1857

May 2, 1857. ​Rockland County Journal (Nyack, N. Y.)
 SLOOP LAUNCH.
 Mr. Editor — We had quite an interesting little affair this afternoon in the launch of the sloop Frank Dillon.  She is a handsome looking craft, well built, and named in honor of that identical individual who, during the heavy gale last winter was supposed to have been drowned from one of the Railroad barges, and made his re-appearance at the very time when a large number of his sorrowing friends were on their way down the Pier burthened with the necessary implements to grapple for the body of their lamented friend.  The gallant vessel, trimmed with her bright flags and bunting, glided gracefully into the water amid the hurrahs of the spectators and the firing of cannon.  A person standing at the bowsprit, holding in his hand a bottle of some sparkling fluid, led to the expectation of a regular christening ceremony, with an attendant speech and breaking of the neck of the bottle, but the occasion was evidently too much for him.  What became of the bottle and its contents, your correspondent cannot take it upon his conscience to say.  I will only add, may the "Frank Dillon," through all encountering gales and tempests, come out right side up, as her living namesake did last winter.  Piermont, April 30, 1857.

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September 3, 1857. ​Rockland County Messenger (Haverstraw, N. Y.)
THE SLOOP "AURORA" SUNK.
About twenty minutes to one o'clock, on Friday morning, during the heavy storm, the Hoboken ferryboat "Paterson", which was making her half-past twelve o'clock trip from this city, ran into the sloop "Aurora", laden with brick, from Tarrytown, sinking her in less than five minutes. The accident occurred in the middle of the river, and at the time there was blowing a tremendous gale from the South.
           
The sloop was making a tack, intending to run over to the foot of Duane street There was no light visible, and it being very dark, the Pilot of the "Paterson", Cornelius Van Riper, did not see the sloop until within fifty feet of her.  He immediately gave the signal to back the Ferry Boat, but it was too late, and she struck the sloop just on her stem, cutting it entirely in two.  The "Aurora" was loaded with 30,000 brick, and instantly filled and went down.
           
There was on board of her three persons — the captain, John Quinn; the mate, Olando Milro; and the cook, Thomas Hissner.  As soon as the captain of the "Aurora" found that the sloop was sinking, he hallooed for assistance. There was but one small boat on the "Paterson," which was instantly got out by the deck hands, and the parties rescued, all of whom were at the time in the water.  The cook was taken down when the sloop sunk, but arose to the top of the water and was rescued by the boat hands.
           
The "Aurora" was owned by Lot Onderdonk, of Haverstraw, and was valued at $3000.  The brick was consigned to parties in this city.  No blame can be attached to the Ferry Company, as the sloop had no light out.  There were about 25 passengers on board the "Paterson", among whom were a number of ladies, who were very much alarmed at the time, but on finding no damage was done the ferry-boat, they soon became quiet.
           
This is the first accident of the kind that has ever occurred in this Ferry, and the pilot of the "Paterson" is considered one of the most careful men in the employ of the company.
           
The sloop was crossing at considerable speed; and it is understood that there was no man on the lookout, notwithstanding it was so dark 

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September 5, 1857.  ​Rockland County Journal (Nyack, N. Y.)
A Haverstraw Sloop Sunk in the New York Bay. — On Friday morning of last week about a quarter before one o'clock, as the Hoboken ferry boat Paterson was crossing to Hoboken, she run into a brick-sloop, and sunk her in two minutes.  The night was very dark, and a terrible storm raging.  The tide was running up very fast, and the ferry boat had headed north when the accident occurred.  The sloop was tacking directly for the foot of Duane street, and having no light up, she was not observed until within twenty feet of the ferry boat.  The engines were immediately reversed, and as the sloop cleared her amidships, the ferry boat struck her with a terrible crash, ripping off the entire stern of the sloop.  The sloop then shot past the ferry boat with immense speed, and when ten feet aft the latter, keeled over and sunk.  At this period, her captain, John Quin, and his mate, Orlando Milton, jumped overboard, and were hauled on board the ferry boat, leaving on the sloop a lad who could not swim, named Thomas Heisser (cook.)   He became entangled in the rigging, as the sloop went down, but through the humane exertions of the ferry boat deck hands, Henry Like and John Boyce, he was eventually saved.  The sloop was the "Aurora," of Haverstraw, and was laden with thirty thousand fine faced brick.  She is owned by Lot Onderdonk, of Haverstraw, and is fully insured.  The ferry boat had two heavy lights up, while the sloop had none, and as the night was exceedingly dark, the sloop could not be observed.

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December 5, 1857. Rockland County Journal (Nyack, N. Y.)
COUNTY ITEMS. Melancholy Casualty. — We regret to learn that a young man named Patrick Wallon, whose family reside in Yonkers, was drowned on Wednesday evening, under the following circumstances. He was employed on the Schooner "Sylvester Gesner", Captain Garrison, which was coming down from Albany. The schooner was nearly opposite Haverstraw village, going about ten miles an hour when he was unfortunately knocked overboard by the fore boom. The man at the helm instantly gave the alarm, and the schooner was put about, but she was under such headway that she must have been at least a mile distant before a boat could be lowered. The cries of the drowning man could still be heard, and the boat was rowed to him fast as possible. At length he was seen and his shipmate had approached within two rods of him, and was endeavoring to encourage him to struggle a moment longer, when he gave up and sunk. Thus the unfortunate man perished, the bitterness of his fate increased by the fact, that rescue was before his eyes, and almost within his grasp. He must have struggled for nearly half an hour after being knocked overboard and it is wonderful that in the icy water, roughened by a strong wind he should have lived so long.