A Storm of Flies on the Hudson

Editor's note: The following article was originally published in the Putnam County Courier, September 11, 1880. Thanks to Contributing Scholar George A. Thompson for finding, cataloging and transcribing this article. The language, spelling and grammar of the article reflects the time period when it was written.

A swarm of flies. iStock photos

A storm of files was encountered on the Hudson on Sunday afternoon, similar to the one recorded in the London Telegraph as having been seen at Havre a week or two ago.  The steamer Martin, bound south, encountered the fly storm between New Hamburgh and Newburgh.  It was like the Havre storm, as described by the London Telegraph, seemingly a great drift of black snow, and it reached southward from shore to shore as far as the eye could reach.  There were millions upon millions of the flies, and they hurried northward as thick as snow flakes driven by a strong wind.  They lodged upon the clothing of the passengers on the steamer and were minutely examined.  They were long and black and had light wings, and the cloud must have been miles in length.  The steamer "Mary Powell" ran into the fly storm off Haverstraw, and the first mate, Bishop, says that in all his steamboating experience he never saw such a sight.

Steamboat "Mary Powell". Hudson River Maritime Museum.

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