1831

January 4, 1831. Albany Argus.
The Evening Journal states that the sloop "Detroit", which was sunk last spring opposite West Point, in 170 feet water, has finally been raised, and a part of her valuable cargo already taken out.

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March 24, 1831. Catskill Recorder. Catskill Line. "Bucktast". "Superior". "Shakespeare". The subscribers tender their thanks to the publick for the former liberal patronage conferred on them, and respectfully solicit a continuances of it. One of these vessels will leave CATSKILL on THURSDAY, and another NEW YORK on FRIDAY, of every week. The third Sloop will sail from CATSKILL and NEW YORK on such days as may best promote the mutual interests of the publick and subscribers. Orders respecting produce and merchandise committed to their care, will be faithfully attended to Penfield, Day & Co.

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March 24, 1831. Newburgh Telegraph.
OLD ESTABLISHMENT. STEAM-BOAT AND SLOOP LINE Tuesday, Thursday & Friday Stages. FOR 1831, FROM D. CRAWFORD'S DOCK 
THE substantial and fast sailing Steam-Boat BALTIMORE, ROB'T WARDROP, Master, will leave D. Crawford's Dock, Newburgh, every Tuesday and Friday, and New-York every Monday and Thursday evenings, and carry freight and passengers at the lowest rates. The Baltimore has superior accommodations for passengers, and is well calculated for all kinds of freight, stock, &c. As the boat will not be delayed by contrary winds, &c. persons having freight to and from New-York will find her a great convenience. 
Sloop ILLINOIS, John Polhamus, Master, being in first rate order for freight, will leave Newburgh every Thursday evening, and New-York every Tuesday, at 12 o'clock, noon. 
☞  For Freight or passage apply to the Captain, or to D. CRAWFORD & Co. where unsettled accounts will be left. 
D.CRAWFORD & CO. will keep constantly for sale plaster, salt, fish, pork, canal flour, whiskey, tar, iron, and steel, Pierson's nails, coal, mill and crosscut saws, clover and Timothy seed, fanning-mills, hollow-ware, churn and plough castings, ploughs, grindstones, writing and wrapping paper, soap and candles by the box. &c. A general and extensive assortment of Dry Goods, Wines, Groceries, &c. &c. Cash paid for produce, lumber and rags.

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March 24, 1831. Newburgh Telegraph.
Steam & Tow-Boat Line, for 1831. OAKLEY & DAVIS' DOCK, Tuesday & Friday Stages, from Newburgh, and Wednesday & Saturday from New York. The New and Low Pressure STEAM BOAT PROVIDENCE. Capt. Levi D. Wolsey
WILL take the sloop FAVORITE, Capt. Seth Belknap, in tow every Tuesday, at 7 O'clock P. M. from the above dock, and from N. York every Saturday evening, during the season.
The sloop JAMES MONROE, Capt. S. R., Logan will be taken in tow by the Providence every Friday, from the same dock, at 7 o'clock, P. M. and from New-York every Wednesday evening. 
The steamboat Providence has recently been purchased by Mr. John Hall, of New Windsor, and Oakley & Davis of Newburgh for the express purpose of towing their vessels to and from the city of New-York, and for the better accommodation of the friends and customers.  She is on the low pressure principle & has had a new boiler put in during the last season.  Her accommodations for the convenience of passengers are superior to any other boat from the Village. 
By this arrangement the above sloops and captains will have four days in New-York each trip to transact their business thereby avoiding the hurry and confusion that is unavoidable on board of those boats, that are only half that time in the Market.  Freight and Passengers will be carried by this line with as much expidition, and on as good terms as any other in this place.  The unsettled accounts will, as usual be left with Oakley & Davis for settlement. 
NATH'L DUBOIS, SAM'L R LOGAN  OAKLEY & DAVIS, SETH BELKNAP 
OAKLEY & DAVIS, keep for sale at their Store a general assortment of Dry Goods, groceries, teas, sugars, iron, steel, nails, nailrods, hoop-iron, sole leather, ploughs and plough castings, clover and timothy seed, window-glass, &c. and at the dock, all kinds of salt, fish, plaster, tar, grindstones, &c.  They also keep an assortment of northern and western lumber. Cash paid for produce, lumber and rags, Reid & Steel's writing and wrapping paper, at mill prices.     

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April 7, 1831 Newburgh Telegraph
OLD ESTABLISHMENT Steam-Boat and Sloop Line Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday Stages For [illegible] FROM D CRAWFORD'S DOCK 
THE substantial and fast-sailing Steam-Boat BALTIMORE, Rob't Wardrop, Master, will leave D. Crawford's Dock, Newburgh, every Tuesday and Friday, and New-York every Monday and Thursday evenings, without any boats in tow, and carry freight and passengers at the lowest rates.  The Baltimore has superior accommodations for passengers, and is well calculated for all kinds of freight, stock, &c.  As the boat will not be delayed by contrary winds, &c. persons having freight to and from New-York will find her a great convenience. 
Sloop ILLINOIS, John Polhamus, Master, being in first order for freight, will leave Newburgh every Thursday evening, and New-York every Tuesday, at 12 o'clock, noon. 
    ☞ For Freight or passage apply to the Captain, or to D. CRAWFORD & Co where unsettled accounts will be left. 
D. CRAWFORD & CO. will keep constantly for sale plaster, salt, fish, pork, canal flour, whiskey, tar, iron, and steel, Pierson's nails, coal, mill and crosscut saws, clover and Timothy seed, fanning-mills, hollow-ware, churn and plough castings, ploughs, grindstones, writing and wrapping paper, soap and candles by the box, &c.  A general and extensive assortment of Dry Goods, Wines, Groceries, Ac. &c.  Cash paid for produce, lumber and rags. 

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April 21, 1831 Newburgh Telegraph
NEWBURGH & ALBANY Packet. The fast-sailing Sloop ABELLINO, Remus Woolsey, Master, will ply the ensuing season between Newburgb and Albany, leaving Messrs. Crawford & Co's Dock every Tuesday and Albany every Saturday, wind and weather permitting, commencing on the [illeg.] of April.  She will land and receive freight at any public dock between Newburgh and Albany, if required.  The Abellino is a good Sloop, and every care will be taken of fright. Her accommodations are equal to those of any other vessel of her tonnage on the river. 
    ☞  For freight or passage, apply to the master on board, or at J. P. Gidney's Grocery, opposite Oakley & Davis' Store, Newburgh.

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April 29, 1831 Albany Argus
Imprudent Leap - An overgrown Johnny Raw, who would measure six feet two in the stockings, made his first appearance here a few days ago, for the double purpose of disposing of a load of lumber, and seeing the wonders of the town. Having never in his life fallen in with any water craft, larger than a canoe, his first desire was to see a ship, sloop, horseboat or steamboat, it was all one to him. He drove directly to the wharf - a vessel was swinging out a few yards in the stream, by her cable, and the surface of the water between her and the wharf covered with a mass of floating scum, chips and rubbish collected by the eddy. He paid no attention to this, but with his eyes fixed on the vessel, walked to the edge of the wharf, and jumped off, a distance of about five feet, to take a nearer view; down he went, and the scum closed over him! In a moment more he reappeared, fortunately within reach of the dock - he seized hold, and crawled out dripping and shivering with wet and cold. "Oh dear," said he, "I thought it was ground." [Catskill Recorder]

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April 29, 1831 Albany Argus
The Green County Advertiser states, that on Friday week, during the gale, Andrew McIntosh, one of the hands on board the sloop "Syren", of Albany fell from the mast head and was drowned. The same paper states, that on Sunday, a sloop of 8 or 10 tons, having on her stern "Industry, of Great Barrington," drifted ashore at Stuyvesant. One man was struggling in the water, bur drowned before he could be reached. The boat is in possession of Mr. Jesse Ackerly, Stuyvesant, above Coxsackie ferry.

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May 5, 1831 Newburgh Telegraph
For Freight or Charter. The Sloop "Mentor", Capt. Henry Bailley, will make trips on freight or charter, to any place required on the river, on moderate term. This arrangement offers great convenience to persons wishing freight, in small or large quantities carried to, or brought from any place along the river. Orders left at the Ferry House, Newburgh, will be attended to without delay. 

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 June 3, 1831 Albany Argus
​Old Line.
Canal, Capt. L.W. Brainard
Utica. E. Ford
Erie, J.L. Hyatt
Governor, E. Ford, jun.
Ohio, B.C. Brainard.
One of the above sloops will leave New York and Albany every Thursday and Saturday. They are all insured and of the first class. All property will be carefully delivered as directed, or forwarded to any part of the United States or the Canadas, at the lowest rate, without delay. For freight apply to the captain on board, or to their agents. Dibblee & Brown, S.P. Jermain, Albany. John H. Mabbett, New York

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July 29, 1831 Albany Argus
Melancholy Accident. About 12 o'clock yesterday as the sloop "Shepherd", of Cortland Town, was proceeding down the North river with a party of pleasure, when opposite the Chemical Factory, Jersey City, the skiff attached to the sloop went adrift, by the breaking of the painter, and the man at the helm, in putting the sloop about, neglected to give warning, in consequence of which Mrs. Ann Adams, (wife of Mr. George Adams, of Bloomingdale,) and her child two years old, were knocked overboard by the boom and drowned. Every exertion was made for the recovery of the bodies without effect. [N.Y. Daily Sentinel]

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August 5, 1831 Albany Argus
From the N.Y. Standard of July 28. Steamboat Case. On the 5th April last, we published the result of a trial in the superior court before Judge Oakley, in which Stephen Miller was plaintiff, and Messrs J.C. & R.L. Stevens, defendants; the verdict then rendered was $250 damages for the plaintiff. The first verdict has been set aside as will be seen by the report below, which, as an act of justice for the parties defendant, we copy from yesterday's Courier and Enquirer. Superior Court - Steam Boats Before his Honor Chief Justice Jones.
Stephen Miller versus J.C. Stevens and Robert L. Stevens.

This was an action brought by the plaintiff, as owner of the sloop "Montgomery", to recover damages for injuries sustained by her in 1829; from a collision with the steamboat "North America", of which boat the defendants are proprieters.

It appeared that the "North America", under the command of the second or assistant captain, left Newburgh on a certain evening for New York. On her passage down the pilot kept her close to the eastern shore, in consequence of the state of the wind and tide. The persons on board observed two sloops sailing up the river from New York with the wind and tide in their favor.

One of these sloops passed about 300 or 400 yards west of the boat; the other, which proved to be the "Montgomery", was still nearer the western shore, but when she was about one quarter of a mile from the "North America", in a diagonal direction, she was struck by a flaw of wind, which obliged her to luff round and sail towards the east by a circular sweep. The persons on the look out on board the "N. America" observed the difficulty under which the sloop labored, and hallowed out to he persons navigating her to beat off, but the sloop still advanced rapidly before the squall towards the boat. The second pilot, who was in charge of the helm, instantly ordered the engine to be stopped, and then directed the boat to be put back, but so quickly did the sloop advance, that these precautions did not avail., the sloop struck against the boat and went aground. The action was here brought for the consequent damage sustained by the sloop.

The plaintiffs rested their claim for damages, on the grounds, that steamboats, as they are supposed always to have wind and tide in their favor, must be so navigated as to prevent their collision with other vessels that are not so much favored in these particulars. Next, that  the steamboat was not properly equipped, inasmuch as the captain was not on board, nor was the first pilot on deck when the likelihood arose that the boat and sloop would come in collision.

In reply to these grounds, it was testified on behalf of the defendants, that every possible precaution was used on board the boat, that the state of the tide obliged her to be kept near the eastern shore; and when the danger was observed, to steer to the shore would be to steer towards certain destruction; that by steering west, the probability of a collision would have been greater, and that the only movement likely to evade danger was the retrograde movement which was made, although not with sufficient success giving the velocity of a steam boat a direction contrary to that in which it was before; and the rapidity with which the sloop sailed on. They also showed that the persons in the sloop, kept their helm hard down, when they should have kept it up. If the latter course was pursued, the collision might have been avoided, or at least the injury resulting from it would not have been so great. The first mate was in the kitchen on deck and rushed out when the alarm was given.

The Court in charging the Jury told them, that if they believed the persons on board the boat had been guilty of any negligence, the verdict should be against the defendants, even though they believed the persons on board the sloop were guilty of negligence also. This rule he considered necessary, in consequence of the great advantages steamboats have over all other kinds of vessels.

As to the absence of the captain, this he considered immaterial , as the navigation of steamboats is confided to the pilots, not to him. The absence of the first pilot from the wheel, was also immaterial, as it was impossible he could be night and day there; this, however, was only applicable, where, in this case, a second pilot was on board and in charge of the helm.

The Jury returned a verdict for the defendants.

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August 12, 1831 - Albany Argus
Sloop Upset. A few miles below Coxsackie the "North America" passed a sloop, upset, lying upon her side, her mast out of water. It is understood to have been run foul of by the "Ohio" on Monday night. No lives were lost, and the sloop was empty.​

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December 9, 1831 - Albany Argus
Amongst the causes tried at the court of oyer and terminer, held in the city of Hudson last week, was an action brought by James Vanderpoel, Benjamin Butler and others, owners of the sloop "Martha Ann", of Kinderhook, against John and Robert Gilchrist, of Albany, owners of the sloop "Lafayette", for the recovery off damages, occasioned by the running down, or capsizing of the "Martha Ann" by the "Lafayette": damages for the plaintiffs $1098.