that." it was a long speech for Elmer, but he had been
hoping for a long time that something like that would happen.
In later years, after Captain Blackstone had assumed command
of the Mount, he was surprised to learn that, running over
a measured mile, she was capable of attaining a top speed
of only 14 1/2 miles per hour. His training as a designer
of steamboats made him believe that she should be faster,
but he could not determine why she failed to exceed this
speed.
Later in the year, the Mount was crossing the lower end
of the lake from Wolfeboro to Alton Bay during a very heavy
windstorm. The waters were high and Captain Blackstone observed
that Mount Washington was laboring unusually hard. He was
standing just aft of the paddlebox on the port side making
an inspection when he heard a ripping sound. He leaped to
the shelter of an open door in time to avoid being washed
overboard when a portion of the paddlebox was carried away
and a wall of water was released. The big steamboat was
immediately headed into the wind and no further damage was
sustained.
Captain Blackstone was 'reminded of a similar but more
serious mishap that had occurred some years earlier, when
the Mount was under the command of Cap- tain Harry Wentworth.
It happened during the most vicious tornado ever recorded
in the Lakes Region. On that occasion, the Mount sustained
similar but more extensive damage. She was swung broadside
to the lake and shipped much water. The experienced seamanship
of Captain Wentworth prevented her from capsizing.
During the spring of 1908, the steamer Mount Wash- ington
was being readied for an active summer season and as was
customary her master, captain Harry L. Wentworth, was in
charge of operations. Before noon one day he was seen walking
down the railroad tracks carrying a shotgun. Later, when
he had not returned, a search was made and he was found
dead from a gunshot wound.
In the week following this tragic event, officials of the
Boston and Maine Railroad called on Captain H.A. Blackstone
and prevailed upon
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