File:Tugboat TATOOSH rescuing the WASHINGON in the Columbia River, November 13, 1911 (TRANSPORT 1216).jpg

PH Coll 1329.17

The steam schooner Washington was built in 1906 for the Washington Marine Company with a tonnage of 539. While traveling from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco, California, the Washington ran aground in the Columbia River on November 12, 1911. Captained by George Winkel, with a crew of 23 and a passenger load of 25, the Washington sat stuck in the river being battered by the current. Several rescue missions were attempted but none could approach the Washington without getting stuck themselves. It was widely reported in newspapers that the schooner was certainly doomed. After a day, the steel steam tug Tatoosh and her captain, Buck Bailey, arrived on the scene and was able to successfully tow the Washington to shore. The Tatoosh and Captain Bailey were known for previous rescue missions and saving the Washington from seemingly certain peril bolstered that reputation.