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

CHAPTER 3

The Beginning of Steamboat Commerce

The Beginning of Steamboat Commerce
Early Long Island Sound Steamers
The End of the Fulton-Livingston Monopoly

When Clermont had been lengthened and re-christened North River it went into service with Captain Samuel Jenkins as master and David Mandeville pilot. The side-wheels were housed in a great circular casing, which characterized the profile of side-wheelers for many years. The jealousies excited by the coming of a steamboat took the form of injury to Clermont and the paddle-arms were the objects of attack. With those experiences in mind, the covering of the paddle-arms with "paddle boxes" was begun.

Fares were high, even for the times, and there was no fare less than $1 for any fraction of twenty miles. From New York to Verplanck's Landing was $2; to West Point $2.50; Newburgh, $3; Wappinger's Creek, $3.25; Poughkeepsie, $3.50; Hudson, $5, and Albany, $7. With North River established on the Hudson, and the monopoly of steamboat operation protected with the regular running of this boat, Fulton turned to the North and East River ferry-boat needs. Jersey was put on the service to Jersey City in 1812 and York on the East River in 1813. These new steam ferries took the places of boats propelled by driving two or four horses round and round a shaft in the hold of the boat, the shaft rotating paddle-wheels through gearing.

Fulton's ferry-boat design was a great improvement, being a twin-hulled structure united with a bridge floor, and it is recorded that one trip was made when eight four-wheeled carriages, twenty-nine horses and one hundred passengers were aboard. Fulton, too, designed the floating bridge dock, to accommodate differing levels of tide, as presently used.

Fulton next built Raritan and then Car of Neptune, which began running on the Hudson in 1809, a steamboat 175 feet length and 295 tons. In 1811 Paragon of the same size was added and the two steamboats alternated in Albany service. Much of the space was devoted to engine and boiler, and the passenger accommodation was limited. Freight was seldom carried. Fire Fly, of 100 feet length, came out in 1812; and Hope, with an engine by Robert McQueen, of New York, went into service the same year.

Lady Richmond, 100 feet length, was built in 1813; and Olive Branch, 112 feet length, was launched in 1815. Both of these boats, as the earlier Fulton boats, were built by Charles Brownne in New York; and Fulton's own engine works at Soho, New Jersey, built the power plants. Chancellor Livingston was laid down at the yard of, Henry Eckford in New York, but Fulton died before it was launched.

Chancellor Livingston was named for Fulton's partner, and was 175 feet over all, 33.6 feet beam. James P. Allaire, who had succeeded to Fulton's engine-building plant, built the engine and boiler, rated 75 horse power, and having 45 inches cylinder diameter, with 7 feet stroke. The boiler was 28 feet in length and 12 feet diameter, with two funnels. The paddle-wheels were 57 feet in diameter.

The main cabin of Chancellor Livingston was 54 feet long, containing 38 berths, while above was a ladies' cabin with 24 berths. A forward cabin had 56 berths, which with accommodations for the crew totaled 135 berths, and it made 12 miles an hour with the tide. Later it was lengthened and fitted with a more powerful engine, and continued in the Albany service for sixteen years, taking part in the marine parade in celebration of the opening of the Erie Canal.

Commodore Vanderbilt became owner of Chancellor Livingston when it ran to Providence and it ran as an opposition boat on the Boston-Portland line in 1852, continuing until old age occasioned breaking up.

John Stevens' first commercial steamboat, Phoenix, met the opposition of the Fulton monopoly in Jersey-New York waters, and so went to Philadelphia, where it began to run to Bordentown in 1809, becoming a link in the fast stage-coach and boat service connecting New York and Philadelphia. In spite of this successful demonstration, few boats were built in the following years, for fear of the monopoly, the exceptions being Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Aetna. Aetna blew up in New York harbor in 1824 with loss of life.

Baltimore began steamboat service with Eagle, a steamboat built in New York in 1813. In 1816 this boat was joined by New Jersey.

Steamboats got off to a poor start in Boston waters. The first steamboat out of Boston was a commercial failure. A boat had been built to run between Boston and Salem in 1817, but on its initial trip met with engine trouble and the passengers had to return in stages. This was a blow to steamboat prestige, and the owners sent the boat to Charleston, South Carolina, but it was lost on the trip south.

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Early Long Island Sound Steamers

SLOOP EXPERIMENT -FOR PASSENGERS ONLY

Captain Bunker informs his friends and the public that he has commenced running a sloop of about 110 tons burden, between the cities of Hudson and New York, for the purpose of carrying passengers only. The owners of this vessel, being desirous to render the passage as short, convenient and agreeable as possible, have not only taken care to furnish her with the best Beds, Bedding, Liquors, Provisions, etc., but they have been at very great expense and trouble in procuring materials, and building her on the best construction for sailing, and for accommodation of ladies and gentlemen traveling on business or for pleasure.

Captain Bunker, the first to venture upon the open sea in a steamboat, Phoenix, was the first to command a Long Island Sound steamer, Fulton. Hell Gate was an object of terror. The East River, rushing up the Sound, at particular times of tide pours a tremendous flood between Ward's Island and Long Island. The passage, narrowed to a few yards, with a fast-swirling, on-rushing tide, past the old "Hog's Back" and Gridiron turns, turned at right angles, and formed a whirlpool around the "Pot Rock" which, even with the surface of the water, was fatal to any vessel that touched it.

The passage through that Gate of Hell was described by a passenger on Connecticut's first trip, Captain Bunker commanding, as follows:

I remember that long-agitated question, whether steamboats could be made capable of sea navigation, or so constructed as to travel our sounds, bays and coasts in safety. The question was put to rest by the enterprise and skill of Captain Bunker. In Fulton, constructed with a view to crossing the Atlantic, he undertook the navigation of Long Island Sound. During a season of no extraordinary moderation, including the two equinoctial storms, Capt. B. lost but a single trip.

Another doubt remained to be removed. It was supposed impossible to pass the celebrated passage of Hell Gate against the tide, at the strength of the current. This was reserved for Captain Bunker to remove, and I happened to be on board at the time of the novel and interesting experiment. A number of respectable passengers witnessed the performance. It was in the steamboat Connecticut. built with all the strength to be obtained and careful workmanship.

The machinist (McQueen) was accompanying his engine to prove its powers, with careful and ingenious assistants, and some of the owners were on board also. The first attempt to pass the point of greatest pressure of the contracted stream was unsuccessful, and the boat was compelled to retreat into an eddy and increase her steam. With renovated power the effort was repeated, every man fixed immovable at his post, the passengers properly stationed in different parts of the boat, the engineers employing their utmost diligence to force the passage. They were again defeated by the supposed resistless stream, and again retreated, racked, strained, and shivering from the contest.

After a short pause and fresh preparation, it was resolved to make a third endeavor, and test the strength of the machinery by the greatest trial it could be expected to bear. After a severe struggle, in which a weaker vessel would have been disjointed and torn to pieces, the headstrong current yielded to the giant power of steam, and the triumph of art over nature was effected. A few moments of greater breathless anxiety I scarcely ever witnessed.

Mechanical science achieved a victory over elementary force, and overcame an obstacle heretofore deemed in this manner altogether insurmountable. The courage and perseverance of Captain B. were so conspicuous on this occasion, that I can never forget the impression made upon all present.

On the trip above referred to, Connecticut passed through the Sound to the Connecticut River, ascending to Middletown, and was perhaps the first steamboat to navigate the river since Samuel Morey's voyage thirty years previously. Connecticut is famed in steamboat history as the first of a long line of Sound steamers. It made its first trip from New York to New London, 115 miles, September 21, 1816, in twenty-one hours; and in October commenced regular runs, which continued through many years. It was 150 feet length, 26 feet beam, cost $80,000, and finished its days, as so many other steamboats which came later, on the Boston-Portland run.

Captain E. S. Bunker died in 1847, aged seventy-five years. He had commanded Benjamin Franklin out of Providence and had built Washington for the same route. With Captain R. S. Bunker, master of President, he operated the New York-Newport-Providence line, and for a few years previous to his death was a local steamboat inspector in Providence.

The Fulton-Livingston monopoly realized the business opportunities of Long Island Sound ports, and Fulton and Connecticut were built for that service. The War of 1812 prevented them from running, as it was deemed unwise to expose them to English guns. In 1817 they sent Fire Fly to run between Newport and Providence, a small vessel, slow, and with poor accommodations, requiring twenty- eight hours to reach Newport from New York.

The eight boats in the early Hudson River New York-Albany service did a large business. In 1819 the Comptroller of the State reported that the tax imposed upon persons who traveled by steamboats in 1817 and '18 had amounted to $41,440 of which $3,819.82 was spent in collecting the tax. There was no tax for distances of 29 miles or less; but for more than 30 miles and less than 100 miles a tax of 50 cents was charged; and above 100 miles the tax was $1.

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