COURTESY OF JIM FABER

At 180 feet long, the Royal Argosy, below, is a little more than 100 feet shorter than the Yosemite, above. But at 42 feet, it is more than 7 feet wider. In 2000, Argosy Cruises - then in its 51st year on the waterfront - christened the Royal Argosy and was proud to note that the "freshly prepared gourmet meals" served aboard are cooked over the open flames of gas ranges. Like the Yosemite, the craft is also an excursion vessel, and here, by happy coincidence, both ships are backing out from the slip between Piers 56 and 57.

PAUL DORPAT

In 1906 the Yosemite was already old for a slapping paddlewheeler. Its labors began on the Sacramento River in 1863, and for 20 years it stayed in California until purchased in 1883 by the Canadian Pacific Navigation Co. Most of it subsequent Canadian years were spent steaming between Vancouver and New Westminster on the Fraser River.

As part of the Yosemite's rebuilding for its last assignment on Puget Sound, a large dancing pavilion was staged on its bow end, as seen here. The deck where freight had been packed was furnished for catered excursions around Bainbridge Island to the good-time live music of Dad Wagner's Band.

The overhaul was the side-wheeler's third. In his book "The Marine History of the Pacific Northwest," Gordon Newell describes what led to the first reconstruction in 1865: The starboard boiler blew up, killing 55 passengers. The side-wheeler's last minutes on Puget Sound were suspicious, but not lethal. On July 9, 1909, while on excursion, Capt. Mike Edwards turned it sharply toward shore at Port Orchard Narrows, crashed onto rocks and broke the ship's back. All escaped. Says Newell: "It was widely believed the Yosemite was deliberately wrecked for her insurance."

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.