Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category

The steamboat whose history is recorded today was the third and last vessel built and named in honor of its builder- Thomas Collyer. She served on various routes for 51 years and was finally dismantled at Staten Island.

The wooden hull of the Thomas Collyer was constructed at New York in 1863. She was 196 feet long, breadth of beam 29 feet, depth of hold eight feet six inches. Her tonnage was listed at 596 gross and 410 net tons, and she was powered with a vertical beam engine with a cylinder diameter of 50 inches, with a 12 foot stroke.

Thomas Collyer, for whom the steamboat was named, had the reputation of building some of the fastest inland steamboats in America. The launching of the “Thomas Collyer” marked the completion of 37 years of steamboat construction for the builder and was also the last vessel which he built. It was the third steamboat launched under the name “Thomas Collyer.”

Soon after her appearance in New York harbor and on the Hudson river, the “Thomas Collyer” gained the reputation of being an exceptionally fast vessel. It was claimed that she could attain a speed of 21 miles per hour and this brought her the title of “Queen of the One-pipe Steamboats.” The first regular run of the “Thomas Collyer” was between New York and Newburgh in opposition to the famous “Mary Powell,” “Queen of The Hudson.” The “Thomas Collyer” left the north side of Jay street pier in New York at the same hour as the “Mary Powell,” but her term of service in opposition to the famous “Queen of The Hudson” did not last long.

The excursion business on the Hudson river and Long Island Sound was next invaded by the “Thomas Collyer,” and in 1869 she was purchased by John H. Starin and placed in service on the North Shore Staten Island and New York ferry route in line with the steamboat “Black Bird.” The “Thomas Collyer” continued on this route until 1879, when the ferry franchise was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, which consolidated the ferries at St. George and built modern ferryboats.

About this period John H. Starin built a museum at Glen Island, and the “Thomas Collyer” was placed on the Glen Island route with the rest of the Starin fleet. In 1882, the “Thomas Collyer” was rebuilt at Noank, Connecticut, renamed the “Sam Sloan,” and returned to service on the Glen Island route, where she remained until 1904. The following year found the former “Thomas Collyer” again in the excursion business on the Hudson river and Long Island Sound.

About 1910 the Starin fleet was purchased by the McAllister Steamboat Company of New York, and the “Sam Sloan,” renamed the “Atlas,” was placed in service on the Glen Island route.
​
The former “Thomas Collyer” was in service until 1914, when she was found to be of no further use. She was taken to Port Richmond, Staten Island, and dismanteled. Her boiler and engine were removed and the hull sold to a yacht club in Greenville, New Jersey, for use as a club house.

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Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category.

No. 3- Isaac Newton
The “Isaac Newton" was built for William H. and Curtis Peck in 1846 (sic). The hull was of wood, constructed by William H. Brown, and her engine was a product of the Allaire Iron Works. Her original length was 38 feet but she was rebuilt in 1885 and was thereafter 405 feet in length.

The intentions of the owners were to use the new boat as a dayliner and to name her the “George Washington,” but while she was still on the ways she was sold to the People’s Line, who had her christened the “Isaac Newton” in honor of one of the principal owners of the line, who was a pioneer steamboat man.

The “Isaac Newton” had but two decks during the first nine years of her existence, but she was rebuilt in 1885 by John Englis of Greenpoint, and a third tier of staterooms was added, thus making her the second three-decker to appear on the Hudson river; the first being the “New World,” which had a third deck added the previous year. The “Isaac Newton” and the “New World,” when rebuilt into three-deckers were the most beautifully furnished and numbered among the celebrated steamboats of the world.

​The two upper decks, aft of the engine trunk, were arranged in the form of large apartment galleries, and the ceiling of these decks sported enormous glass chandeliers, lighted by gas. The effect of this decoration was pronounced the most beautiful that had been conceived and the novel arrangement was copied not only on many paddle-wheel boats but on large ocean steamships as well.

​The “Isaac Newton” met her fate December 5, 1863. She left the foot of Cortlandt street at 5 o’clock in the evening, carrying 150 passengers, and when passing Fort Washington point, her starboard boiler exploded, sprinkling the deck with hot coals, and enveloping her from stem to stern with raging flames. The towboat “Herald” of Rondout, with Captain Harry Barber in command, was instrumental in saving many lives at this disaster. In all, 10 passengers lost their lives. By most fortunate circumstances the others were rescued by small boats of the “Herald” and the “Daniel S. Miller.” Among the dead were two brothers who made their home in Troy, named John and James Hodgso. The rescued passengers and crew were landed in Yonkers. The steamer was totally destroyed.

Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category

The “Ansonia” was built for the New York-Derby, Conn., route in the year 1848, with George Deming, captain, Frederick Perkins, pilot, and John M. White, chief engineer. She was 190 feet long with a 28 foot beam, and ran on Long Island Sound on the Derby route until 1860, when she was purchased by Brett & Matthews of Fishkill Landing, refitted and renamed the “William Kent.”

Under the name of the “William Kent,” this steamboat sailed the Hudson between Fishkill Landing and New York until 1861, when she was chartered by the government for the transportation of troops for the sum of $700 per day. She was employed by the federal government for a period of 77 days and was then discharged from service.

About this time the government passed a law which said that unless a steamboat was entirely rebuilt, her name could not be changed. The purpose of the law was to protect the public who might think they were traveling on a new boat when in reality the only thing new would be the name. This law necessitated the name “Ansonia” being again emblazoned on the sides of the “William Kent,” and so under the original name of the “Ansonia” she plied the Delaware river between Philadelphia and Cape May in the year 1862.

Following this sojourn at the Quaker City, the “Ansonia” was brought back to New York and placed in service on her former route between Fishkill Landing and the metropolis as a freight and passenger carrier under Captain J.T. Brett. Following this she was sold to the Saugerties Steamboat Company and began regular trips between Saugerties and New York.

​In the winter of 1892 the Ansonia was rebuilt at South Brooklyn, being lengthened to 205 feet, and her name was changed to the “Ulster,” with a tonnage rating of 780 gross tons or 580 net tons.

On November 11, 1897, the “Ulster” ran on the rocks at Butter Hill, just below Cornwall-on-Hudson about midnight and rested there with her stern submerged in the water and her bow on the rocks. She slipped off the rocks and sunk in 30 feet of water. At the time of the accident she was heavily loaded with freight and carried 105 passengers, all of whom were safely landed on shore.

A further account of this disaster tells of the “Ulster” leaving New York about seven o’clock in the evening on an exceedingly stormy night. When she reached Haverstraw Bay, a wind storm arose and blew down the river at a rate of about 30 miles an hour. The pilot hugged the west shore of the river so as not to face the full force of the gale. The river was very rough and when opposite Butter Hill, the “Ulster” was blown on the rocky shore and a hole stove in her hull. Most of the passengers were in their berths at the time but they were quickly aroused and gotten off with a minimum of confusion.

The “Ulster” was raised and rebuilt and placed in service on her regular route, running until the fall of 1921, when she was taken up to Rondout creek to Hiltebrant’s shipyard and was there rebuilt in the winter of 1922. The Vulcan Iron Works of Jersey City constructed a new boiler for the steamer and her name was changed to the “Robert A. Snyder” in honor of the late Robert A. Snyder who was for many years the president and superintendent of the Saugerties and New York Steamboat Company. She ran on the Saugerties line in conjunction with the steamboat “Ida."

​On Friday, February 20, 1936, the “Robert A. Snyder” was crushed by the ice as she lay in the lower creek off Saugerties where she had been tied up with her sister ship, the “Ida”, since the Saugerties Line ceased operation some four years before. The water was shallow at that point and the remains of the once famous boat now lies rotting to pieces on the muddy bottom of the Saugerties Creek, a sight that will bring back many memories of the olden days on the Hudson river to any of the old boatmen who were active at the time when the “Robert A. Snyder” was running on her regular schedule.

Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category

The tale of the steamboat “Sarah E. Brown,” known for a period in her existence as the “fish market boat,” begins in 1860, travels through the Civil War and comes to the Rondout creek harbor, and finally ends as the wreckers tear apart the remains of the vessel which lost a battle with the ice in the creek and was wrecked beyond repair, in the year 1893.

The wooden hull of the “Sarah E. Brown” was built at Brooklyn in 1860. She was 91 feet long, breadth of beam 19 feet five inches, depth of hold five feet eight inches. Her gross tonnage was listed at 45, with a net tonnage of 22, and she was propelled by a vertical beam engine with a cylinder diameter of 24 inches with a six foot stroke.

As can be ascertained from the above dimensions, the “Sarah E. Brown” was a small side wheel steamboat, which was built for towing service in and around New York harbor. There were many vessels similar to the “Sarah E. Brown” in use for the same purpose at that period in steamboat history. Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the “Sarah E. Brown” was taken over by the war department and placed in service on the Potomac river, being used principally in places where the river was too shallow for the larger vessels to navigate safely.

In 1865, at the close of the war, the “Sarah E. Brown” was brought north to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and tied up, and the following year she was sold to Thomas Cornell along with another side wheel steamboat, the “Ceres.” These two vessels, both painted black according to the practice of the federal government during the war, arrived at Rondout and were used for towing purposes in and around the Rondout creek.

Under the command of Captain Sandy Forsythe, the “Sarah E. Brown,” with Peter Powell as chief engineer, became a familiar sight along the river in the vicinity of the mouth of the Rondout creek.

The year 1869 marks the event which brought the nickname of the “fish market boat” to the “Sarah E. Brown.” A collision with an ice barge stove in the wheelhouse of the “Sarah E. Brown” carrying away much of the woodwork and leaving only the letters S.E.B. of her full name. Immediately some wag along the docks found the three letters could be the initial letters to the words “suckers,” “eels” and “bullheads,” and so the “Sarah E. Brown” came into the name of the “fish market boat.”

During the winter of 1870 the “Sarah E. Brown” was rebuilt at Sleightsburgh by Morgan Everyone, and Major Cornell was asked what name he wished for the rebuilt craft. It is reported that Major Cornell in turn asked Captain Sandy Forsythe what name he thought would be appropriate, and the captain replied that the name “Sandy” would do. Thus the “Sarah E. Brown” became the towboat “Sandy.”

​​The “Sandy” was in use around the Rondout harbor until the fall of 1892, and then it was an accident which occurred during the period when she was tied up for the winter, that brought the career of the “Sandy” to a close. N March 13, 1893, the ice in the upper section of the Rondout creek broke loose due to a spring freshet, and thousands off tons of ice rode the raging torrent down the creek. The onslaught of this mass swept many of the tied-up vessels from their moorings, and the side of the “Sandy” was crushed, causing the wrecked steamboat to sink. She was raised but was found to be in such condition that she was no longer of any use, and she was sold to Jacob Herold and broken up at Rondout.

​The history of the “James B. Schuyler” is perhaps one of the most colorful of any of the old Hudson river steamboats, although the vessel was not too large, being only 195 feet long, but possessed of great speed for her size.

She was built in 1863 for service in New York waters, plying on several short routes out of New York harbor. In 1867-1868 she was in service on the Bridgeport-New York route running in line with the steamer “Bridgeport.”

Then in the winter of 1874, Commodore Hancox purchased the “James B. Schuyler” and this was the beginning of her career as one of the most colorful steamboats ever to ply the Hudson river. Commodore Hancox had been operating the steamboats “Connecticut” and “C. Vanderbilt” on a night line between New York and Troy for several years but had been forced off the route in the summer of 1872 by the Citizens Line of Troy.

In the spring of 1874 Commodore Hancox placed the “James B. Schuyler” in service, competing with the Troy and Albany lines- and then the fun began, lasting until at one time the fare between the metropolis and Troy and Albany was only ten cents. The “Sunnyside” of the Troy Line and the “Drew” of the People’s Line of Albany were the chief rivals of the “James B. Schuyler,” and the captains of the three vessels resorted to all kinds of schemes to give their boat the advantage in the race for the lion’s share of the business.

Several of the incidents recalled by Mr. Murdock relative to this keen competition are extremely amusing. Working on the ill-fated “Sunnyside,” along with William Fairbrother of Port Ewen, Mr. Murdock was an eyewitness to these various pranks which were written into the record of the “Schuyler.”

One of the favorite tricks of the skipper of the “James B. Schuyler” was to pull up along side of one of the opposition vessels such as the “Sunnyside” and then strike up the band aboard the “Schuyler.” The passengers aboard the other boat would crowd to one side of the vessel to better enjoy the music and this would cause the boat to list to one side, raising one paddle wheel out of the water and cause the vessel to lose speed and let the “James B. Schuyler” forge ahead to the next landing. On one such occasion the “Schuyler” was playing this trick on the “Sunnyside” when the “Dean Richmond” passed both vessels. The “Schuyler” immediately took out after the “Richmond,” caught up with her, and began the band playing all over again. The resourceful skipper of the “Dean Richmond” ordered the safety valves on his boat to be lifted, thus making a terrific racket and drowning out the band aboard the “Schuyler” so his passengers could not hear and therefore would not rush to one side of the steamboat.

Another incident told by Mr. Murdock records the happenings of a rainy night at Albany. The “Schuyler” docked at the Albany landing above the “Dean Richmond” and along the railroad tracks, waiting for passengers from the train. Clem Hancox, son of the owner of the “Schuyler,” went ashore with a red lantern under his coat, and when the train came along, he waved the danger signal, stopped the train, and while the train crew were investigating to find out why the engineer had stopped the train above the station, the train passengers, believing the station had been reached, left the train and flocked aboard the “Schuyler.” When the train finally arrived at its regular destination, there were no passengers left for the “Dean Richmond.”

Old Commodore Hancox at one time had decided that he would pay no wharfage at the Troy landing. so the train owners built a high board fence around the landing of the “James B. Schuyler.” When the steamboat pulled into the dock there was no place for the passengers to land. The Commodore’s men were immediately ordered ashore with axes and bars, and soon the high board fence was only a mass of splintered lumber floating away down the river. The police were called and the crew of the “Schuyler” was escorted to the city jail. Then it was that the Commodore decided to pay the usual wharfage.

The “James B. Schuyler” continued running as an opposition boat until the fall of 1875, and in the winter of that year the People’s Line and the Citizens’ Line united to buy off Commodore Hancox and bring an end to the destructive competition which was ruining the business of all three of the companies.

​The “James B. Schuyler” was used for excursions around New York Harbor during the summer of 1876 and was then stripped of her staterooms, her boilers placed in the hold, and she was converted into a regular excursion boat. Later she was used on the Fishing Banks run, continuing here until 1896, when on October 18, as she was laying at her wharf in New York, she caught fire and was totally destroyed. Her hull was sold and taken to Port Washington on Long Island, where it was broken up.

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Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category.

Last week we had Captain William O. Benson's account of the Rensselaer and her unusual winter excursion. Today we learn more about the vessel herself.

No. 176- Rensselaer

The tale of the steamboat “Rensselaer” has yet to be completed, but she will remain a familiar figure to the present generation who remember her sailing up and down the Hudson river.

The steel hull of the “Rensselaer” was built by T.S. Marvel & Company at Newburgh in 1909- a sister ship, the “Trojan,” being constructed at the same time. Her engine was the product of W. & A. Fletcher Company of Hoboken, and her joiner work was executed by Charles M. Englis of Greenpoint, New York.
 
The dimensions of the “Rensselaer” are listed as: Length of hull, 317 feet three inches; breadth of beam, 42 feet three inches; over guards, 75 feet; depth of hold, 12 feet five inches; gross tonnage, 2690; net tonnage, 1790. She was powered with a vertical beam engine, diameter of cylinder, 72 inches, with a 12 foot stroke. Her wheels were of the feathering type, 27 feet outside diameter of the buckets, which were 11 by five feet in width.

The “Rensselaer” was built for the Citizens’ Line for night service between New York and Troy. She sailed on her maiden trip on Saturday evening, July 3, 1909, from New York up the river, under the command of Captain Charles H. Bruder with William Fairbrother as chief engineer, and her initial run proved that she was the equal of her recently-built sister ship, the “Trojan.”

Known for her magnificent furnishings, the “Rensselaer” soon gained prominence on the river. She is completely steam-heated, equipped with electricity, licensed to carry 1,200 passengers, has 240 state rooms, carried in three tiers of galleries above the main deck. Several of these staterooms have private baths attached- these baths being tiled in white with all modern appliances. In every respect both the “Rensselaer” and the “Trojan” were in keeping with the standards of Hudson river steamboats.

The “Rensselaer” and “Trojan” were in service on the Troy run until the spring of 1918, when they were placed on the Albany and New York route, replacing the steamboats “Adirondack” and “C.W. Morse,” which were taken over by the federal government to house recruits at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. At the close of the first World War the government returned the two river steamers from service at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the “Rensselaer” and her sister ship were returned to the Troy-New York route- running until the fall of 1927.

The next recording of the career of the “Rensselaer” is dated 1935, when, during the winter months, the “Rensselaer,” “Trojan” and “Berkshire” were purchased by Sam Rosoff of New York. During 1935 and 1936 the three vessels were in operation under the Rosoff banner, and then in 1937 only the “Trojan” and the “Berkshire” were in service. What will be the end of the “Rensselaer” is yet unknown, but one noteworthy event in her career that should be recorded was the mid-winter excursion carried by the “Rensselaer” on January 29, 1913.

On this date over 300 members and friends of Troy, No. 141, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, chartered the “Rensselaer” for an excursion down the Hudson river. Amid floating ice cakes and falling snowflakes, the “Rensselaer” and her party of merrymakers sailed down the Hudson for several miles and back again. Approximately three hours were consumed in this mid-winter excursion- an event that may never again be equaled in the pages of Hudson river steamboat history.

​The U.S. government took an option on the “Rensselaer” and towed her to Hoboken, N.J. in early February 1941 for possible war use as housing. She was not used and was cut down into a barge, the “James River,” which was scrapped in the early 1960s.

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Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. For more of Murdock's articles, see the "Steamboat Biographies" category

No. 72- Air Line

Today we delve into the archives of Mr. Murdock’s steamboat collection to learn of the history of a ferryboat which ceased operating between Saugerties and Tivoli just 23 years ago. Many of our readers will well remember this vessel as she was somewhat of a curiosity as far as her type was concerned.

The “Air Line” was a wooden hull vessel built at Philadelphia in 1857. She was 73 feet long, breadth of beam 20 feet, depth of hold six feet, five inches, gross tonnage 71, net tonnage 52, and she was powered with a vertical engine.

Originally this odd ferryboat was constructed for the Air Line Railroad Company of Pennsylvania and was one of the first of the walking beam type ferryboats ever constructed in this country. Her great bar walking beam coupled with the fact that she had only one bow instead of the customary two which are the rule for ferryboats, labeled the “Air Line” as a distinct curiosity.

The “Air Line” also holds a doubtful record of having made the trip from Philadelphia to Sandy Hook via the Atlantic Ocean; her owner refusing to pay toll charges to the New Jersey canals.

A photograph in the Murdock collection shows the “Air Line” with her one bow, long narrow alleyways separated by the engine house down the center of the vessel. An octagon-shaped pilot house stands atop the engine house with the great bar walking beam directly behind and a high smokestack rising from the middle of the steamboat. Lifeboats were mounted on the roofs of the side cabins.

John N. Snyder operated the “Air Line” when she plied the waters of the Hudson river between Saugerties and Tivoli, and because of her single bow, the vessel had to be turned completely after each crossing. For this reason the fare on the “Air Line” was the largest charged on any ferryboat on the Hudson river - a situation which would make a New Jersey commuter rise up in wrath if he had to pay the of 25 cents each time he crossed the river.

​The “Air Line” served the public between the two upriver towns for almost 58 years, continuing in service until 1915, when she was deemed worn out and sold to John Fisher, who took her to Rondout and dismantled her.

Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. See more of Murdock's articles in "Steamboat Biographies". 

                                                         No. 100- Homer Ramsdell
Although she left the waters of the Hudson- the river where she was launched- nine years ago, the memory of the steamer “Homer Ramsdell” is still a vivid picture to many of the present generation, and the vessel which once plowed the waters of the Hudson river, is still in service although the name “Homer Ramsdell” no longer appears on her bow.

The steel hull of the “Homer Ramsdell” was built by the T.S. Marvel & Company at Newburgh in 1887, and her engine was the product of William Wright, also of Newburgh. Her dimensions are listed: Length of hull, 225 feet, 8 inches, breadth of hull 32 feet, 6 inches (over guards, 37 feet, 6 inches), depth of hold 11 feet, 9 inches; engine compound fore and aft, diameter of cylinders, high pressure 28 inches, low pressure 52 inches by 36 inch stroke. She had two steel boilers of the lobster-back type which were constructed by W. & A. Fletcher Company at Hoboken, New Jersey. Her gross tonnage was 1181, and her net tonnage 822.

The “Homer Ramsdell” was built for the night line between Newburgh and New York, and was launched on February 24, 1887. She was owned by the Homer Ramsdell Transportation Company of Newburgh, and was a large, speedy, first class propellor steamboat of the most modern design. Her speed was rated at 16 miles per hour and she cost $115,000 when she was completed.

Two fast trips recorded in the history of the “Homer Ramsdell,” one on August 21, 1887, and the other on July 28, 1889, (from New York to Newburgh), give a good indication of the speed of the steamboat, when she completed the trip in three hours and nine minutes, and three hours and seven minutes respectively.

One year before the launching of the “Homer Ramsdell,” the Homer Ramsdell Transportation Company had the propeller steamboat “Newburgh” built at Philadelphia. The “Newburgh” was launched at the Quaker city on April 1, 1886, and the steamer “Homer Ramsdell” was constructed as a consort for the “Newburgh” on the New York line. These two vessels plied this route until 1899 when a new company was formed. This new company, the Central Hudson Steamboat Company, was formed out of the former Poughkeepsie Transportation Company and the Romer & Tremper Line of Rondout.

On Sunday evening, May 21, 1911, after 24 years of service on the Hudson river, the steamer “Homer Ramsdell” burned to the water’s edge at her wharf at Newburgh. Michael Boyle, a deckhand, was drowned when he jumped overboard to escape the flames. The fire was caused by the explosion of a lamp, and four of the crew were on board when the fire started. Three escaped to the dock while Boyle remained behind in an endeavor to start the pumps. The deckhand, believing his escape to the dock to be cut off by the fire, leaped overboard and was drowned. The owners of the “Homer Ramsdell” estimated their loss to be $250,000.

The hull of the burned steamboat was rebuilt- part of the wood for the joiner works coming from the steamboat “Central Hudson.” (formerly the “James W. Baldwin”), which had been abandoned. The rebuilt “Homer Ramsdell” made her first trip on December 2, 1911, and continued in the service of the Central Hudson Steamboat Company until May 1929 when the Hudson River Night Line and the Hudson River Dayline jointly purchased the assets of the Central Hudson Steamboat Company at a receiver’s sale. Five steamboats were included in the transaction. These were the “Jacob H. Tremper,” “Homer Ramsdell,” “Newburgh,” “Benjamin B. Odell,” and the “Poughkeepsie.” The “Jacob H. Tremper” was of little use and was broken up at Newburgh in 1929, but the other four vessels were placed in service on the Hudson river.
              
On November 28, 1929, the Nantasket Beach excursion fleet was burned. The destroyed vessels (all sidewheelers) included the “Old Colony,” “Mary Chilton,” “Rose Standish,” “Betty Alden,” and “Nantasket,” and this event marked what is probably the end of the “Homer Ramsdell’s” service on the Hudson river. In the spring of 1930 the “Homer Ramsdell” and the “Newburgh” were sold to the Nantasket Steamboat Company and were converted into excursion steamboats. May 1, 1930, saw the name “Homer Ramsdell” disappear from the bow of the former Hudson river vessel and the name “Alleston” take its place. The “Newburgh" was renamed the “Nantasket” on the same date, and the two vessels were taken east to run from Boston to Nantasket Beach where they are still in service.

Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. See more of Murdock's articles in "Steamboat Biographies". 

                                                No. 252- Washington Irving
The flagship of the Hudson River Dayline fleet- the “Washington Irving”- is a steamboat that is better known to the present generation, although her whistle no longer echoes among the Highlands of the Hudson; for it was 14 years ago that the pride of the Dayline met with an accident which ended her career.

The steel hull of the “Washington Irving” was built by the New York Shipbuilding Company at Camden, N.J., in 1912. Her keel was 405 feet long with an overall length of 416 feet, six inches. She had a breadth of beam of 47 feet, over the guards she was 84 feet, and her hold was 23 feet, seven inches deep. The gross tonnage of the “Washington Irving” was 3,104 and net tonnage 1,664. Her engine was constructed by the W. & A. Fletcher Company Iron Works of Hoboken, N.J., and was the incline double expansion type with three cranks and three cylinders. Two of the cylinders measured 70 inches in diameter and the third measured 45 inches, with a seven foot stroke. Steam was supplied by four single and two double ended scotch boilers carrying 170 pounds of steam and generating 6,000 horsepower.

The flagship of the Hudson River Dayline was launched at Camden, N.J., on Saturday, December 7, 1912- this date marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Dayline by Commodore Alfred Van Santvoord.

Destined exclusively for service as a day-boat between New York and Albany, the “Washington Irving” was by long odds the largest and most exquisitely furnished inland passenger vessel in the world. She had a passenger carrying capacity of 6,000, and made her first trip on Saturday, May 24, 1913, under the command of Captain David H. Deming with Thomas Hall as chief engineer.

Running in line with the Dayline fleet which consisted of the “Mary Powell,” “Albany,” “Robert Fulton,” “Hendrick Hudson,” and the “Alexander Hamilton,” the “Washington Irving” continued in service on the Hudson river until June 1926 when she met with an accident which closed her career.

On June 1, 1926 the “Washington Irving” left her pier at the foot of Desbrosses street, New York, bound for Albany with 200 passengers aboard. A heavy fog made the visibility very poor and the whistle of the “Washington Irving” kept up a constant din as she left her berth and headed upriver. The pilots of other vessels were also experiencing difficulty in navigating due to the fog, and thus it happened that the tug “Thomas E. Moran” of the Moran Towing Company, hauling two iron oil barges, hove into sight of the “Washington Irving”- too close to avoid a collision. One of the barges struck the “Washington Irving” aft of the wheel on the port side- smashing the side in completely.

Captain David H. Deming, commander of the pride of the Dayline, realized immediately the seriousness of the accident and tied down the whistle of his vessel for the purpose of summoning aid from other craft in the harbor. Passengers were ordered to the top deck to don lifebelts, and the continuous blasts of the “Washington Irving’s” whistle soon brought more than a dozen other vessels to her side. The ill-fated dayboat reached a pier on the Jersey shore where passengers were able to scramble to safety. Two lives were lost in the accident- a Mrs. Arthur Hoag and her three-year-old daughter of Long Island City.

The “Washington Irving” sunk along side of the pier- coming to rest on the end of the Holland Vehicular Tunnel. On February 14, 1927 the vessel was raised and later taken to Bayonne, New Jersey where she was tied up. In September 1933 the wreck of the “Washington Irving” was sold for junk to the Northern Metal Company of Philadelphia where she was taken and broken up.

Editor's Note: The following text is a verbatim transcription of an article written by George W. Murdock, for the Kingston (NY) Daily Freeman newspaper in the 1930s. Murdock, a veteran marine engineer, wrote a regular column. Articles transcribed by HRMM volunteer Adam Kaplan. See more of Murdock's articles in "Steamboat Biographies". See more Sunday News here.

                                                                 No. 31- Iron Witch
The “Iron Witch,” built in 1844 by Hogg and Delamater of New York, was constructed for Hudson river service and was one of the “freaks” of the early forties, having an iron hull. She was designed by John Ericsson, designer of the famous “Monitor” which engaged the Confederate ram “Merrimac” in the first battle of iron-clad vessels during the Civil War, and was fitted with a special type of engine and very small side-wheels.

The “Iron Witch” appeared on the river on August 10, 1846, and was placed in service on the Albany day route in line with the “Metamora”, forming an opposition line.

The first trip, from New York to Albany, required nine hours and 23 minutes. This time, which was the best she could do, placed the “Iron Witch” as a failure, and she was withdrawn from service in September. During the winter her side paddle wheels were removed and side screw wheels geared to the shaft were substituted, but they were of less value as a sped producer, and the steamer was abandoned.

After a time a beam engine with ordinary radial wheels was placed in the hull of the “Iron Witch”, and she was renamed the “Erie”. Under this name she was placed in service between New York and Piermont, the terminus of the Erie Railroad before the Civil War. In 1861 this engine was removed and placed in the ferryboat “Pavonia”, the first ferryboat built for the Erie Railroad Company to operate between New York and Jersey City. The “Delaware” and “Susquehanna” were the next two ferryboats built for the Erie Railroad in 1863. Then in 1869 the Erie Company had the “Jay Gould” and the “James Fisk, Jr.” built and added to their fleet of ferrys which were at that time the most handsome ferryboats in New York harbor.

Thus to the “Iron Witch” goes the honor of being the beginning of the Erie Railroad Company’s present fleet of ferryboats.