Steamboat Days
by: Fred Erving Dayton
Illustrated by: John Wolcott Adams

CHAPTER 19

New York's Early Domination of Ship and Engine Building.

The Novelty Works
Phoenix Foundry
Morgan Iron Works
John Roach's Etna Iron Works
West Point Foundry
The Ship Builders of New York
William H. Webb
Jacob A. Westervelt
Other Early Shipbuilders
The Famous Collyer Family

This great activity was lost to New York and allowed to pass out of the commercial life of the city. Thousands of machinists were engaged in engine building, but the number dwindled and the forces went, neither men nor machines being replaced when well-worn. Only the Dry Dock Savings Bank in the Bowery marks the passing of Manhattan's ship and engine building domination. Other American cities succeeded to the position and prestige which New York had earned and what had been a splendidly paid activity in just a few years, ceased to exist. How very big the engine building industry had become in the early '1850's is told by a commenter of the day:

"It has been truly remarked, that as the city of New York is sustained almost entirely by its commerce, and as this commerce is becoming every year more and more dependent for its prosperity and progress upon the power of the enormous engines by which its most important functions are now performed, the establishments where these engines are invented, made and fitted into ships, which they are destined to propel, constitute really the heart of the metropolis; that the splendor and fashion of Fifth Avenue, and of Union Square, and the brilliancy and ceaseless movement of Broadway, are mere incidents and ornaments of the structure; while these establishments, and those of kindred character and functions, form the foundation on which the whole of the vast edifice reposes.

The first American vessel, Onrust, 44½ feet length, 11½ feet beam and 16 tons, was built by Captain Adriaen Block, at Manhattan River in 1614, to replace a ship from Holland lost by fire. In this vessel Captain Hendrickson discovered the Schuyikiil River in 1616, and explored the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to the Virginia Capes. Captain Block's name was given to Block Island at the east end of Long Island Sound.

The earliest ships built in New York were laid down on East River between 'Wall Street and Franklin Square, then known as "De Smit's Valey" and afterwards as "Vly" or "Fly," grants of land being made in 1642 and shipbuilding being the industry of this section in 1664 when the Dutch capitulated to the English.

Among early Dutch shipbuilders were Lambert Huybertson, Abraham Lambersen, John Adriance, Pieter Harmenzen, Mol, Stoefel Elsworth, Joost Carelzen and Pieter Jansen whose residences and shipyards were all outside the water gates or city palisades at Wall Street. Within the enclosure lived Dirck Jansen Vandeventer, a shipbuilder. A prominent merchant of New York, towards the close of the seventeenth century, was Rip Van Dam, who built many vessels, which were launched from the rear of the present Trinity Churchyard.

According to Lyne's plan of New York, made from surveys in 1728, the river front from Beekman Street to the northern limits of the city, near the present Catherine Street, was principally occupied by the yards and docks of shipbuilders, while there were other yards at different points on the North and East Rivers. Daily, Walton, French, Wessel, Vanase and Bennett were names of ship- builders, showing that the business had gotten into English hands. Later shipbuilding was carried on between Beekman Street and Burling Slip, while Hunt's shipyard is shown on Lyne's chart at the foot of Whitehall Street.

With this background of shipbuilding, the reputation of New York was raised through the advent of steam when the talents of Charles Brownne, Henry Eckford, John Stevens, Chancellor Livingston and Robert Fulton gave the first practical demonstrations of steam navigation. When Fulton had ushered in the era of steamboats Charles Brownne was the leading shipbuilder and Clermont was built at his yard. So, too, were succeeding Fulton boats, Car of Neptune, Paragon, Fire Fly, Lady Richmond and Olive Branch. Henry Eckford was interested in the Bridgeport line of steamboats and became naval architect for the Sultan of Turkey.

Robert McQueen built the engines for Hope and Perseverance in 1811. James P. Allaire succeeded to Fulton's engine building business and built power equipment for Chancellor Livingston, United States and James Kent, while Constitution and Constellation's engines were built by J. Birkbeck. The hulls were built by Brown & Bell. Robert McQueen and John Youle furnished iron castings for Fulton's engines and Allaire supplied brass castings. Thus they were brought to early contact with Fulton's first steam engine building.

Upon the death of Fulton in 1815, Allaire obtained a short lease of Fulton's shop and tools and took Charles Stoudinger as partner. They built the engine for Chancellor Livingston which developed eight miles' speed, having cylinder 40 inches diameter by 4 feet stroke. Stoudinger was a far-visioned engineer who predicted that the cumbersome machinery then used in steamboats would be simplified; that the running time from New York to Albany would be less than eight hours, and that steam vessels would cross the Atlantic within eleven days.

It required a year to complete the engine and boiler for Chancellor Livingston, about the close of which Stoudinger died. Allaire moved the works from Jersey City to 466 Cherry Street, New York, where he had been located since 1804 as a brass founder. This was the first location of the Allaire Works in New York, which began to build engines for North Carolina, South Carolina and Robert Fulton, and Allaire's works repaired Savannah's engines. Engines for North River, Fire Fly and Chief Justice Marshall were supplied with copper boilers as it was not believed that iron had requisite strength.

Wood was universally used as fuel for generating steam, and "with the flames extending out of the smoke stacks of the steamboats at night, as they passed up and down the river, they were the wonder and awe of the ignorant and superstitious who beheld them." Anthracite coal was being developed to an extent in Pennsylvania and Mr. Allaire believed it was possible to use coal fuel for making steam. Most of his steamboat associates opposed his theories, but he prevailed upon them to allow him to experiment. Suitable grate bars were installed in the furnace of Car of Neptune.

So great was the prejudice that the regular firemen refused to burn the "black stone," declaring it impossible. Allaire took some of his best workmen from his shop to assist him and he was himself chief fireman. After the greatest effort he succeeded in getting the boat to Albany in 18 hours. Notwithstanding this trial Allaire's associates were too conservative to aid in developing a better method of burning coal, and steamboats continued to light the heavens, wood being deemed the only practical fuel.

James P. Allaire adopted the Woolf double cylinder engine, 1825-28, for the steamboats Henry Eckford, Sun, Commerce, Swiftsure, Post Boy and Pilot Boy. They were built on the square engine design, the low pressure engine being connected to what was before the flywheel shaft, and geared to the high pressure engine. The paddle shafts had cranks and their pins connected them to the crank wheels on the center shaft. The D-slide valve was used on the engines and the high pressure steam of 125 to 150 lbs. generated in Redfield boilers, caused trouble and delay in stopping and starting. The teeth of the gear wheels sometimes broke and they went out of use. Flywheels were also dispensed with on square engines and poppet valves and a cut-off were applied, continuing many years in use.

The steam jacket of Watt was seldom adopted, but high steam chimneys on boilers, first introduced by James P. Allaire, were equivalent when steam not over 40 lbs. was used, then the practice, and the chimney acted as a separator on the water in suspension in the steam, by gravity, and it also superheated the steam to a moderate degree. At this period the fly valve, placed close to the steam chest and operated by a cam motion, was used as an expansion valve Such an engine, compared to what had been used, developed a great amount of power with a good degree of economy and with reduced engine weight.

Allaire continued the business on his own account until 1842, giving personal attention to details and establishing a record for fine workmanship, when he incorporated his business, with $300,000 capital, continuing as president until 1850 when he retired.

He was succeeded in the active management by T. F. Secor, formerly of the Morgan Iron Works. Thereafter engines were built for Baltic, Pacific, Illinois and Panama, ocean-going steamships, and for river and coast steamboats Isaac Newton, Bay State and Empire State and engines for the lake boats Western World, Metropolis and Niagara and America, which ran on Lake Champlain.

Allaire Works also built the largest beam engines then constructed for Vanderbilt, having two 90 inches diameter cylinders, 12 feet stroke, and engines for Hu Quang, Po Yang, Kin Kiang and others in service in China. American steamboats were favorite in Chinese waters. An official Chinese overland trade report made to London said:

"Steamboat builders in England, and Scotland, too, are certainly the most adroit 'shavers' living. They turn out so many miserable botches, that really we think a very great majority of the community would, were they 'going into steam,' resort to the United States. As far as river navigation is concerned, our attempts to compete with Jonathan are simply absurd, as those who own English river steamers here at present, must, ere this, have discovered to their cost. But, even in sea-going steamers, if 'the proof of the pudding be in the eating,' we should wish to know where the British steamers are, which are as swift, as safe, as commodious, as serviceable or as economical in expenditure of fuel as Yangtse or Peiho?

"We maintain that every boat sent out here from England or Scotland, on China account, whether for coast or river, has either been a miserable failure or a glutton for fuel. We do not make one exception. We do not like to mention names as we are adverse to depreciate people's property, but we confidentially leave it to every unfortunate sufferer to say whether or not we are correct in this statement.

"We, of course, except the P. & 0. Company, as they seem to have a secret plan of constructing boilers, which makes them last as long as the boat; that is, for an indefinite period. We declare one never hears of anything occurring to one of the company's boilers, nor any of their boats being laid up to have a new one or the old one mended.

"We will take, for instance, Chevy Chase, which vessel, we believe, cost on the Clyde about three times the cost of Yangtse in New York. Now Yangtse has been running nearly three years hard upon the coast, making unprecedentedly swift passages and never was docked until the other day. Chevy Chase will not carry so much as Yangtse, nor has she as good accommodation; but she burns twice as much coal, and in a race between this port and Shanghai would be sparingly backed. She is about as strong again and as heavy again as there is the slightest occasion for; and has clearly twice as much power as she can bear, for the weight of it sinks her.

"She is a very shallow craft, and her deck is so near the bottom, which contains an enormous mass of iron, that compasses will not act, and it becomes dangerous to run her in thick weather. She will bring grief to the hearth, but never grist to the mill; and the sooner she is altered the better. She should be made into a screw propeller, and a suitable vessel built for the valuable and powerful machinery now fitted.

"American boilers, though not so durable as ours, are much better adapted to economy of fuel. Coal in the United States costs as many dollars as it does shillings in England. Economy of fuel is, therefore, more studied than with us, space being sacrificed. Our short tubular boilers send half the heat into the chimney, while the long flue boilers of the Americans absorb the heat pretty much in making steam. The difference is very great, and well worth the subject of an inquiry."

The Novelty Works

Dr. Nott required special arrangements for creation and repair of his engine and purchased Burnt Hill Point, East River, a small wharf and small farm buildings. One of Novelty's engines was built within the limited mechanical resources then installed. From time to time power and tools were added. The place was known in the neighborhood as the "Novelty Works," and thus originated the distinctive name by which it was long known in the engineering world.

The business was conducted as H. Nott & Company. Nathan Bliss, who had recommended the use of the horizontal style engine for the boat, was superintendent. Ezra K. Dodd was foreman and later chief engineer of Novelty. Subsequently, Thomas B. Stillman, Robert M. Stratton and C. St. John Seymour purchased the premises and conducted the business under the name Ward Stillman & Company.

Under the new ownership engines were built for two ocean liners, Lion and Eagle, constructed for the Spanish government. J. D. Ward retired in 1841 and the business continued as Stillman & Company. Horatio Allen, importer of the first locomotive, came into the firm in 1842, the style being then Stillman Allen & Company, and in 1855 the business was incorporated as the Novelty Iron Works of New York with $300,000 capital. The early neighborhood identification now became the corporate title.

Entrance to the works was on East 12th Street, opposite Dry Dock Street, and here was the porter's lodge, head offices, draughting rooms, and beyond the machine shops, foundry, crane, shears, etc The foundry was equipped for heavy work, and cast the bed plates for the engine of Atlantic, weighing 37 tons and Arctic weighing 60 tons. The great cylinder for the Fall River liner Metropolis was cast in 1854, being 105 inches diameter and 14 feet length, with 12 feet stroke of piston. Twenty-two persons sat down to lunch inside this cylinder, with room to spare, and a horse and chaise were driven through it.

The side lever engines of the Collins Line steamers Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific and Baltic were built in 1849-50, the two former at the Novelty Works and the latter two at the Allaire Works. C. W. Copeland designed the engines and the boilers were designed by John Faron, chief engineer of the line. There were two engines in each ship, with cylinders 95 inches diameter by 9 feet stroke in Atlantic and Pacific and 10 feet stroke in Arctic and Baltic. The boilers had two tiers of furnaces and vertical water tubes back of them, and the four boilers connected to one stack. Steam pressure was 14 lbs., with Stevens' cut-off on Arctic and Sickles' on Baltic at 4 feet and 4½ feet respectively.

Using salt water, scale in tubes became troublesome and the unequal expansion of the front and back tubes caused them to leak with heavy expense for cleaning and repair. Unequal expansion of the engine parts due to the design of the bracing caused breaks, yet the engines did good service and the ships made good voyages with reasonable fuel economy.

Adriatic was the largest sea-going side-wheel steamer, except Great Eastern, being 350 feet length, 50 feet beam and 5,000 tons. Adriatic was modeled and built by George Steers, "a perfect vessel in appearance, appointments and speed." Adriatic cost more than $1,000,000 The two oscillating engines, built by the Novelty Works, had cylinders 101 inches diameter by 12 feet stroke and carried 25 lbs steam. The paddles were 40 feet diameter, with floats 12 feet length and 3 feet wide and the eight vertical tubular boilers had 30,758 square feet of heating surface.

The Novelty Works blacksmith shop ran 30 fires, while 20 departments were organized with foremen and working forces, numbering more than 1,000 men. The production of the works ran above $1,500,000 in the early '1850's.

Phoenix Foundry

The Phoenix Foundry was taken over by Peter Hogg and Cornelius Delamater in 1842, styled Hogg & Delamater, and in 1850 the firm moved to the foot of West 13th and 14th Streets, the business now being known as the Delamater Iron Works. The engines of the caloric ship Ericsson were constructed here, having eight cylinders, four of which measured i68 inches, and four 120 inches, being of greater diameter than had ever been cast, finished and put in a ship.

Mr. Hogg retired in 1855, Delamater continuing as sole proprietor. The works prospered and gained a fine reputation for careful workmanship. The machinery for the original Monitor was built at this yard, and the engine, hull and turrets of the ironclad Dictator, 320 feet length, 50 feet beam and 20 feet depth of hold. The steam equipment and turrets for Kalamazoo, Passaconomy and Passaic, the latter a monitor, were built at this works and a number of iron steamers as Matanzas.

Captain John Ericsson used the Delamater Iron Works for the development of his revolutionary ideas of vessel building and naval ship practice which did so much to bring the Rebellion to close. The Delamater Works, too, frequently employed 1,000 men with a payroll reaching $12,000 weekly average, and it was the largest ship and engine building business owned and controlled by one man .

The business was succeeded to by Fletcher Harrison & Company, who had occupied the old Phoenix shop in Vestry Street, and later by W. & A. Fletcher Company of Hoboken, where the same fine reputation for splendid workmanship continues and where notable power plants for vessels have been built, including the famous Yale and Harvard.

Morgan Iron Works

The first engines built were for the steamer Savannah and the steamboat Troy of the Troy Line. The works were destroyed by fire in 1841 and rebuilt, and had grown to such extent by 1846 that the block bounded by 9th Street and 10th Street, Avenue D and East River, was purchased and a half block added on the south side of 9th Street where the offices, draughting rooms, etc., were located. Amongst the large engines built were those for New World, Crescent City and Empire City.

New World's engine was designed by Edward Tothill. The cylinder was 76 inches diameter by 15 feet stroke, turning paddle wheels 45 feet diameter by 12 feet length. The boilers were return flue, 45 lbs. steam pressure with Stevens' cut-off gear. The boilers had fan blasts under grates and consumed 9,000 lbs. of anthracite coal hourly with average of 17 revolutions per minute. When this engine was placed in St. John in 1863 the cylinder was increased to 84 inches diameter.

George W. Quintard became sole proprietor in 1850. Under his direction steam hammers, floating derricks, new docks and heaviest machine shop equipment were installed. Some of the largest river and ocean-going merchant and war vessels were engined by Quintard. Engines for Thomas Powell and Reindeer were built by him and engines for the steamers:

	Cylinder Diameter (Inches)	Piston Stroke (feet)
Golden Aye Golden Gate Ocean Queen Empire City Golden Rule Mississippi California San Francisco United States Fulton Charles Morgan Herman Livingston General Barnes Brother Jonathan	83 83 90 83 81 81 72 76 60 65 60 60 60 72	12 12 12 9 12 11 11 12 12 11 11 11 11 11

For the Government the Morgan Iron Works built the double turreted monitor Onondaga with four main engines, having cylinders 30 inches diameter by 18 feet stroke, a formidable addition to the ironclad fleet of the Civil War. The list included, too, engines for Ammonosuc, Wachusett, Seminole and Ticonderoya. The sloop-of-war Idaho was powered by the Morgan works and the Italian frigate Re Don Luige De Portugallo, the hull of which was built at the near-by yard of William H. Webb.

At the top of its activity the Morgan Iron Works occupied ten city blocks and employed 1,000 men.

John Roach's Etna Iron Works

Roach's force in 1860 numbered from 900 to 1,500 men, and he provided the biggest tools. He could bore a cylinder 112 inches diameter and work was crowded through his plant so fast that progressive partial payments came close upon each other. T. Main, a well-known engine designer, was superintendent and a strong organization of responsible foremen made it a well-disciplined shop.

Engines for Bristol and Providence were built by Roach for the Merchants' Steamship Company with cylinders i 10 inches diameter, and for Risiny Star, Warrior and the monitor Winooski, with double turrets, and the steam frigate Nashaminy. Roach's old Etna yard built engines for the steam ram Dunderberg, with cylinders 112 inches diameter by 12 feet stroke.

The fame of John Roach's shipbuilding plant at Chester, Pa., came to overshadow his earlier engine building in New York. American manufacture holds no more romantic figure than John Roach, who began as a foundry puddler and won a position of world importance. Roach contracted to build machinery when h# had never built an engine, knew little of engineering, and was an iron molder with a small foundry making castings for house and bridge work.

The patronage of William H. Webb greatly helped his credit with merchants and at the banks, but his credit was chiefly based upon his

engineering success, and Roach's great business was largely on a credit basis.

West Point Foundry

At the expiration of the Association's charter the works was conducted as a private establishment by Kemble, who leased the shares of the others. Under his direction locomotives were built for pioneer railroads. Kemble designed the West Point Foundry engines for early steamboats. R. P. Parrott came to the business in 1836, a graduate of West Point Military Academy and a Captain of Ordnance, trained in ballistics. Captain Parrott succeeded to Kemble's proprietorship in 1851, continuing the business through the 18'70's in association with Gouveneur Paulding.

The Government did not order war products in such quantity as to make even production or permit steady employment. General casting, steam engines and boilers were added. West Point Foundry built engines for the steamboats Victory, in 1827; De Witt Clinton, 1828; Erie, 1832; Champlain, 1832; Highlander, 1835; Swallow, 1836; Rochester, 1836; Utica, 1837; Tray, 1840; U.S.S. Missouri, and the engines for Merrimac were built at Cold Spring.

The second great improvement in American engines, the application of the principle of expansion, was known to Cornish engineers, but Adam Hall, then of the West Point Foundry, is believed to be the first to use high pressure steam on beam engines, cutting off the supply at ¾, ½ or even ¼ of the stroke, saving fuel and increasing velocity. Adam Hall found by experiment and established by practice that more work was done at less expense by cutting off at A than by cutting off at ½ stroke, the steam pressure being increased in proportion. This method of working expansively with a long stroke engine and large balanced valves and passages allowed a high velocity of piston, 600 feet a minute being common.

The West Point Foundry maintained erecting shops at the foot of Beach Street in New York and here "Stourbridge Lion," the first locomotive imported from England for the Delaware & Hudson Canal and Railroad Company, was set up in 1829. West Point Foundry built the first locomotive in America, "Good Friend," in 1830, for the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad (later South Carolina Railroad). The second locomotive, "West Point," was built in 1831, and "De Witt Clinton," first to run in New York State, the same year.

Captain Parrott introduced the line of Parrott guns in 1860 at his own cost, but with the beginning of the Civil War they were taken by the Government and order placed for 3,000 guns. With the lessening of the near-by ore supply, West Point Foundry could not compete with cities of the near west.

The Shipbuilders of New York

The industry was wrecked when the leaders went, and Congresses imposed restrictions and denied encouragements. New York shipbuilding died following the Civil War, which like other deaths was soon forgotten. The demise is traceable to the indifference of the great interior states, and to impoverished conditions following the Civil War. A public, conscious of the enormity of the losses, would not have permitted such commercial blundering.

The industry was raided for leaders in the newer railroad transportation, which weakened shipping and took away its capital, and shipbuilders, grown weary of governmental indifference, turned to other opportunities from the ruin of a great New York activity.

William H. Webb

Webb continued as sub-contractor until he was 24 years old, when his health failed and he went to Europe. He was recalled by the death of his father whose finances were involved and which the son brought into good order. He formed a partnership with Mr. Allen in 1840, continuing three years when Mr. Allen retired.

Webb built 133 steam and sail vessels in the following 25 years, the greatest tonnage to come from a single yard in the period. He visited St. Petersburg in 1832 and received a contract for building a line-of-battleship for the Russian Government. Twice he had sent agents who failed, as it was contrary to practice of all governments to have war vessels built outside of government yards. Webb would not be denied. The vessel contracted for was to have 90 guns. The war between Russia and the allies delayed work, as a violation of neutrality laws. On its Cessation a new plan and model, designed by Webb, were adopted, with a less number of large caliber guns.

The vessel was built in accordance with Webb's plan, notwithstanding written protests of representatives of the Russian Government, and the new plan was never approved by officials until after the trials, when the officials were enthusiastically appreciative, which illustrates Webb's character and daring. He dared go ahead with a risk which might have brought financial ruin.

The steam frigate General Admiral, named in honor of Grand Duke Constantine, was launched September 21, 1858, the fastest steam frigate then built, making the passage, New York to Cherbourg, France, in 11 days and 8 hours.

Count Cavour, Prime Minister of Italy, negotiated a contract for two ironclad, steam screw frigates, of 36 large guns and 6,000 tons displacement, with Webb in 1860. These battleships were plated with 4½ inch armor and possessed extraordinary speed and sea-going qualities. They ran to Naples, 5,000 miles, in 18 days and 20 hours in the middle of winter. These vessels were undertaken just as the Civil War was breaking, yet Webb was able to finish them and carry other work forward even though costs were mounting terribly, and he made no claim for additional compensation.

Merchant steamers were important in Webb's success, but he stands out for designing and quick building of naval craft. Perhaps the most remarkable was Dunderberg, a steam screw ironclad, built for the United States Government, the largest ironclad built at that time, 7,000 tons, affording ample room for fuel, stores, provisions, munitions and accommodations for officers, crew and marines.

The building of Dunderberg had much to do with terminating the Rebellion. The hull was 378 feet length, 68 feet beam and 32 feet height of casement. The frame timbers were 12 to 20 inches thick, caulked and planked, and over this planking two courses of heavy beams were laid, making an aggregate solid timber wall from five to seven feet thick. Dunderberg was built on a model then new and differed from the turret or monitor class. The steering was novel, one of the two rudders being placed forward of the propeller shaft. The speed was 15 knots. The metal-covered prow was believed to be capable of penetrating any vessel, wood or iron, if struck with the vessel's full force at speed. Sixteen guns were mounted on slide carriages, four of 15-inch type carrying 182 lb. shot and the total weight of the broadside was 4,024 lbs. of shot.

The Civil War was over before Dunderberg was completed, largely for the fear inspired by the building of this formidable naval craft. With approval of Congress Dunderberg was sold to France, sailing for Cherbourg July 19, 1867, and was renamed Rochambeau. With a French crew, the trial ship developed 15.3 knots speed, but being a wooden vessel, covered with armor plate, Rocham beau met the fate of all such vessels-the wood behind the iron decayed.

Immediately after the war Webb built two steamers for New York-Boston service, 360 feet length, 49 feet beam and i6 feet depth of hold, and a steamer for the Pacific Steamship Company to run to China, 360 feet length, 49 feet beam and 31.6 feet depth of hold, designed to carry 1,000 passengers and freight. Webb introduced many features of naval architecture in this Pacific liner, since in common use.

Webb built 3 sloops, 11 schooners, 5 brigs, 11 barks, 69 ships, 9 steamboats and 28 large steamships, aggregating 200,000 tons. Amongst the famous sailing vessels were the London-Liverpool and Havre packets, Guy Mannering, the first full three-deck freighting ship built in America; Ocean Monarch, 3,000 tons, which carried more freight than any ship, which once loaded 7,000 bales of cotton and then drew but 18.6 feet.

Famous clipper ships built by Webb were Helena, Challenge, Comet, Invincible, Swordfish, Young America and Black Hawk. Swordfish made the passage, New York to San Francisco, wharf to wharf in 90 days, and Comet made five successive passages between the same ports that averaged 100 days, one being made in 76 days when 1,025 miles was logged in three days and 385 miles in one day.

Webb built United States, the first steam vessel for the New Orleans trade, Cherokee. first Savannah liner, and California, the first steamer built in America for the Pacific, and the first to enter the Golden Gate in 1849.

The shipbuilding industry has been so completely effaced from the commercial life of New York in the last 50 years that Webb's great activity has almost been forgotten. His fame lives, however, through the educational work which he founded, the Webb Academy and Home for Shipbuilders, on the bank of the Harlem River, Sedgwick Avenue, Fordham. The building was designed from a French chateau which Webb visited and greatly admired. The museum is a treasure house of American shipping history. Naval architecture is taught in a three-year course but only a few veteran shipbuilders remain to enjoy Webb's great bounty.

Jacob A. Westervelt

Returning to New York with the completion of the schooners, Westervelt became a partner with Mr. Bergh, continuing the association until Bergh retired in 1835, after having built in 15 years 71 vessels from 450 to 600 tons. Westervelt designed and built in connection with Edward Mills, the steamships Washington and Herman, pioneer American ocean liners. Franklin and Havre were the first steam vessels for the Havre Line, followed by Arago and Rhode Island for the Government. Eagle and Morro Castle were built for Spofford Tileston & Company, and Westervelt had great pride in having built the clippers N. B. Palmer and Sweepstakes.

For American and foreign governments Westervelt built many vessels, amongst these the frigate Hope, 2,000 tons, in 1825, for the

Greek Government; Guadalquiver for Spain; Eusiyama for Japan, and Ottawa, Atsego, Kankakee and the sloop-of-war Brooklyn for the United States Navy. Admiral Farragut declared Brooklyn to be the most efficient man-of-war in the American Navy and it had a splendid record in the Civil War.

Jacob A. Westervelt received high political honors and was Mayor of New York in 1852. With his son, Daniel D. Westervelt, he built 50 steamships, 93 ships, 5 barks, 14 schooners, one sloop, two lightships, 11 pilot boats, a total of 181 vessels of 150,624 tons.

Other Early Shipbuilders

Henry Eckford had previously furnished President Jackson with a plan of reorganization for the American Navy, and he was preparing to publish a work on naval architecture. He provided $20,000 to establish a professorship of naval architecture in Columbia College under Mr. Doughty, an eminent naval constructor.

William H. Brown built Empire in 1843, followed by Isaac Newton in 1846; Alida, 1847; but he is best recorded in yachting history for his part in winning America's Cup. Brown offered to build a boat, designed by George Steers, that would be proved faster than any sail craft afloat, and to demand no payment if the boat failed to make good. The New York Yacht Club, through a small syndicate, accepted the offer. In repeated trials America failed to beat Commodore J. C. Stevens' Maria and the syndicate was not bound to purchase, but did so.

How America won the "Cup of All Nations" is the foundation of yachting in America. George Steers died within a few years of the cup winning, too soon to realize the great promise suggested by his early achievements as a naval architect.

Henry Steers, a nephew, succeeded to the position of his famous uncle. He was born in 1852 and descended from shipwrights, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather having been vessel builders. At the age of 16 young Henry cut the shore lines of school and went into the yard of his father and his Uncle George Steers, then partners, and served all the steps in the trade from grindstone boy to foreman.

Henry Steers set up in business for himself in 1857, and in 1859 moved to Greenpoint, his yard occupying 162,000 square feet. He built Charles H. Marshall, fastest of the pilot boats; Hu Quang, Che Kiang and Foh Kein for the China trade. Foh Kein made the quickest trip to China and was the fastest boat in Chinese waters for many years and was 275 feet length, 44 feet beam, 22 feet depth of hold.

Henry Steers built Arizona in 1865 for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to run between New York and Colon, then called Aspinwall. Arizona was 325 feet length, 46 feet beam and 3,200 tons. Idaho was built by Steers for the Government, 300 feet length, 44 feet beam and one of the handsomest ships of the time. Steers built one of the two big ships for the Pacific Mail, the largest wooden ships constructed to that date, 4,700 tons, 360 feet length, 50 feet beam and 31.6 feet depth of hold to spar deck beams, with three full decks and an onlop deck at each end extending to engine and boiler bulkheads, with four watertight compartments and strongly braced with iron bars running diagonally the entire length.

When Henry Steers laid down this million dollar biggest steamship for the Pacific Mail in i866, he was but 34 years of age and had constructed 16 large ships on his own account at that time.

John Englis & Son was a busy New York yard, later located at Greenpoint, and Englis boats were famous for ingenious stateroom arrangements and fine cabinet work. New World was the next largest steamboat in the world when built by Englis, exceeded only by Great Eastern in size. Nearly all the big river and Sound boats were built by Englis in the 60 years' period from 1847 to 1907, the last steamboat wholly built at the Englis yard being Adirondack, and for 15 years following the firm built superstructures and only went out of business in 1922.

John Englis was born in New York and served seven years apprenticeship at the old Smith & Dimon yard where Westchester was built in 1832. He became foreman for Bishop & Simonson and in 1837 went to Lake Erie and built Milwaukie and Red Jacket. Upon their completion he returned to New York and set up his own yard. He built 113 steamers, including seven for China trade, one, Sumo Nada, making the voyage from Hongkong to Shanghai, 1,000 miles in 56 hours, averaging 18 miles' speed for the distance. Sumo Nada easily beat the best steamboats to come from British yards.

Plymouth Rock and Western World, fastest steamers of the Great Lakes, were built by Englis in 1853, and his yard built Unadilla, 1861, first of the Civil War gunboats, in 48 days, and 12 days sooner than the stipulation. John Englis was not only famous as a builder, coming to occupy the field almost alone, but was also active in financing steamboat lines. He was a large owner in the People's Line to Albany, the Catskill Line, dominated the Maine Steamship Company and held interest in other lines.

The Famous Collyer Family

William Collyer built clipper ships in New York. Ferris Collyer set up a yard on the Great Lakes. George B. and Thomas Collyer had yards in New York famous for the number of fast steamboats built by them. Charles S. Collyer built John T. Sherman and other craft on Lake Champlain, and with his brother-in-law, A. G. Lambert, established a yard across the river from Shanghai in China.

Samuel Collyer, youngest of the family, was associated with his brothers in New York and built steamboats on his own account. Stephen Collyer was a steamboat operator. Captain Moses W. Collyer, son of Captain John L. Collyer, was a sloop and schooner master and later owner of steam barges and lighters.

Thomas Collyer was the leading member of the family as shipbuilder. He was apprenticed to Captain Moses Stanton four years and next worked in the yard of Christian Bergh. Setting up his own yard, he built the sloops First Effort at Sing Sing and next Katrina Van Tassell, launched in 1838 and sailing on the Hudson until 1883. Thomas Collyer's first steamboat was Trojan built at West Troy and next he buiLt steamboats on Lake Champlain.

With his brother William he opened a yard at East 12th Street, New York, where Niagara, Santa Claus, and Kingston were built. The partnership was dissolved in 1847 and Thomas Collyer started his own yard at the foot of East 21st Street. Here he built Armenia, George Law, Twilight, Sylvan Grove, Osceola, Metamora, P. C. Schultz, Only Son, Reindeer, Norwalk, Daniel Drew and Henry Clay, built in 1850. He built three steamboats, each named Thomas Collyer, as well as Island City, Glen Cove, White Cloud in 1854 for China trade, and he built Fire Dart, the first of the famous "fire" boats on the Yangtse River, which was followed by Fire Cracker, Fire Queen and Hiang Loong built by John Englis and Son.

Thomas Collyer's shipbuilding activity included three sloops, 12 schooners, two sailing ships, three barques, two yachts, 26 barges, four propellers, five ocean steamships, and 37 steamboats, of which Thomas Collyer (3rd) was his last effort.

George B.Collyer built Rip Van Winkle and Hendrick Hudson in 1845, Jenny Lind, William Fletcher, the famous Francis Skiddy in 1852 and the fast day liner Alida, all for the Hudson River. A rotary type engine with cylinder 30 feet diameter by 12 feet length with shaft running through the cylinder was planned for Francis Skiddy, but when three cylinders of this enormous size had been broken, the builders gave up the design and a conventional type beam engine was substituted.

American steamboats were famous in Chinese waters. The first steamboats sent out there from America needed to be built strong and heavy for the Pacific voyage. Then steamboats were sent "knocked-down" in ships, and set up in China, as Tah Wah, built by Sneden and Lawrence and Kiang Loong, built by Jacob Westernett, New York, which were erected in Hong Kong.

Charles S. Collyer and A. G. Lambert, trading as Collyer and Lambert, set up a yard in China, across the river from Shanghai, which district they named Greenpoint, after the East River shipbuilding section of Brooklyn.

Here they built Elfin, Tah Wah, Fusiyama; Sycee and Felung, gunboats for the Chinese government, side wheel steamboats, which had rudders at each end and a track on deck for moving the gun carriage; Vulcan, Stormy Petrel, a schooner, and the steamboat Hirado. Elfin was built under a contract allowing three years to complete and was finished in six weeks.

The liners Fusiyama and Hirado, typical North River steamboats, plied from Shanghai to Han Kau, 653 miles up the Yangtse River and were built four miles down the river at Yan Kin, at the yard of the Shanghai Steamboat Dock Co., where the first dry dock in China had been built.

Yangste-Ke-Yang, built in New York, was 300 feet length and had an oscillating engine, the first built by the Neptune Iron Works, foot of 8th Street, East River, New York, of which Boardman Holbrook & Co., were proprietors and Joseph Belknap, designer-superintendent. Yangste-Ke-Yang ran from Shanghai to Hong Kong.

Blossom, Smith & Dimon were early New York shipbuilders at whose yard James Kent was so well built that the hull lasted more than 80 years. The firm style was Smith & Dimon in 1832 when Westchester was built and following came Rochester, 1836; and Oregon in 1845, for George Law, a steamboat that made 22 miles' speed, a performance which would be considered notable now.

William Capes built North America in 1827 and the famous Swallow in 1836. The yard was then moved to Brooklyn and Capes built Utica in 1837 and Troy in 1840. Devine Burtis was a Brooklyn builder who constructed many steamboats for Isaac Newton while Lawrence & Sneden built the first Highlander in 1835, and Thomas Powell in 1846 and Samuel Sneden built City of Hartford, 1852, and Granite State in 1853, and the famous Chauncey Vibbard which ran on the Albany route from 1864 to 1902.

C. & R. Poillon were yacht builders whose reputation centered about the splendid schooner yacht Sappho. In i866 they built State of New York for the Hartford Line and Winona, one of the 90 day gunboats, came from their yard. Sleepy Hollow and Sunnyside set a new fashion in commuting steamboats. The Poillons were quality builders-the Herreshoffs of their day, and their influence for simple and beautiful decoration in ships was important.

State of New York attracted attention, being equipped with a steam steering engine, enabling one wheelsman to do the work which

had required four men, an innovation strongly resented by the fraternity.

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