History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 840

USA > New Jersey > Essex County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I > Part 53
USA > New Jersey > Hudson County > History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I > Part 53

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The North Belleville bridge was built in 1854, prior to which a ferry for horses and wagons was operated at that point. The bridge was purchased under the same act as the Belleville bridge, and belongs jointly to Essex and Bergen Counties. It is free, and cost $16,000.

Then comes the Pine Brook bridge, where the latter stream flows into the Passaic, in C'aklwell Town- ship. This is a handsome iron structure, one hun- dred and seventy-five feet in length. There was a bridge upon its site more than one hundred years ago, and tories and refugees found it a convenient cross- ing-place during the Revolution; for it was in a secluded country over the Passaic where they kept their stoten horses, cattle, etc., and where they "ran to earth" when closely pursued by the sturdy patri- otie yeomanry of old Essex.

From the best information that can be received from the "oklest inhabitants," it may be stated that all of the large bridges that cross the Passare and other streams belonging to its system have an ante- Revolutionary date, though probably, not one of the original structures is now standing. The old bridges were generally built with abutment walls and plain stone piers, and timber laid across, the pretentious arch and graceful iron bridges being things of cous- paratively recent origin.

The Pine Brook Bridge is at the crossing of the old Pompton turnpike ,over which the ores of Morris County were once conveyed, on the backs of mules, to the smelting furnaces at Newark.

CHAPTER XXI.

Ancient Stage Lines and Routes- - Morris and Exsex Canal Railroads in Essex and Hudson l'ounties-street Hailronds in Eseex County. 1

Stages.2-In the year 1800, and for a number of years thereafter, the only publie conveyance of passengers by land between Newark and New York was one two- horse stage coach, which went to Powles Hook, now Jersey City, in the morning and came back in the evening. It was an ungainly and unwieldly vehicle, with a long body, hung upon iron jacks, with five seats including the driver's. It also had a baggage- rack behind. The journey was made over a road which was as bad as any that can be imagined. For four miles from Ogden's tavern to the Hackensack it was made with logs and stones, from which the earth was entirely washed by the high tide, and the passengers, as a rule, preferred the rough walk for the whole of this stretch to the jolting ride. At the time of which we speak there was but one house at Powles Hook, the tavern and ferry-house kept by one Major Hunt.

The "Swift Sure Line" at this time passed between New York and Philadelphia by way of Somerville.

In 1813, there were four lines between New York and Philadelphia, all under the same management. The "Pilot " stage left at five A. M., carried seven

1 By Henry Farmer. " sketch by \ Matthews

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

passengers at $10, and arrived at Philadelphia in the morning. The "Commercial" lett at seven A. M., carried its passengers to Trenton, where they speut the night, and to Philadelphia the next morning by eleven o'clock, the fare being $6. The " Mail " stage left at one o'clock P. M., and arrived in Philadelphia the next morning at six o'clock, the number of pas- sengers being limited to six at $10 each. This line, after the stage was robbed about 1816, for a number of years carried a guard, whose sonorous horn will be remembered by many persons yet living, who heard it wake the echoes along the comparatively quiet streets of Newark. The fourth line was the " Expedition Stage," which left New York at four o'clock P. M., stopped at Rahway, then Bridgetown for the night, and reached Philadelphia the next afternoon. There was little change in the management until about 1816.

General John Noble Cumming was one of the chief stage proprietors and also a mail contractor for many years.

Of General Cumming a story is told worth preserv- ing : "It seems that during the Postmaster General- ship of Gideon Granger, from 1502 to 1809, under Presidents JetTerson and Madison, serious irregular- ities occurred in the distribution of letters; and as the business was not yet systematized, with its agents, detectives, &e., he determined to travel in disguise over the mail-routes, in order to discover what con- tractor was amiss in the performance of his obliga- tions. General Cumming, the New Jersey mail con- tractor, was privately informed of the movements of hi- superior by a friend in the General Post Office (probably chief clerk O. B. Brown, a Newarker), and instructed his negro driver how to proceed when he should happen to have a passenger answering to a certain description. Not long after tiranger entered the stage at Panlus Hook (now Jersey City), and the lark-skinned driver, with a wise countenance, mounted to his seat, and gathering up his reins gave his horses a tremendous crack of his long whip. Away they bounded with fearful celerity over the "corduroy" road. Presently Granger put his head through the window and requested the driver to go slower. "('an't do it, Sir ; I drive the United States mail," was the reply, accompanied by another crack of the whip over the heads of the leaders. Again and again did Granger implore the obdurate black to moderate hi- speed, and every time came the response, "Can't do it, Sir; I drive the United States mail," with re- newed application of the whip. Granger did not recover from the bruises of his John tilpin ride for weeks, and was quite satisfied that one contract at least was honestly fulfilled." 1

Navigation of the Passaic .- Few persons not di- rectly interested, understand the importance or value of the navigation of the Passaic River to the commerce of Newark. With railroads now running from every

quarter of the city to New York and all points South and West, the Passaic has come to be regarded as of little importance, while on the contrary, it has con- stantly become of more and more consequence as one of the channels of trade. The first settlers under- stood its advantages, and after looking at sites in West Jersey, Robert Treat and his Connecticut brethren became impressed with the banks of the Passaic as a suitable place to found a colony, on ac- count, in a measure, of the availability of the site by reason of its proximity to the high seas. We do not find that as a port it obtained any notoriety during the infancy of the province of East Jersey. Its older sister, Elizabeth, seems to have been more favored at first, and Perth Amboy later. Nevertheless, the value of the water communication with New York was fully appreciated by the settlers, and what little communication then existed between the young colo- nists and their neighbors was mostly effected by sail boats.

Nearly three-quarters of a century ago, long before railroads were in practical operation. and when the means of communication between Newark and New York was confined to bolster wagons and flat-bot- tomed sloops, Messrs. Stephens, Condit and Cox, established a line of freight boats, consisting of sloops and schooners, that made regular trips between the two cities. This was in the year 18IS. In those days a much larger number of vessels arrived at, and sailed from the docks of Newark than the city can now boast of. Ship-building was carried on to a con- siderable exteut at Belleville, and on the opposite banks higher up the river, where Cornelius Jorole- mon enjoyed the reputation of building the swiftest sloops that navigated the waters near New York. It was at Belleville, in 1798, that Roosevelt built a little steam craft, sixty feet long, and fitted with an engine of twenty inch cylinder and two feet stroke, named the "Polacca." On the 21st of October, in that year, eight years before the successful trial of Fulton's "('lermont" on the Hudson River, this little vessel started on her trial trip on the waters of the Passaic. Her success however is disputed, and what became of her is not known.

Newark Bay was a popular resort for anglers and pleasure parties. The waters were not then poisoned by the filth of sewers, so that a good catch of fish or a reviving bath could be enjoyed. Very few Newarkers of to-day give a thought to the early history of the Passaic River, and yet fifty years ago.whaling vessels were fitted out here, and a depot for the reception of sperm oil and whalebone was established near the C'entre Street dock, on the ground now occupied by J. R. Sayre and Co. Large oil casks were made in a cooper-shop constructed at the dock by the "Stephens, C'ondit & Wright Whaling and Sealing Company," which fitted out the ships "John Wells " and "Co- Inmibus" as first-class whalers. The "John Wells" was commanded by Captain Russell, a strict officer,

1 From Atkinson'n History of Newark

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ANCIENT STAGE LINES AND ROUTES.

and an excellent sailor. The "Columbus" was com- manded by another old whaling captain. Each had a crew of about thirty men and boys.

They started on their cruise in the summer of 1837. ran down to the Gulf, "doubled" Cape Horn, and secured a rich haul in the Pacific. Thence to the Arctic Ocean, where the "Columbus" was wrecked among icebergs, her crew being rescued by the "John Wells." After a cruise of twenty-three months the " Wella" returned to Newark with three thousand bar- rels of oil and a large quantity of whalebone. The " Wells " made three more voyages to the Arctic Ocean, and was subsequently sold to a firm in New Bedford, Connecticut, and here ended Newark's aspirations for fame as a whaling port.

One of the Newark boys, who constituted a part of the crew of this vessel, was Michael Nerney, who as a boy was fond of adventure, and ambitious to become a sailor. On returning from his whaling cruise, he shipped before the mast on a trader, and at the age of twenty-one years was made t'aptain of the "John Benson," which ran between New York. Havana, and South American ports. In subsequent years he served as a New Jersey pilot, and in piloting vessels to Newark he early saw the necessity of having light- houses in Newark Bay and at Bergen Point. He agitated the subject, and interested Congressman Dudley S. Gregory, of Jersey City, who secured an ap- propriation of $12,000 from Congress in 1847, $6,000 being for a lighthouse in the Bay, and $6,000 for one at Bergen Point. On September 20, 1849, both light- houses were lighted for the first time, and Captain Nerney was appointed keeper of the Bay lighthouse, a position he retained for twenty-one years, when he was superseded, as he always believed, because of his determined opposition to the building of the Bay bridge by the New Jersey Central Railroad Company. During the time he was keeper of the lighthouse he kept a record of the vessels going up and down the Bay, and had known as many as three hundred to pass in one day.

During all the lapse of years since its formation, the old Stephens & Con lit Company's line, as it was subsequently called, continued in operation, but not steamboat navigation had been established.

did an immense business on Sundays, sometimes carrying three thousand five hundred people to New York or Coney Island, (then a more dem- ocratic resort than at present) in one day. The steamboat "Wave," Captain O. Vanderbilt, was announced to make a Sunday excursion to C'oney Island on the 20th of July, 1845, "to give to me- chanics and others whose avocations during the week

would not allow of the luxury," an opportunity of enjoying the sea breezes and a dip in the ocean. Fome of the people of Newark were greatly scandalized at this openly-avowed intention to desecrate the Sabbath day, and gave vent to bitter denunciations in the news- papers. The "Wave" did not make her proposed exceptionable excursions. A few persons presented themselves at the dock, but the ruins of the great fire below Wall Street, New York, which occurred on the day previous, proved a greater attraction to the several hundred people, who filled the regular packet steamboat " Passaic," then commanded by Captain John Gatly.

The "Passaic" was lengthened 55 feet in Is45, making her 220 feet long.

The "May Queen," Captain Peter Martin, ran from about 1855 to 1858, as an exenrsion boat to t'oney Island, New York, in competition with the other lines.

Mr. Thomas V. Johnson ran a towing and freight- ing line from Commercial Dock for some years, which was bought by Mr. Audrew A. Sinalley, and operated by him with the steamer "Jamaica " and the barge "Charles Mayo," from 1859 to 1862.

Prior to 1862 the Stephens and Condit line was a private firm, composed of John 11. Stephens and C. Harrison Condit, who each owned one-third of the property, and Dr. Wilson F. Bell, Jacob L. Law- rence and Joseph S. Hibbler, the remainder. Dr. Bell sold his interest in 1859. Mr. Lawrence soll the succeeding year, while Mr. Hibbler retained his in- terest until some years later. In 1862 the Johnson line consolidated with the older company, Mr. Smal- ley putting $20,000 and his boats in the concern. On the 1st of April the Stephens and Condit Transportation Company was organized under the general laws of the State. The original officers and Directors were John 11. Stephens, President; C. Harrison Condit, Vice- President ; Joseph (. Hibbler, Superintendent; Jacob 1. Lawrence, Secretary and Treasurer. Joseph Han- son, William H. Camp, Andrew A. Smalley, A. C'amp, Margaret Condit, excentrix; William C'roswell Doane, excentor.

The boats owned by the company at the date of its without opposition, especially after the success of incorporation were the steamers "Thomas P. Way,"

"Chicopee," and "Jamaica;" the barge "Charles Mayo," schooner "Three Marys," and barge "ste- phens." The boats afterward added to the line were the steamers "Maryland," "Jonas C. Heartt," " Ma- ria," and "Magenta;" propellers "B. B. Sanders,"

The first passenger steamer that ran from Newark to New York was the "Newark," which was burned near Bergen Point. "The l'assaic," commanded by t'aptain Fisher, ran in 1836 and was a popular boat. Long before the era of Sunday trains, the steamboats . "Quickstep," "Newark," "Mackin," "Stephens," "C'ement Rock," and the "Pioneer," which is now chartered by the company.

The " Maryland " was sold several years ago. She was converted into a coal barge and subsequently sunk and lost in the Hudson River. The "Chicopee " was burned at the wharf, at the foot of Centre street. The " Heartt " and " Cement Rock " have been sold and the " B. B. Sanders" was torn up, her boiler and

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

engine converted to other nses. The "T. P. Way " was built in 1858, and the " Magenta " in 1860. These two boats, together with the " Maryland," were char- tered by the United States Government during the war, and were engaged as transports. The "Way" and " Magenta " have been entirely rebuilt and refitted, so that little remains of the original boats.

On the retirement of Mr. Hibbler, Mr. Smalley assumed the office of superintendent, which he held until the early part of the year 1866, when he sold all his interest in the company. Ile was succeeded by William Gaston, who was followed by the present superintendent, Henry F. Ayers. Among those act- ively interested in navigation besides those gentlemen already named, have been Joel W. Condit, David Cox, Thomas T. Kinney, Wm. H. Camp, Alfred Lister, H. Whittingham and many other prominent Newarkers.

The immense increase of business of the company compelled them to change their wharf in 1872, from its okdl location at the foot of Centre Street to the Commercial Dock at the foot of Market Street, (now Commerce Street) where wharves and warehouses were constructed, affording facilities for the accommodation of shippers which had never before been enjoyed in Newark. The warehouse has a storage capacity of 50,000 barrels, in addition to other freight, and is equipped with steam elevators to ensure the rapid and safe handling of all kinds of freight. The New York Dock is at pier No. 22, North River, foot of Vesey Street.

The average number of persons employed by the company is sixty-five, and during the year from eighty to one hundred thousand passengers are transported by their boats.

The present officers and directors are: T. W. Dawson, President; 1. W. Dawson, Vice-Presi- dent; Harrison Whittingham, Secretary and Treas- urer; H. F. Ayers, Superintendent ; T. W. Dawson, I. W. Dawson, I. H. Dawson, Edwin Lister, Thomas T. Kinney, H. F. Ayers, II. Whittingham, Directors.

Intimately connected with the furtherance of the commerce and the improvement of facilities for water transportation, is the project of a ship canal which was started in 1867, when the question whether New- ark was to remain forever an inland eity, was discussed by manufacturers, shippers, river-men and tax payers generally. The result of the agitation was that a petition in favor of a ship canal to tide water was signed by individuals and firms representing $20,- 000,000. The tides were studied, old pilots were consulted, and the conclusion arrived at, that the mud lodged in the vicinity of the Bay Bridge was forming dangerous shoals, rendering navigation more and more perilous, notwithstanding the expense the General Government has been at, to build a dyke in the river to preserve the channel to the bay. In consideration of the presumed tilling of the channel, and the round- abont way through the Kills which a vessel must pursue to reach New York, a number of gentlemen

interested in giving Newark free access to tide water, among whom the most prominent was Mr. John B. I. Robinson, projected a ship canal two or three hundred feet wide, running through the meadows in the south- ern part of the city to the bay, a short distance below the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers; thence through the narrow neck of land of Hudson County to Communipaw Bay, and so giving shipping free access to and from New York Bay. A few years ago this plan was again agitated, and Congress was induced to make an appropriation for a survey. Gen- eral Viele, who made the survey, reported that a cutting could be made through the Bergen Hills to New York Bay, at far less expense than had been supposed, but the project was allowed to slumber, except in the minds of a few enterprising and far- sighted men, who conceived that it would be better for the Government to make permanent improvement like a ship eanal to tide water than to throw money into the Bay every year for temporary relief, for that would bring the largest vessels to Newark and utilize for commerce the channel of the Hackensack, which has a strong current at that point, and he of incalculable benefit to the manufacturers and commercial men of the city. The plan includes immense docks and warehouses along the line of the canal, and it is claimed that the improvement would have the effect of draining and reclaiming many thousands of acres of swamp meadows, both on the Passaic and the Hack- ensack, and give a magnificent water front from which Hudson County as well as Newark woukl reap enor- mous benefits.

The selieme is practicable, and setting aside for the present, the canal through the Newark meadows, the opening of a ship canal from Newark Bay to New York waters, would do more for the development of the commercial and business interests of Newark than any other enterprise ever before suggested.

Morris and Essex Canal .- The first internal im- provement attempted in this part of the State was the construction of the Morris Canal. The importance of direct communication with the coal fields of Pennsyl- vania and the commeree which wouhl naturally follow the opening of artificial navigation, from along its whole line, engaged the attention of capitalists and scientific men some years before any effort was made towards the construction of railroads.

An act for the purpose of constructing a canal from the Delaware River, near Easton, through the counties of Warren, (then Sussex), Morris and Essex, to the tide waters of the Passaic River, near Aequackanonk landing, was passed by the Legislature in 1824. The capital stock authorized was one million dollars, with power to increase it $500,000, if necessary to complete the canal. To give the company facility in their pecuniary arrangements banking privileges were given to the following extent :

When $1,000,000 of canal stock is subscribed and ten per cent. thereof actually paid in, the directors

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ANCIENT STAGE LINES AND ROUTES.

shall be entitled to call from the stockholders $100,- 000 for Banking purposes, and they were obliged actually to expend the sum of $100,000 upon the canal within one year from the 30th of December, 1824, or this power was to become void, and the company sus- pend Banking operations. The same scheme was to be continued each year, a like sum to be expended upon the work annually, under the same penalty of the loss of banking privileges. The limit of banking operations was restricted to thirty-one years from the passage of the act. Unless the sum of one million dollars were subscribed before the succeeding November, and the canal completed within fifteen years, the charter in either case to be null and void. It was provided that at the end of ninety-nine years the State might purchase the canal at a fair valuation, and if the State did not choose to purchase, fifty years from that time it should become the property of the State for nothing.

On January 28, 1828, authority was given to extend the canal to the Iludson River at or near what is now Jersey City ; this extension was completed in 1836.

In the spring of 1830 the company succeeded in obtaining a loan from Holland, with which to carry on their enterprise. Thirteen millions of Guiklers (about $5,200,000) were subscribed promptly at five per cent., which was more than five times the amount asked for.

In consequence of the success of this application the stock immediately advanced to eighty per cent. above par.

On the Ilth of November, 1830, a full and success- ful trial was made of the Jocks and inclined planes between Dover and Newark. Five boats left Dover on that day laden with iron and iron-ore, and passed the planes with so much ease and facility as to astonish the concourse of people assembled. The superiority of inclined planes over locks for a great asrent in a canal was established beyond dispute.

The idea of constructing inclined planes originated with theorge P. McCulloch, of Morristown, who was also the originator of the bold enterprise of penetrat- ing by means of a canal from the Hudson to the Delaware, through the mountainons chain repeatedly crossing its path. To overcome the rapid and un- avoidable elevation, he adopted the expedient of inclined planes for the greater lifts and locks for the i the borders of the canal.

lesser. "Such planes," says the old chronicler, Gordon, "had never before been applied to bouts of such magnitude, nor to an operation so extensive."

In the first experiments, the operation occupied on an average, eight minutes ; sometimes a boat passed over in less than seven minutes, carrying a load of twenty-one tons.

The cost of the canal, originally estimated at $817,- 000, was about $2,000,000 from Philipsburg to Newark. The remaining distance, from the Passaic to Jersey City, was estimated at $100,000, but the cost greatly exceeded that amount.

Ou the eastern division there are twelve planes.

whose united elevations make seven hundred and forty-eight feet, and eighteen locks, rising together one hundred and sixty-six feet; making the whole rise nine hundred and fourteen feet above the level of the Atlantic Ocean. The highest lift by plane, is eighty feet. There are two of that height, one at Boonton Falls and another at Drakesville, and the highest lift of the locks is ten feet. From the summit level westward there are cleven planes rising six hundred and ninety-one feet, and seven locks whose aggregate lifts are sixty-nine feet ; a total of seven hundred and sixty fect. The Newark plane has an elevation of seventy feet, but the extreme length of the ways is one thousand and forty feet. The canal pursues a circuitous route of one hundred and one miles, and in its course has a total rise and fall of one thousand six hundred and seventy-four feet.

On April 10th, 1832, it was announced in the "Sentinel of Freedom," of Newark, that the canal was then filling with water, and it was expected that boats would arrive at Newark within one week.

A break occurred, however, near Easton, and the opening of the canal was delayed about a month. The first boat to reach tide waters was the "Walk in the Water," with a consignment to Stephens & Condit. This was on the 19th or 20th of May. The arrival of two canal boats from Mlauch Chunk, laden with Lehigh coal, was hailed with pleasure by the local newspaper, and the announcement was made that fifteen or twenty more boats laden with coal were on the way. The citizens were recommended, as a measure of prudence and economy, to "provide them- selves with this indispensable artiele at an early period, and not defer it till the setting in of winter." From fifteen to twenty boats arrived daily with coal, wood, iron-ore and country produce, and carrying back merchandise, raw materials and other articles used in the manufacturing establishments on the line of the canal, causing a brisk business during the spring and summer. The advantages to Newark and the whole country through which the canal passed, were already manifest in the activity and enterprise which everywhere pervaded it-in the reduction in the price of fuel and other necessaries of life, and in the great increase in the value of real estate along

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History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Shaw, William H Publication date: 1884 Publisher: [United States :] Number of Pages: 840

Author: Shaw, William H
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: [United States :]
Number of Pages: 840