USA > New York > Suffolk County > Riverhead > Bi-centennial : history of Suffolk County, comprising the addresses delivered at the celebration of the bi-centennial of Suffolk County, N.Y., in Riverhead, November 5, 1883 > Part 14
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= Wanderer
30 Sloop Fanny Kemble
Schr. Viola
69 A. Darling 10 Alamonde
¥ Unexpected
9 Brig Caroline E. Platt
Laurel
10 Schr. Golden Eagle
" (emack) Nettie
8 Sloop Lady Email
Contest
9
Sea Bird
ISAAO SOUDDER KETOHAM.
Tickler
Dates not given, but commencing in 1820.
Alfred Chase
Sloop Constitution
80
.66. Jonas Warren
Planet
70 Sloop Delaware
-
21 Tonnage and date not given.
Sloop Katy Did
22 Schr. William Ellis
(built by U. Beebe)
Maxon Rogers
RØPENDIK ALESHIP BUILDING.
'S. PRIOR HARTT.
Big-
Name,
Tous. Year
'Name.
Tons.' Year: Schr. S. S. Brown
115.
1868
Sloop Three Sisters .
Stmr. Pastime ¥ Tourist
'100 1869
Mischief
:Passport
100 1873
Adelaide
Sloop.Pell
30 1874
William Middleton
"., Billard
20 1874
Chief
Stmr. Ripple
100
:1876
John Abeel
JESSE JARVIS.
Schr. Nettle
Sloop Orange
69
1841
Robert B. Coleman
Schr. Detroit
100
$1844
David Crocker
Sloop! Ann Strong 60 1844
Sloop Sarah Elizabeth
" (yacht) Hector
14
1847
Maltby
Johnny Levinese
80 1849
¥
Lady Elizabeth
"Schr. Henry J. Scudder
98 1852
MOSES B., HARTT.
Sloop. Robert Freeman
20 1853
(Brother of S. Prior Hartt.)
Louise
'27
1854
Sloop Mary A. Smith
65
Schr. Peerless
175
1849 Schr. (em'k) Eliza L. Rogers 68 40 Sher.(Pilot boat) Edna'C. Flying Fish 46
:120
1860
Kingbird
180
Schr. Marianna -
100
1862
€6
Milton
100
Sloop Gleam
58
1862
J, M. Kissam 1
90
Schr. (smack) Petrel
.72
1863
Sloop George Edwin
60
1870
(yacht) Mattie
50
1863
EDWIN LEFFERTS.
Sloop Dictator
19
1863
Sloop Mollie
'15
Bolton
16 '1864
Sarah Louise
30
.56
Marianna
22
1865
Alvaretta
. 35
Stanley Howard
33
1865
566 Sallie
15
"Schr. Phil Sheridan
128
1866
Schr. Eva Lewis
100
1867
(em'k) Eliza J. Kinge- land
58
1867
Sehr. Wm. W: Wood
110
Racer
87
1868
Lillie Wilson
80
Ella
:80
1869
Wm. Miller
175
Sloop Lena Becar
54
1870
George Edwin
120
1879 Schr. J. S. Curtis
228
1870
"Sloop Cornelia
70
1870
Stmr. Wilmington
175
1870
Sloop Sarah Lucinda .
'30
1858 Sloop Bride
50
1871
- Elsie May
'85
1861 1 (yacht) Mischief
30
1872
Helen A. Brown
'65
1864
(smack) Isaac Walton '29
1874
John Roach . : -
145
1864 ¥ James Kirby
24
1875
iss
Mary Suydam
85
1865
Louise
19
1879
Stmr. L. J. N. Stark
800 " 1866 'Stmr. F. F. Browne
54 1881
Sloop A. Brush
65 1867
Lizzie Woddend
58
1888
'Wm. Cogswell
'23
1860
Blackbird
130
Sloop Harriet
1859
'1860
"Bloop Emma Brush
'60
ERASTUS HARTT.
(Son of S. Prior 'Hartt.)
100 1869
Phebe Ann Levinus
JESSE CARLL.
Of all the Northport shipbuilders perhaps the most successful and widely known is Boss Jesse Carll, a native of Huntington town, who, when 17 years old began an apprenticeship of five years with Boss James M. Bayles, of Port Jefferson. In 1855 he began business at the yard now occupied by him, then one-half its present size in connection with his brother David Carll. In that year they built for Seth R. Robbins, of Brooklyn, two sloop lighters each of about 80 tons, but their names are not given. In the following year' they built for the noted Appleton Oaksmitt a fine bark of about 650 tons a large vessel in those days, having a poop-deck and two full decks-named the Storm Bird. She was launched inside of 87
117.
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
days from the laying of her keel, which was a notable instance of energy and expedition when the limited resources of the yard at that early day are considered. Through sharp practice they were cheated out of the fair profit they would have made on this contract, but the young firm . were not dis- couraged thereby. They then paid their workman from'$4 to $4.50. per day. The partnership was dissolved in 1865, David returning and /after -. ward opening a yard at City Island. , Jesse Carll has since 1865 built some. large and highly successful vessels, which are regarded as specially. excel- lent in respect to beauty of model, speed' and staunchness. 'He did not preserve any record, however, and cannot give exact figures, but in. the following list accuracy is approached sufficiently for all practical purposes, though in some cases the tonnage is not the registered number of tons but indicates the carrying capacity.
Some of the more noteworthy vessels built by him, with incidents in. their careers; are: Schooner Storm Cloud was sold and sent to California. : Schooner Joseph E. Nickerson, a keel boat, built for Boston and Cape. Cod parties, the builders retaining a quarter interest, was sold, and after 15' to 20 years of service Mr. Carll, with Messrs. Yates & Porterfield, of N. Y., the leading firm in the West African trade, bought her for that trade ; after making several voyages in command of Capt. Israel Whitman, she was seized by the natives while on a trading voyage up the Congo River and destroyed. Schooner Wm. Mazyck, built for Capt. Conklin, of Smith- town, was named after a Southern rice planter and employed in the trade to Georgetown, S. C., after one trip, in 1861, to avoid seizure she : had to make a hasty departure. Schooner Lucetta, designed expressly for the fruit trade; was the second vessel of her kind built up to that time. The years 1862-63 were dull in the building line, but the yard was fully oc- cupied with repairing and rebuilding, in which branch of the business there is less renown but more profit: In 1866, Mr. Carll, then running the yard . alone, built his first vessel, the schooner Goddess. In 1867 he built for- the Mediterranean fruit trade the schooner Jesse Carll, then declared to be the handsomest craft of her class sailing out of New York ; she was also. a fast sailer, once making the trip from Gibraltar to Baltimore in 20 days and", beating by 5 days the fastest English fruiter afloat ; several thousand dollars changed hands in bets on the passage, between the charterers of the two vessels ; she was finally stranded on the Spanish coast in a hurricane, while discharging cargo at an open roadstead. Brig Moses Rogers, com- manded by Capt. Edward M. Jones, of Cold Spring, in the Malaga trade, was of about 600 tons burden (383 registered). Schooner Ann . E. Carll, built for Capt. Benj. Tyler, was a fine craft, and after ten years service, during which she was twice stranded-once off Norfolk, Va., and once on Block Island-was finally wrecked on a low coral island 60 miles from Cienfuegos, Cuba ; it was inhabited only by alligators who came near devour- ing the crew before they could make fires to protect themselves, but at last the tables were turned (literally) and the crew, having used up all the pro- visions they had been able to save, were forced to eat the alligators ; the vessel was whole when they were taken off by a Spanish gunboat, but the- expense of floating her would have been more than she was worth. Brig Osseo, of about 700 tons burden (454 register), 21 feet deep in after hatch, with two full decks and poop, was designed for the Mediterranean trade ; is a large and expensive vessel, costing about $40,000 ; is still running, and
118
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
Mr. Carll retains an eighth interest in her. Bark Carrie L. Tyler, 565 tons register, carrying about 750 tons, having two full decks and a poop, is engaged in foreign trade and Mr. Carll is a part owner. The schooner yacht Clio was rebuilt at his yard and her speed greatly increased by being lenghtened 12 feet and almost completely re-constructed. The schooner yacht Ariel was served the same way with a similar result; she is now on the Pa- cific, having sailed to California by way of the Straits of Magellan. Schooner Joseph Rudd, a double-decked, centreboard vessel, built for the Texas trade, owned by the builder and Messrs. Woodhouse & Rudd, of N. Y., achieved distinction by an accident unique of its kind and a deliverance equally notable. In a norther off the mouth of the Rio Grande she was car- ried two miles inland and left upright and tight, but so far from her " native element" that it seemed hopeless to think of her ever floating again. Her owners expended $23,000 in digging a canal to the sea, and after a year's enforced absence she was again clasped to the bosom of the Gult, an ex- perience only paralleled by that of the brig Atalanta, built by J. M. Bayles & Son at Port Jefferson, which vessel was driven on the Mexican coast in a norther and lay there for nearly a year before she could be put afloat, without sustaining any appreciable strain or any worse apparent injury than the loss of part of her copper sheathing. Schooner Herbert E., built for Woodhouse & Rudd's Texas trade, carried about 600 tons, was valued, new, at $35,000. In 1880 bark Mary Greenwood, the largest vessel built at that yard, of about 1, 100 tons capacity, was launched ; is now in Aus- tralia under command of Capt. Tooker, and Mr. Carll owns three-eighths of her, the balance being held by N. Y. parties. Schooner Fanny Brown, of about 800 tons capacity, having two full decks and a poop, is a fine vessel, principally owned in Richmond, Va. The last vessel launched from his yard is the schooner Allie R. Chester, built on his own accoun and still principally owned by him ; a vessel of somewhat similar type, size and style to the Fanny Brown, and commanded by Capt. George Tyler, of Smithtown. While no record has been kept. he thinks that in all, of large and small craft he has built or aided in building between 40 and 50 ; but finding the margin for profit small on new work he has, for the past twenty years, sought to do only enough of it to keep his men steadily employed ; his force of workmen during that time ranged from 25 to 95. Three times in the same period he has had to make Southern trips for the benefit of his health, impaired by constant and close application to business.
The lists below are made up mainly from memory and are not com- plete, but excepting tonnage as above noted, may be accepted as practically correct':
N. R. WHITE.
JESSE & DAVID CARLL.
Rig.
Name.
Tons. Year. Sloop (lighter) -
80
1855
Sloop Competent
60 1834
80
1855
Ben Franklin
75
1835 Bark Storm Bird (about)
680 1856
Sohr. Henry Cbase
80
1840
.. Storm Cloud 280
1858
Schr. Globe
136
1846
Helen Burton
150
1859
132
1847
Orvietta
230
1859
Sloop
25
1849
Wm. Mazyck
140
1860
¥ Augusta
36
1850
"6 Lucetta
250
1861
Achr. N. R. White
30
1878
65 1837
Schr. Joseph E. Nickerson 350
1858
Sloop Roanoke
T. B. Smith
119
APPENDIX .- SHIP BUILDING.
JESSE CARLL.
Sloop Mary & Martha (ab't) 100
1871
Schr. Goddess
(about) 250
1866
75
1872
Jesse Carll .. 300
1867 Bark Carrie L. Tyler
750
1873
Brig Moses Rogers
600 1867 Schr. Joseph Rudd
450
1874
Schr. Gaillard
80 1868 (yacht) Addle Voorhis 55
1875
Sloop (lighter)
¥
90 1868 5€ Annie Webb 200
1876
Schr. Ann E. Carll
400
1868
Frances
600
1878
Francis E. Hallock " 350
1869
Emma Ritch
400
1879
Brig Osseo
700 1870 Bark Mary Greenwood " 1,100
1880
Sloop Farmer
70 1870 Schr. Fanny Brown
800
1883
Schr. Florence
160
1871
Allie R. Chester " 800
1884
This makes a total, so far as stated, of 179 vessels, including 91 sloops, 2 sloop yachts, 4 sloop lighters, I sloop smack, 58 schooners, 2 schooner yachts, I schooner pilot boat, 3 schooner smacks, 3 brigs, 3 barks, 8 steamers. Reducing tonnage capacity where so given to average of regis- ter, there are of recorded tonnage built at Northport about 16, 500 tons, and allowing fair averages for the vessels whose tonnage is not given, the ag- gregate will be close upon 18,500 tons of shipping built at that port.
CENTREPORT.
Eligibly situated at the head of Centreport Harbor, an offshoot from Northport Bay, this small but thriving village early engaged in the business of shipbuilding and car ied it on to a moderate extent, but in recent years little or none has been done there. Mr. Parrotte has kindly sent me the subjoining list of vessels built at Centreport between 1814 and 1884, but did not give names of builders or dates of launching :
Rıg. Name.
Tons. Rig. Name.
Tons-
Sloop Enemy
25 Brig Buckley
150
Capital
50 Sloop Cinderella
60
Schr. Consort
100 Schr. Intent 100
Sloop Farmer
50 Sloop Gen. Lewis
55
Select
50 Adelia
12
Lady Jackson
4.5
Record
25
Schr. Metamoras
40
Brief
11
A total of 14 vessels and 773 tons.
EAST SETAUKET.
Occupying a favorable location at the head of Setanket Harbor, which connects with Port Jefferson Bay, residents of this place engaged in ship- building on a small scale early in the present century, but I have not been able to get any data anterior to 1836, in which year Boss Nehemiah Hand, still a hale and vigorous man, widely known for the active and prominent part he has taken in commercial affairs and especially as a representative of the American Ship Owners and Masters' Association, began a long and highly successful career. In 1864 he associated with himself his son George S. Hand, and, after adding half a dozen fine boats to his fleet, in 1873 he re- tired leaving his business to be prosecuted by his son. During this long period of almost forty years he built many large, handsome, swift and staunch vessels, that were a credit to himself and an honor to the county ; some of them are still in active service and able to hold their own in comparison with later built craft, whether for speed or seaworthiness. He and his son own two sets of marine railways, which for twelve years past have been kept
90
1868
Herbert, E. (ab't) 600
1877
I20
APPENDIXA -- SHIP BUILDING.
pretty fully occupied with vessels to be repaired or rebuilt. His list is a re- markable oné, as follows :
NEHEMIAH HAND.
Brig T. W. Rowland
471
1855
Rig.
Name.
Tons. Year. Bark Urania
405 1856
Schr. Delight
41
1836 Schr. Andromeda
261 1857
Sloop Eliza Jayne
35 1837 Bark Palace
368
1859
€6
Helen Jayne
43
1841 Brig Mary E. Rowland
280
1862
Dart,
18
1843 N. HAND & SON.
Commerce
84
1844 Brig Americus
498
1864
Schr. Nancy Mills
109 1845
Mary E. Thayer
272
1868
Mary A. Rowland
135
1847 Bark Desaldo
492 1870
Albemarle
154- 1847 Brig Daisy
476
1871
Marietta Hand
137 1849 Schr. N. Hand
191
1873
Nassau
169 263
1851 Brig Irene
475
1875 1877
Sloop Chase
181
1852 Bark Lottie Moore
933
1878
Schr. Flying Eagle
182 1853
Monrovia
360
1879
Bark C. W. Poultney" 487 1854 Steamer Florence
50
1882
The above lists make a total of 33 vessels launched from that yard, comprisingtone steamer, 7 barks, 1 barkentine, 7 brigs, 11 · schooners, 6 sloops, with an aggregate (registered) of 8,964 tons. In 1870 the largest vessel ever completed in a Suffolk county-perhaps in a Long Island-yard was launched from the yard of David Bayles at East Setauket. This was the full-rigged ship Adorna, built by Capt. James Davis for the cotton trade between New Orleans and Liverpool and still engaged in foreign trade, though now sailing under the German flag. . She registered 1, 460 tons and has a capacity of over 2,000 tons. Capt. Davis, who was largely interest- ed in the cotton trade and had made a great deal of money, set out to build the largest vessel afloat, and spent much money and time in collecting material at Boss Bayles' yard ; work' was begun and the frame put together for a ship that was to measure 235 feet in length, 40 feet beam, and 31 feet in depth; but owing to some speculations that turned out disastrously Capt. Davis' resources were crippled and he was forced to abandon the un- dertaking ; the frame was finally sold to the New Jersey Railroad Co., by whose direction it was cut down to a depth of 20 feet, finished as a propel- ler or steam coal barge, carrying over 2,000 tons, and named the Wilkes- barre.
BAYLES & BACON.
Schr. Wide World
200.
1854
Rig.
Name.
Tons. Year. " (3-masted) Fleet Wing 520
1855
Sloop Emily
80
1847
Dexter Oaks
175
Schr. Arrow
164
1855 1848 ¥ D. B. Bayles 180 1856
" Edna C.
200 1848 Sloop Meteor
50
1857
Sloop Fashion
100
1849 Schr. Harriett Brewster
180
1859
DAVID B. BAYLES.
Brig Conflict 80 1859
Schr. R. W. Brown
200
200
1850 Ship Adorna 1851 "6 (unfinished) after-
1,460 1869
Francis Satterly
Marcenas Monson,jr.115
1852
ward coal propeller 3,700 1876
= Charles T. Smith 117
1853
460
1872
South Hampton
180 1848 Barkentine Thos. Brooks
1850 Bark Ferris S. Thompson
500
Brig N. Hand
Hardscrabble
74 1839 Schr. Aldebaran
180 1860
121
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
SETAUKET.
WM. BACON.
This builder constructed in all, forty vessels, ranging from 100 to 700 tons burden, but is unable to give the exact tonnage, and application for further information proved resultless.
At Riverhead John Davis built schooners Artist and Citizen, and sloops Olive Branch, Copy, Wm. Penn, John Adams, Sophronia, Marsh, and Signal. Frank Davis built schooner Mary E. Woodhull and sloop yacht Peerless.
COLD SPRING.
More or less of shipbuilding and ship-owning has been carried on upon the shores of this admirable harbor. one of the best on' L. I. Sound, from an early date; but persistent inquiry has failed to elicit any very definite information respecting the vessels or their builders in early days. The bay and harbor form a fine shelter for both large and small craft, being deep, spa- cious and safe in all kinds of weather ; hence, naturally, the vicinity became the home of many seafaring men and has so continued since the settlement of the town. Beside the lists of recent builders some facts may be stated relating to the earlier part of the present century. In 1836 the sloop Premier of 130 tons burden, Capt. Wood, traded from Cold Spring to South Carolina ; the sloop Mediterranean, 100 tons, Capt. Jones, was in the Albany trade. In 1846 the schooner Silas Wright, 130 tons, Capt. Conklin, traded with the West Indies ; the schooner J. B. Gager, Capt. Fowler, traded in the Gulf of Mexico. Since that date the following are some of the vessels hailing from that port: Schr. Sarah Maria, 175' tons, Rogers, Central America ; schr. Narcissa. 120 tons, Jones, Boston ; schr. John D. Jones, Ber- dell, Virginia ; brig John H. Jones, 500 tons, Mills, Mobile ; brig Mary E. Jones, Capt. E. M. Jones, Malaga ; schr. Eliza J. Raynor, Sally Mer- ritt, Wm. L. Peck and others. Previous to the War of 1812, Cold Spring was largely engaged in the manufacture of flannels and broadcloths, and also ground large quantities of grain for eastern markets, freighting the grain from North Carolina and from the Hudson River. Cold Spring was the second place on the Sound shore at which a steamboat connection with New York was formed.
ELWOOD ABRAMS.
JOHN BENNETT.
Big- Name.
Tons. Year. Rıg. Name.
Tons. Year.
Sloop E. A. Willis
35 1868 Schr. Sarah L. Merritt
67 1866
Schr. Fortuna
37 1870
66 Wm. L. Peck
78 1867
Sloop Sarah F. Tocker
15
1872
Schr. Hattie Chevalier
87 1873 Schr. Ann Dole
DANIEL GILLIS." 185 1868
STONY BROOK.
More or less of shipbuilding has been carried on at this place from an early date. It occupies a favorable location on the east side of a good harbor projecting southward from the eastern side of Smithtown Bay. A portion of the village, lies on the western side of the harbor, in the town of Smithtown. One of the prominent builders, Mr. David T. Bayles, who in recent years has practically retired from the business, in sending me his list does not claim for it entire ac- curacy as to tonnage by either the new or old custom house standard of measurement, or by what is called the "carpenter's measurement "; his
I22
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
books do not contain these data, and he has to rely on memory for the - carrying capacity or dead weight tonnage. Since, some nine years ago. he turned his attention to other business, his yard, except for some repairing, lay idle till about 18 months ago, when he built for Greenport parties the handsome schooner B. F. Jayne.
DAVID T. BAYLES.
Rig. Name.
Tons.
Rig. Name.
Tons. Schr. (3-masted) Royal Arch
600
Schr. Renelcha Hallock
250
Golden Ray
140
B. W. Hawkine
500
Wm. R. Knighton
300
Village Queen
300
" (3-masted) Anna
800
Luna
170
Caribbean
350
Golden Rule
125
B. F. Jayne
150
Oceanus
380
To the firm of Jonas Smith & Co., shipping merchants at 66 South st., N. Y., I am indebted for the following compilation of vessels built at Stony Brook (other than those built by Boss D. T. Bayles), between the years 1835 and 1868 :
JONAS SMITH.
EBENEZER HALLOCK.
Rig. Name.
Tons. Rig. Name.
Tons.
Schr. Repeater
150 Schr. Monterey
150
Vindicator
200
= Harriett Hallock
175
Ann Smith (No. 1)
100
Julia M. Hallock
180
Regulue
120
Adell
175
Jonas Smith (No. 1)
200
ELIAS SMITH.
L. P. Smith
190 Brig Bell
200
Wm. H. Smith
175 Schr. Olive 160
Ann Smith (No. 2)
120
GIDEON SMITH.
Jonas Smith (No. 2)
220 Schr. Equator
100
A. J. DeRossette
200
Deception
100
N. W. Smith
275
Sylph
100
D. B. Warner
260 Sloop Lady Helen
90
Colonel Satterly
230
Isabella
30
Helene Charles Dennis
280 Schr. Wm. S. Mount
110
L. S. Davis
847
Shepard A. Mount
120
Target
360 " Sea Witch
120
890
WM. WELLS.
120
441
Oriel
120
Merchant
50
Apollo
90
.€ Translation
60 Goldleaf
60
Valor
50 JOEL RAYNOR.
Ballna
110 Schr. Alabama
150
CHARLES D. HALLOCK.
WILLIAM DAVIS.
Rig. Name.
Tons. Schr. Sophia C. Davis 150 SAMUEL CARMAN.
200
Schr. Charles D. Hallock
R. Hallock
150 Schr. St. James
130
Julia A. Hallock
180 Martha M. Heath
250
50 Tanner
320
Pandora
50
Alarech
220
90 RICHARD DAVIS.
50
Adonis
75 George H. Davis
50
DANIEL WILLIAMSON.
: Consul 50
70
JESSE DAVIS.
Dioop Illinois
Orator
70 Sloop Copy
50
.. Smithsonian
Jonas Smith (No. 3)
400 Schr. Topic
Nancy Smith
Sloop Emerald
50 Sioop Brookhaven
90
Sloop Guide
Velocity
Sloop Capitol
90 Sloop Ann Eliza
250 DANIEL T. WILLIAMSON.
123
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
At Setanket, on the stream below the grist mill, sloops Mechanic and Brilliant, each of about 60 tons, were built in 1816 ; in the summer of that year (ever since known as the "cold summer "), mechanics at outdoor employments worked in their overcoats.
SOUTHAMPTON VILLAGE.
One of the places least likely to be supposed a possible site for ship- building is the ancient village of Southampton, which, though bordering the Atlantic, has no direct water connection with it and would seem to of- fer no possible mode of putting afloat any vessels that might be built there. But to the right kind of will there is said always to be a way ; and fifty years ago this good old village had not only a man of will and original ideas in respect to shipbuilding, but also a connection, somewhat remote but direct and sufficient, with the ocean, through an inlet into Shinnecock Bay, into which bay Heady Creek flows from the west part of the village, making the eastern boundary of the Shinnecock Neck or Reservation. At the period referred to William French resided on what is called Hill street, which runs westerly toward the Neck, and at some little distance from the creek. He was noted as a man of ideas, not always practical and, like others whose fate it is to be ahead of their times, was often laughed at and perhaps despised. But this did not prevent him from experi- menting and trying earnestly to carry out some of his new notions. Among other things he conceived the idea of building a three-masted centre-board schooner ; and the claim is made for him that he was the first to construct such a vessel. At any rate he started to build, in the wide street before his house, a vessel of light draught, primarily designed for the trade in pine wood which than constituted almost the whole traffic between eastern Long Island and New York, and spent some time in collecting material from the native woods of the vicinity. At first he set out to build her himself with the help of some house carpenters, but after a while he found that this course would never do, and after spoiling much good timber he procured the help of a master shipbuilder and assistants. After a long time, during which he exhausted most of his available means, in October, 1835, by the help of many yoke of oxen, the novel craft-strange in rig, in model and in construction, and doubly strange by reason of the apparent solecism in- volved in its being built in such a place-was trundled laboriously from the house of Mr. French down into the waters of Heady Creek and there, not without hitches and halts, was finally floated. She was loaded with wood and taken through the inlet out to sea and sailed to New York, where she and her cargo were sold to relieve her builder's pressing neces- sities. It is said that she attracted a great deal of attention and was much admired for her shape. fine lines and general cleverness of model ; she proved a fast sailer and was employed for a time in trade with Southern ports, making trips as far as New Orleans, and afterwards she went into the L. I. Sound trade. An unverified tradition asserts that when last heard from she was a slaver on the Spanish Main. She measured about 80 tons burden. It is said that Mr. French took his idea of the extremely sharp bow which he gave to this vessel from observing, in N. Y. city, one of the famous clip- per ships which were beginning to be built in those days. She had two centreboards, and was named the Sarah Helen.
About 8 or 9 years afterwards Mr. French built at the same place an- other craft-a two-masted schooner, considerably smaller, which was
1241
APPENDIX .- SHIP BUILDING!
launched in the same way and was employed for some years on L. I. Sound ; her ultimate end is not known. The chief peculiarity about, this vessel was the fact that instead of planking on the outside in the usual way, she was covered with boards or strips laid on crosswise and nailed, at the intersections ; this idea did not work well, as she soon became leaky. She was named the Phantom.
GREENPORT.
JOHN V PORT, at Greenhill.
Sehr. Wm. O. Kundson Sloop (smaek) J. H. Racey
Riga: .Name.
Tons. Wild Pigeon
Schr. Crysolite
Emma Johnson
Expedite
81
E. THORNHILL.
Charles Henry
92 Sloop Grampus
J. Truman
16 Trade Wind
136 HARMON D. BISHOP. Who had yards on both sides of Main
Sloop Long Island Antecedent POST & HAND.
street.
Rig. Name. Tons/
Sloop Sea Witch.
Brig Eastern Star
238.
SILAS E. HAND,
Schr. Emeline Haight 105
South of the Railroad.
Hannah M. Johnson
Schr. Wm. E. Dodge
Maria Morton
Sloop Union 36
As to many of the earlier built vessels, some of which are mentioned above while others are hidden from the light of investigation, few and in- complete details could be procured. Aside from those mentioned a num- ber were built at different times, of which no data was obtainable.
At Southold John C. Wells built the schooner John C. Wells and the sloops Fox and Defiance, Gilbert Davis built at New Suffolk the sloop Sarah Alice ; he also built two sloops at Greenport and rebuilt the sloop D. D. Webb. At Jamesport John Dimon built the schooner North State, 20 tons. W. H. Corwin built the schooner Anadir, 73 tons, sloop Sylph, 12 tons and sloop yacht Sirocco, 20 tons. Several other vessels, including a number of large schooners, were built at New Suffolk and Jamesport.
RICHARD BENJAMIN.
Rig. Name. Tong. At Fanning's Point, south side of Sloop(smack) Wyandank ab't40 Railroad.
Rig. Nawe.
Tons. Year.
Schr. Wm. H. Rowe
156: 1855
¥ David G. Floyd
191: 1856
Sloop Native
20 1859 at the yard on the north side of Cen -. tral avenue (formerly Amity street).
Schr. Tamanlipas about
200 1862. since occupied by his son Oliver, H.
O. & C. Brooks 185 1865 Bishop and now the property. of Elizur Matthews, successor to Mat-
Schr. Charles Henry 189 1847 thews & Fordham:|
J. Freeman
132 1847 Schr. Sterling
Sloop Long Island
88 1847 Brig Thos. Cook
.6. John Post
38 1849 do Peconic
D. F. Ives
51 1849 Schr. John O. Ireland.
" (smack) Silas Henry Mary Elena
40
1849 do Sarah Strong.
15 1850 do Minerva
" (yacht) Wavelet
20 1851 do Alida
Albatross
40 1852 do Almeda
""(smack) Cal Wells
39 . 1852
do D. W. Dickinson :
¥ Harriet Foster 80
R. Benjamin 15 1865
HIRAM BISHOP:
[Between the years 1839 and 1855,
At East Marion.
At yard west side of Main street.
Siam 52
12
Bark Jane A. Bishop
125
APPENDIX. - SHIP BUILDING.
Rig. Name.
Tons. Rig. Name. Tons.
Schr. H. H. Talman
do H. E. Bishop
do Ruth Halsey
Schr. Lena R. Kaplan 76 1878 MATTHEW & FORDHAM (same yard.) Sloop Kansas City 25 1880 Schr. (s'k) Samuel L. Storer 118 1882 KETCHAM & SMITH.
Sloop (smack) Storm Child 43
do Nearchus
46 Sehr. Almira Wooley 224 1867
do Frances A. Bishop
13 do Emma M. Fox 238 1867
Sohr. Henry
57 Sloop Mary A. Sisson 21 1867
Sloop (smack) Reindeer
do Joseph Smith 12 1867
do Margaret E. Wells Schr, Black Diamond
120
do (s'k) Thos. S. Rogers 52 1868 do Abel C. Buckley 234 1869
Sloop Mary Frances Boss Bishop also built the follow- SMITH & BERRIAN. ing other vessels : At Moriches the Sloop Swan 1870 24
schooners Consul and Texas, and do Nevada 1870
27
eloops Traffic, Tradesman and Cadet. do J. E. DeBlois 27 1870
At Speonk the sloops Three Brothers Schr. Luther Eldridge 15 1871
and David Lamphier. At Squire's Sloop (yacht) Tho's G. Hunt 22 1872 Landing, Peconic Bay, schooner Ore- do do Annie Homan 22 1872
gon and sloop Lexington, At Wading Schr. (3-masted) Mary Free-
River sloop -- He also rebuilt out of other vessels the sloops Em- blem and Floyd S. Warner.
CHARLES M. SMITH.
Barkentine Melville Bryant 594 1874
In and near the same yard Calvin SMITH & TERRY. Horton bullt eloops Hannah Maria Schr. (smack) Josie Reeve 45 1878 Webb, Van Buren, Odd Fellow and Barkentine Wandering Jew 667 1880
Schr. (3-m't'd) Freddie Hen-
chen 326 1882
Sloop (smack) Sophia
OLIVER H. BISHOP.
1855 do do Felton Beat re- built into the
Sloop(smack)Charles Miller 42 do B. C. Cartwright 14
1865 Schr. (smack) J. T. Becker 48
1884
do Dolphin
14 1866 do do Peter Cooper 50 1884
Schr. Ada M. Hallock 29 1866
do do Julia I. Grattan 52
1885
do smack A. M. C. Smith 44
1866
SILAS HAND-Greenport.
do do W. W. Dickinson 44 1866 Schr. Bleecker 120 1847
do Maishall O. Wells 88 1867 do S. E. Hand
200 1848
do Olive Branch 59 1869 do Sophia C. Davis 150 1849
do Maria L. Davis 61 1869 Sloop Sea Wi.ch 100 1850
Stmr. Cambria
33 1871 Schr. Trade Wind
120 1851
Sloop yacht Lulu do Agnes 13
1871 Sloop (smack) J. H. Racey do Flying Cloud
80 1853
Schr. (3-masted) Charles W. Alcott 296 1872 do (smack) Wild Pigeon 50 1854
do do S. C. Tyron
423 1873 Schr. Wm. E. Dodge 175 1855
do do Hattie M.Crowell 432
1873 do C. B. Knudeon 200 1856
do do Allen Green
489
1874 do Maria Morton 125 1856
do do Lizzie Titus
200 1875 do Jennie M. Vandeveer 100
1860
Sloop (sharpy), Centennial 20 1876 SILAS E. HAND-Bellport.
do Eva
8 1876
do Raynor 100 1863
1871 SILAS E. HAND-Greenport.
50 1852
1860 Barkentine Mascotte 594 1882
Greenport. H. E. & O. H. BISHOP.
land 398 1872
Schr. S. B. Franklin 243 1868
do Rainbow
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