about $25,000 was spent remodeling "bailey gatzert" in preparation for its new route up the columbia river. the old poppet-valve engines were replaced by the slide valve engines from the steamer "telephone". auxiliary rudders were installed to improve steering in the swift waters of the columbia gorge. hull and cabin work was done by veteran shipbuilder joseph pacquet. the officers on the steamer at that time were captain fred sherman, pilot sydney scammon, mate john schiller, chief engineer ruben smith, and dan o'neil, purser. smith and o'neil were two of the most experienced officers on the columbia river, each having worked on the early steamer columbia in the 1850s.