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beginning of 1900 she was under construction at the yard of Dennys of Dumbarton. She was a side-wheeler, 180 feet long, 60 feet beam across the paddle boxes, drawing 6 feet and having a deadweight of 150 tons with accommodation for many deck passengers.
Having made all the arrangements for "Pioneer" to be shipped to Shanghai in pieces, Little returned to London. Whilst having lunch at the Oriental Club with some of his backers and advisors, he was introduced to Captain Samuel Cornel Plant. Captain Plant had recently returned to England having served for several years in command of steamers on the Tigris and Euphrates, rivers well known for their navigational difficulties. When Little learned of the captain's previous experience, he did his best to persuade Plant to come to China and take command of "Pioneer." Plant promised to give the matter some thought. For whatever reason, he subsequently agreed to go along with Little.
"Pioneer" was shipped to Shanghai and reassembled. Plant and his wife, Alice Sophia, took ship to China, joined "Pioneer" and in early June 1900 the attempt on the Three Gorges began. With Plant in command, "Pioneer" made the trip from Ichang to Chunking in 73 steaming hours over seven days. She was held up for three days at Hsin T'an Rapids. On arrival at Chunking she was greeted by most of the expatriates living there and it is said that the banks of the river were black with hundreds of junkmen who had crowded to see this latest barbarian wonder.
The Aftermath
Bad luck again struck Little. There were rumblings of trouble along the river that were to culminate in the Boxer Uprising. The British Consulate in Chunking commandeered "Pioneer" and used her to evacuate expatriates from the trouble spots. (It is not known whether Little was compensated for the loss of "Pioneer" or not. She was eventually handed over to the Royal Navy, renamed H.M.S. "Kinshi" and finished life as H.Q. Ship, Senior British Naval Officer on the Yangtze River.)
Plant's Career
Plant, having left the employ of Little, bought himself a houseboat
409
beginning of 1900 she was under construction at the yard of Dennys of Dumbarton. She was a side-wheeler, 180 feet long, 60 feet beam across the paddle boxes. drawing 6 feet and having a deadweight of 150 tons with accommodation for many deck passengers.
Having made all the arrangements for "Pioneer" to be shipped to Shanghai in pieces, Little returned to London. Whilst having lunch at the Oriental Club with some of his backers and advisors, he was introduced to Captain Samuel Cornel Plant. Captain Plant had recently returned to England having served for several years in command of steamers on the Tigris and Euphrates, rivers well known for their navigational difficulties. When Little learned of the captain's previous experience, he did his best to persuade Plant to come to China and take command of "Pioneer." Plant promised to give the matter some thought. For whatever reason, he subsequently agreed to go along with Little.
Pioneer" was shipped to Shanghai and reassembled. Plant and his wife, Alice Sophia, took ship to China, joined "Pioneer" and in early June 1900 the attempt on the Three Gorges began. With Plant in command. "Pioneer” made the trip from Ichang to Chunking in 73 steaming hours over seven days. She was held up for three days at Hsin T'an Rapids. On arrival at Chunking she was greeted by most of the expatriates living there and it is said that the banks of the river were black with hundreds of junkmen who had crowded to see this latest barbarian wonder.
The Aftermath
Bad luck again struck Little. There were rumblings of trouble along the river that were to culminate in the Boxer Uprising. The British Consulate in Chunking commandeered "Pioneer” and used her to evacuate expatriates from the trouble spots. (It is not known whether Little was compensated for the loss of "Pioneer" or not. She was eventually handed over to the Royal Navy, renamed H.M.S. “Kinshi” and finished life as H.Q. Ship, Senior British Naval Officer on the Yangtze River.)
Plant's Career
Plant, having left the employ of Little, bought himself a houseboat
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