Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 110

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 110

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The OVERSEER OF THE POOR is the chief official connected with the charities of the city. He has the power of appointing one assistant, with the approval of the Mayor. It is one of his duties to inake diligent inquiry as to the necessities of the persons applying for relief, and exercise his own judgment in granting or withholding relief. If he knows of any person disabled, sick or en- feebled, so as to be unable to work to maintain himself, with no visible means of support, about to become a public charge, it is the duty of the Over- seer to investigate the antecedents of such person, whether he or she has any relatives legally bound to support such person; what his or her last place of residence was; and from what place he or she came into Albany County. If such poor persons have friends legally bound to take care of them, the Overseer institutes proceedings to compel them to take care of them. His salary is $2,000. He can, with the approval of the Mayor, appoint one assist- ant at a salary of $900 per annum, and may em- ploy one additional assistant at a salary of not more than $50 per month.

The CITY MARSHAL assists the Clerk of the Com- mon Council in the execution of that office. He receives a salary of $1, 500 per year.

INSPECTOR OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES .- This officer receives no salary from the city. He is, however, entitled to such fees as the Common Council may ordain.

FEES AND SALARIES OF OTHER CITY OFFICERS. - Each City District Physician receive a salary of $400 per year, and shall reside in the district for which he is appointed. The Mayor's Clerks re- ceive respectively $1, 500 and $900 a year. The Bell-ringers, $60 each. The two operators of the Lawrence Street Bridge receive, during the season of navigation, such compensation as the Mayor

deems sufficient; not to exceed the sum paid by the State of New York for similar services.

TAKING PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC USE .- NO part of the Charter of the City of Albany exhibits more wisdom, none more carefully protects the rights, privileges and immunities of the Municipal- ity and the citizens, than that part contained in Title XVII of the Charter, which provides for taking private property for public use. It gives the Common Council, whenever it shall deem it neces- sary, the right to take, within the city, any ground or real estate, with the appurtenances, belonging to any person or persons, or corporation, for the purpose of laying out, opening, extending, straight- ening, widening, or altering any street, road, avenue, park, square, wharf or slip; or for the purpose of laying out, constructing or maintaining any drain, sewer, culvert or aqueduct; or for any other public purpose or use. But at the same time it gives property owners an easy, early and equitable mode of obtaining compensation for their lands taken under this section, and for all damages sustained by such taking.

THE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE CHARTER. - These are contained in Title XVIII of the Charter, which is divided into sixteen sections, eight of which are provisions for the punishment of city officials for receiving any fees, perquisites, compen- sation or commission, in addition to their salary, for the performance of any official duty; for the giving of ample security for the faithful performance of their respective duties; for accepting bids or award- ing contracts to any person or persons in arrears to the Corporation upon debt or contract, or who is a defaulter, as surety or otherwise, upon any obli- gation to the Corporation; for the punishment of any person who shall, in manner or form, offer any city official any moneys, goods, rights in action or other property, or anything of value, or any pe- cuniary advantage, present or prospective, with in- tent to influence his vote, opinion, or judgment or action on any question, maiter, cause or proceed- ing which may be then pending, or may by law be brought before him in his official capacity. The in- fraction of this law is punishable by imprisonment in a penitentiary not exceeding two years, or by a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both, at the discre- tion of the Court. Any member of the Common Council, or other city official, who accepts any such offer for the purpose above mentioned, shall, upon conviction of such an offense, be disqualified from holding office, and imprisoned in a penitentiary not exceeding two years, or by a fine not exceeding $5,coo, or both, in the discretion of the Court; or for willfully violating or evading any provision of said Charter; or for swearing false to any material matter in any oath or affirmation required by the same.

Eight of said sections are provisions for the pro- tection of the streets against damages to the city through the negligence occasioned by the use of citizens, on permission of the Common Council to make drains or sewers, culverts or basins-to com- pel all persons or corporations maintaining a cov-

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NAVIGATION OF THE HUDSON.

ering, sluice-way or surface drain at any street crossing, or at the terminus of any street, sluice- way or surface drain, etc., etc., to keep the same in good repair, rendering such citizens alone liable for any damage to person or property directly or indirectly caused by the same.

Section 13 of the said Charter requires every railroad operating by horse-power to clean snow or ice from its track.

Section 14 requires every person presenting bills against the city to use their own names or the names of the firms of which they are members.

Section 15 provides for assessing and taxing all manufacturing corporations, actually located in the city, upon their real and personal property in the same manner as individuals. The personal estate of such corporations shall be assessed in the town or ward where the principal office or place for transacting the financial concerns of the company is situated. If there is no such principal office, then in the town or ward where the opera- tions of such corporations are carried on. The holder of stock in any corporation mentioned in this section cannot be taxed as an individual for stock.

ASSESSORS. - The Board of Assessors of the City are provided with a suitable and convenient office in the City of Albany by the Board of Supervisors of the County, together with the requisite books and stationery, lights and fuel. Their office is to be kept open during the usual days and hours. The books, maps, assessment roll and other papers shall be public records, and at all reasonable times open to inspection. They receive an annual salary of $3,000 each, payable by the Chamberlain in monthly payments. They appoint a clerk, who takes charge of the books, papers, assessment roll and records pertaining to the office. The appoint- ment is in writing, signed by the assessors. The clerk remains in office at their pleasure; his salary is $1,000 per year, payable by the Chamberlain in monthly payments.

PREVENTION OF FIRES. - No municipal govern- ment in the nation has more wholesome and suc- cessful regulations for the prevention of fires than the municipality of Albany, found in Title XX of the City Charter. Every citizen should thoroughly understand this section. The duties of the Fire

Commissioners and the police under this title, are full, easily understood and practiced.

ELECTION OF CITY OFFICERS .- The officers of the city, elected by a general ticket at the Charter election, are : The Mayor, Recorder, two Alder- men from the city-at-large, Police Justices, Jus- tices of the Justice Court, Police Commissioners and members of the Board of Public Instruction.

The electors in each ward elect, at each annual Charter election, one Supervisor and one Constable, who shall hold their office for one year. Every second year an Alderman is elected at the Charter election. The annual Charter election is held on the second Tuesday of April in each year, and the municipal year commences on the first Tuesday or May following.

Title XXII repeals all statutes of the State and ordinances of the city inconsistent with the pro- visions of said Charter.

1884 .- A. Bleecker Banks, Mayor ; Norman L. Snow, President of Common Council; Norman L. Snow, Robert H. Moore, Aldermen-at-large.

Aldermen : Augustus Whiteman, First Ward ; Jeremiah Kieley, Second Ward; Thomas F. Cor- coran, Third Ward; James Lyons, Fourth Ward; Thomas E. Dearstyne, Fifth Ward; Galen R. Hitt, Sixth Ward; John Mullon, Seventh Ward; Thomas J. Judge, Eighth Ward; Patrick Cahill, Ninth Ward; James Rooney, Tenth Ward; George R. Tice, Eleventh Ward ; Patrick McCann, Twelfth Ward; Samuel C. Harris, Thirteenth Ward; David J. Norton, Fourteenth Ward; James Thornton, Fif- teenth Ward ; Richard Hunter, Sixteenth Ward ; John H. Adams, Seventeenth Ward.

Executive Department : A. Bleecker Banks, Mayor ; Henry Bronk, First Clerk; Robert H. Waterman, Second Clerk.

Board of Health : A. B. Banks, ex officio, Pres- ident; Dr. A. Vanderveer, Dr. S. B. Ward, Thomas H. Dwyer, Albert Gallup, R. H. Bing- ham, John McKenna; Dr. D. V. O'Leary, Health Physician; F. H. Long, Clerk; James Rooney, Lawrence Carey, Edward Brennan, Inspectors.

Board of Audit : A. Bleecker Banks, Mayor; Norman L. Snow, President of Common Council; Charles A. Hills, Chamberlain; Albert Hessberg, Assistant Corporation Counsel; Lewis Balch, City Physician.

NAVIGATION OF THE HUDSON.

T THE navigation of the Hudson River to and from Albany, neither in carrying passengers nor in transporting merchandise, amounted to much until after the middle of the preceding century. In 1750, the only vessels used were small sailing crafts or yachts, all of which, says Peter Kalm, belonged to Albany owners. At this time there were no docks or quays for loading the yachts. The vessels came as near the shore as possible, and were reached by

means of canoes tied together, and forming a pon- toon bridge by boards or planks laid across them. The first stone docks or quays were built by the city in 1 766, the Assembly having granted the Corporation the right to use the stone wall built for defense on the north side of the city. The North Dock was constructed nearly opposite the stone wall at the foot of Steuben street, and was eighty feet long and forty broad. The Middle Dock was built at the

486

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

foot of Maiden lane, and was eighty feet long and thirty broad. The South.Dock was constructed opposite the old City Hall, and was of the same dimensions as the Middle Dock. The city soon after built a fourth dock, which, with the other three, were sold at public auction March 28, 1767, to Gysbert Marselis and John Allen, at a yearly rent of {70, they being permitted to charge wharf- age for the use of them.

The principal obstructions to the navigation near this city were the sand-bars or " overslaughs." The first was situated about three miles below Albany, near Mill's Island, and the other, eight miles below Albany, sometimes called Winne's bar. The lower overslaugh had seldom more than eight feet of water upon it, even in the spring-time. In 1787 the Legislature passed an act to remove obstruc- tions at the overslaugh. At this time Henry I. Bogart, Daniel Hale, and Abraham Ten Broeck were appointed commissioners to superintend the work. In 1790 a similar act was passed. Both of these acts simply provided for removing the ac- cumulations of sand on these two bars, a work which afforded merely temporary relief, as each re- turning spring found a similar deposit of sand on the bars. In 1790, an act was passed which al- lowed the proprietors of Mill's and Papskinea Is- lands to erect a dam to prevent the passage of water between them, and thus throw it into the main channel. Between the years 1797 and 1818, $148,707.95 was raised by lottery for improving the navigation of the Hudson. In 1828, the most extensive improvements were made at the over- slaugh. The channel was excavated 150 feet in length and 160 in width, affording 10 feet of water at the lowest state of the river. Eleven hundred scow-loads, of 24 cubic yards each, were removed and deposited on the west side of the river. Almost every year the Legislature made an appropriation to improve the navigation of the Hudson. In 1864, over $200,000 was expended for this pur- pose.

SLOOP AND SCHOONER NAVIGATION .- From 1760 to 1770, there were a number of sloopsand schoon- ers engaged in carrying on trade between Albany, New York, Boston and several other cities; but, as yet, none had gone to any foreign port. It was not till November 3, 1770, that the sloop Olive Branch, commanded by Captain Abraham Bloodgood, made the first voyage from this port to the West Indies. The account of the Albany merchandise carried on this vessel shows an assorted cargo, consisting of flour, herrings, horses, one negro man, and a great variety of the products of this county. In exchange for which were brought back eighty-one pounds of cotton-a much rarer commodity than now-some cash, and much rum.

These ventures to the West Indies seem to have been more common from Lansingburgh and Hud- son, after the revolution, than from Albany, from the fact that the editor of the Albany Gazette, in 1790, marveled that the citizens of Albany should remain inactive spectators while their neighbors on the north and south were "participating in all the blessings of this valuable trade."

The most remarkable of all the early expeditions from this port was the voyage of an Albany sloop to China, in 1785. In the fall of this year the sloop Experiment, eighty tons burden, commanded by Captain Stewart Dean, was fitted out for this cruise, which, at this time, was considered a hazardous voyage for so small a craft. She was loaded with an assorted cargo for a regular trading expedition, and was the second adventure from the United States to China, the first expedition having been made from the port of New York, February 22, 1784, in the sloop Empress of China. The Exper- iment left New York December 18th, and was ab- sent eighteen months. Her return trip was made in four months and twelve days, with a cargo con- sisting principally of tea, China-ware and silk. Among some of the descendants of the early citi- zens of Albany, are still treasured as curiosities ar- ticles which were brought from China on this sin- gular trip.

It was a matter of surprise to the Europeans, in those seas traversed by the Experiment, to see so small a vessel from a country so remote and un- known. At some of the ports where the sloop landed she was an object of alarm to the inhabit- ants, who mistook her for a tender to a fleet of men- of-war. On the arrival of the Experiment at New York, April 22, 1787, she was visited by large crowds of citizens, very few of whom had expected her return. Captain Dean made several trips to China after this first trip, and became well known in European ports. He was at one time a resi- dent upon Arbor Hill. Dean street was named for him. He died at an advanced age.

After the successful trip of Captain Dean, the sloop business grew rapidly. April 12, 1791, it was announced in the Albany Gazette, as a con- gratulatory event, that 40 sloops had arrived in this port in one day. That 18 vessels, of which 16 were of from 40 to 80 tons, lay at the port of Lan- singburgh, and that the sloop Nancy had performed the trip to New York and back in seven days. In November, of the same year, it was again announ- ced, as an extraordinary occurrence, that 42 sioops, of from 30 to 100 tons, principally above 70, were at anchor in the Albany port.

Among other feats of sloop navigation at this period, we are told that Captain William Van Ingen, of the sloop Cincinnati, sailed from Albany on the 5th December, 1794, and arrived in New York on the 9th, disposed of his cargo, took in a valuable freight, and returned to this port on the 16th.

The examples of speedy voyages which were boasted of in the last century, read a little oddly now. But yet it must be remembered that the sloops, under a good wind, were an even match for the steamboats for a long time after the latter made their appearance on the river. In 1794, a sloop made a journey from Albany to New York and back in little more than four days, including a day and a half stop. This feat was a matter of wonder at the time, and fully up to the time made by the early steamboats.

Many contests of speed, between Albany and New York, took place between the early steam-

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NAVIGATION OF THE HUDSON.

boats and the sloops, in which the latter were fre- quently victorious.

In 1795, about ninety sloops, of about seventy tons each, were engaged in the Albany trade. Half of them were owned in Albany, and the remainder in New York.

Ten voyages, or twenty trips, were the average number per annum. These vessels were each navigated by a crew of four persons, consisting of a captain, a pilot, a seaman, and a cook. At this time wharfage was sold by the Corporation at $2. 50 per foot, and an annual rent of $8. 12₺.

Shortly after the trip of the Experiment to China, it was mentioned that an Albany sloop, of forty tons, had twice visited the Cape of Good Hope without loss, which was considered the most diffi- cult and dangerous part of the route to China.

In 1800, five Albany capitalists formed a com- pany and built the sloop Experiment, to be used as a packet boat between Albany and New York, for carrying passengers. In 1807, they built an- other sloop to be used for the same purpose. These sloops proved very profitable at first, but were finally driven from the river by the steam- boats. They were sold, and abandoned as pas- senger boats in 1813.

In 1813, there were 206 sloops engaged in the Albany trade. In 1838, this number had been in- creased to 249 sloops and 129 schooners, of a total tonnage of 20,634. In 1848, 331 sloops were en- gaged in the trade, and 284 schooners, representing a tonnage of over 40,000.

The following shows the number of vessels, with their tonnage, documented at the Port of Albany for the quarter ending June 30, 1885:

Tonnage.

53 sailing vessels

3,832.66

113 steam

23,692.68

175 canal boats.

16,767. 1I

86 barges

16,968.63

427

61,261.07

The above report represents the number of ves- sels engaged in trade belonging to owners within the territory between Newburgh and Rouse's Point, and does not include all the vessels which visit the Port of Albany, many of which are registered at other ports.

STEAMBOATS.

An account of the progress of steam navigation on the Hudson, with which Albany is so intimately identified, and a history of the boats themselves, and the experiments of the energetic men who built and controlled them since the days of Fulton's triumph in 1807, would fill a volume. The Hud- son River will always occupy a commanding place in history, not solely for its grand scenery, but as being associated with that successful experiment with steam navigation which resulted so gloriously. Here was launched the pioneer of that host of floating palaces that now enliven every navigable river in the world, and plow the waters of every sea.

The Clermont, the first practical steamboat in the world, was built by Robert Fulton, and first

shown to be a successful sailing craft in August, 1807. As originally constructed, she was 100 feet long, 12 wide, and 7 deep. In 1808 she was lengthened to 150 feet, and widened to 18 feet, and had her name changed to the North River.

The Clermont.

The first advertisement of the steamboat in the . Albany Gazette, dated September 2, 1807, was as follows:

"The north river steamboat will leave Paulus' Hook Ferry [now Jersey City] on Friday, the 4th of September, at nine in the morning, and arrive at Albany on Saturday, at nine in the afternoon. Provisions, good berths, and accommodation are provided.

"The charge to each passenger is as follows:

" To Newburg, $3, time, 14 hours.

" Poughkeepsie, 4, 17

" Esopus, 66 5, 20 66

" Hudson, 52, 30 36

" Albany, 7,

In a supplement to the Gazette of September 7, 1807, is the following notice of that important event-the arrival of the first steamboat:

"This morning, at six o'clock, Mr. Fulton's steamboat left the ferry stairs at Courtland street dock for Albany. She is to make her passage in 36 hours from the time of her departure, touching at Newburg, Poughkeepsie, Esopus, and Hudson on the way. The steamboat arrived at Albany on Saturday afternoon, and this morning at nine o'clock again departed for New York, with about forty ladies and gentlemen."

Thus insignificantly was announced the com- mencement of the career of the steamboat, which has revolutionized the water travel of the world.

The Clermont continued her trips with great ex- actness till October Ist, on which day it was announced in the New York Evening Post that the steamboat had arrived from Albany in twenty-eight hours, with sixty passengers! The same paper of October 2, contained the following notice:

" Mr. Fulton's newly-invented steamboat, which is fitted up in a neat style for passengers, and is intended to run from New York to Albany as a packet, left here this morning with ninety passen- gers, against a strong head wind, notwithstanding which it was judged that she moved through the water at the rate of six miles an hour."

488

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

At this time, although the time promised in the advertisement was thirty-six hours, her trips were usually performed in less than thirty.

In the spring of 1808, the Clermont made her appearance, as before stated, entirely remodeled and enlarged. Her accommodations were ample for over one hundred passengers. In her original construction she had a strange appearance. Her paddle-wheels were without houses, and cross-heads connected with the pistons, instead of the walking beams now in use. A countryman who first saw her at Hudson, told his wife he had seen the devil going to Albany in a saw-mill. Shortly after the successful trip of the Clermont was made, a com- pany was formed called the North River Steamboat Company, but generally known as the Fulton Line, to which the Legislature granted the exclusive right to navigate the Hudson River by steam. This company in 1809 built the Car of Neptune, 295 tons. From this date to 1817, the Hope, Perse- verance, Paragon, Richmond, Firefly, and Chan- cellor Livingston were placed upon the river by the Fulton Line. The last of the boats, the Chancellor Livingston, was the largest by over 150 tons of any boat which had been yet used, having a carrying capacity of 495 tons. The Chancellor Livingston in 1821 brought up a band of music for the entertainment of her passengers. This was the first introduction of that peculiar attraction on the North River boats.

In 1824, the Fulton Line put two more steamers on the river-the James Kent and the Saratoga. October 29, 1821, the Chancellor Livingston grounded on the overslaugh and remained there twenty-nine hours. The editor of the Daily Ad- vertiser in speaking of this event, called upon the citizens to exert themselves to deepen the channel, lest the canal which was fast approaching the city should be carried down below these obstructions.

In 1821, the fare from Albany to New York had been advanced to $8. In 1819, the Fulton Line carried 16,000 passengers, the company paying $I each to the State for canal purposes.

At this time, and until the pier was built, the steamboat landing was at the foot of Lydius street, now Madison avenue. The pier was used for this purpose until 1878, when the present landing place was established. Until the present improvements were made in the channel of the river at the over- slaugh, it often happened that the river was so low that the boats were unable to come within three miles of Albany. In such cases it was the practice to go down to the steamers on the Greenbush side in stages.

For many years preceding 1824, no subject was more generally discussed among Hudson River boatmen than the injustice of the exclusive right granted by the Legislature to the Fulton Line Company to navigate the Hudson by steam. The validity of this right was finally contested in the courts. In March, 1824, the decisions of the Su- preme Court made the navigation of the Hudson free, and abrogated the rights of the North River Steamboat Company, and affirmed the rights of others to navigate the river from certain points

with vessels impelled by steam. Soon after the rendering of the decision in 1824, the Union Line was started in opposition to the old line, and the first year of its existence built and began to run the Olive Branch, United States, William Penn, Bristol, and Sandusky.

In 1825, the Hudson River Line was established, and in this year placed the Constitution, Constel- lation, and Chief-Justice Marshall on the river, and in 1827-29 added to the list of their steamers the Independence, Ohio, and Sun. The latter boat was the first that ever made the trip from Albany to New York from sun to sun, all other boats up to this date requiring from fourteen to fifteen hours to make the trip.

The bursting of the boiler of the Constitution in 1825, when opposite Poughkeepsie, created much distrust in the safety of steamboats, and led to the use of safety barges, and in 1826 the barges Lady Clinton and Lady Van Rensselaer were built. They were towed by the steamboats Commerce and Swiftsure. Both were fitted up exclusively for pas- sengers. For safety and comfort they were un- equaled by the steamboats of this period, but lacking speed they soon became unfashionable and went out of general use, although several are still used as excursion boats.

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 110

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452