CHAPTER 4
Hudson River Steamboats
The Famous Side-Wheeler St. John
The People's Line commissioned John Englis, Brooklyn, to build a steamboat to surpass anything afloat. The expression "floating palace" took new meaning for St. John, Captain Frost, the largest steamboat in the world, Great Eastern excepted. St. John was named for Captain A. P. St. John, a famous Hudson River commander, and was 420 feet length, 51 feet beam, 84 feet over guards, 10.2 feet depth of hold and cost 600,000. The engine came from New World, built by T. F. Secor & Company, having cylinder 76 inches diameter by 15 feet stroke, and the wheels were 40 feet diameter, 30 buckets, 10.6 feet width and 32 inches dip.
Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks were visited by thousands in this era of watering places and St. John set fashion in night boats in 1863. Visitors came from abroad to admire St. John, which had a high dome deck and staterooms on galleries. The grand staircase of carved St. Domingo mahogany, inlaid with white holly, cost $25,000, and double inlaid stars featured the newel posts.
St. John ran on the Hudson twenty-one years, attracting a large following. On the evening of October 29, 1863, when a few miles below Albany, one of the boilers exploded and fifteen lives were lost. St. John was destroyed by fire, January 24, 1885, when lying in winter quarters, foot of Canal Street, New York, then valued at $475,000. Captain St. John committed suicide in the barber shop of St. John in 1875, then rated as a millionaire.
Chauncey Vibbard, Captain Dave Hitchcock, a famous Albany day boat, appeared in 1864, making Albany in 6 hours and 42 minutes, a new record. Chauncey Vibbard was built by Laurence & Foulkes, Brooklyn, 1,158 tons, 281 feet length, 25 feet beam and 9.6 feet depth of hold. Fletcher Harrison & Company built the engine, having 62 inches diameter cylinder by 12 feet stroke. Chauncey Vibbard cut the water as a knife blade, the water only breaking when it hit the paddles. Hull and engine were balanced to eliminate vibration, but heavier boilers installed later, lost this fine balance. Chauncey Vibbard ran with Daniel Drew, and next with Albany, and was succeeded by New York when Daniel Drew, held in reserve, burned at Kingston Point. For a time Chauncey Vibbard ran from Philadelphia to Lincoln Park and in twenty-five years' career was free of accidents and disasters. Chauncey Vibbard was broken up at Cramer's Hill in 1902.
The People's Line built Dean Richmond, Captain S. J. .Roe, at John Englis' yard in 1865, Francis Skiddy's engine being installed in the new boat. Dean Richmond measured 2,515 tons, 348 feet length, 46 feet beam and 10.6 feet depth of hold and ran on the Hudson almost forty-five years, latterly to Troy, being broken up at Commonwealth Wharf, Boston, in 1909. Captain Steven J. Roe, when he quit steamboating, became proprietor of West Point Hotel, and his friends aided him with information to acquire a large fortune.
Nupha, propeller, was built from the burned Berkshire by J. R. and H. S. Baldwin at New Baltimore in 1865 for the New York-Hudson route. Berkshire inherited South America's engine, which went in its third hull in Nupha. The walking beam worked thwart-ship, and the crank throw was directly connected to the fore and aft propeller shaft. Nupha was 1,232 tons, 253 feet length, 37 feet beam and 10 feet depth of hold. The name was changed to Metropolitan and in 1877 and '1878 "Met" was running excursions to Iona Island and West Point. Later Metropolitan ran with Balivar in freight service from New London. William C. Redfield, 370 tons, built at Albany in 1865, ran to Hudson, a propeller, as was Andrew Harder, 339 tons, built at New Baltimore in 1864. General Sedgwick, built at Jersey City in 1863, ran from New York to Sing Sing, later becoming Bay Queen.
At the Civil War's close Sarah E. Brown, a little side-wheeler, was purchased by Major Cornell for towing out of Rondout Creek. Captain Sandy Forsythe was commander. The overhang of a barge struck the paddle box and stove in the planking, taking much of the name away, and only the initials S. E. B. remained. Sarah E. Brown came to be known as "the fish market," for S. E. B. was held to stand for "suckers, eels and bullheads." When Sarah E. Brown was being rebuilt, Major Cornell was asked what name he proposed to give the boat.
"What will I call her, Sandy?" asked the Major, addressing Captain Forsythe.
"Call her Sandy," replied the captain, and for many years Sandy was a familiar figure on the river.
Chrystenah, 571 tons, built at Nyack in 1866 for the New York - Peekskill run, continued on this route until 1920, a popular steamboat, being then sold for cross-Sound ferry service to Oyster Bay.
Daniel Drew gave his name to a new night boat for the People's Line, Drew, Captain S. J. Roe, built in 1867 by John Englis at Brooklyn, 2,902 tons, 390 feet length, 47.5 feet beam and 10.8 feet depth of hold. Allaire Works built the engine with cylinder 81 inches diameter by 14 feet stroke. Drew was 38 years old when broken up and burned at Perth Amboy, July 4, 1905, having outlived the fashion for wooden hulls, hog framing and boilers on the guards. Uncle Daniel Drew's participation in Erie financing and the gold panic were then almost forgotten.
The Albany & Susquehanna Railroad was completed to Binghamton and a connection made with the Erie in 1870. Competition for cattle business from Buffalo began immediately with the New York Central. Dressed beef was not then shipped in refrigerator cars. The Erie made a through stock car rate, $1 Buffalo to Albany, of which the Susquehanna's share was 40 cents, the Susquehanna paying the Erie $2.44 for use of the car. From Athens' terminal, below Albany, cattle were shipped to New York by the propellers John Taylor and Erastus Corning, a John H. Starin opposition night line. Steamboat Square, Albany, was black with cattle each evening, waiting to be shipped to New York.
This ruinous competition continued until 1873, when the Athens terminal burned and with it John Taylor. The service was abandoned and Erastus Corning, built in Brooklyn in 1857, went to Starin's New Haven Line, becoming Haven.
Return to Top
|
