USA > New York > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 34
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"'Ontario' was built in 1847, at Clayton. Extreme length, 240} feet ; breadth of beam, 32 feet ; and over all, 543 feet ; depth of hold, 12 feet ; cylinder, 50 inches in diameter and 11-feet stroke; tonnage, 900; cost, $80,000.
"'Bay State,' built at Clayton, and came out on her first trip in June, 1849. She has a tonnage of 935. Length, 222 feet; breadth of beam, 31} feet, and over all, 58 feet ; depth of hold, 12 feet ; cylin- der, 56 inches in diameter and 11-feet stroke; wheels, 32 feet in diameter.
"' The Northerner,' built at Oswego, by G. S. Weeks, and came out in May, 1850. Tonnage, 905. Length, 232 feet; beam, 30} feet ; extreme breadth, 58 feet ; depth of hold, 12} feet; wheels, 32 feet in diameter; cost, $95,000 ; cylinder, 60 inches in diameter and 11-feet stroke.
"' The New York,' the largest steamer on the lake, was built in 1851-52, at Clayton, by John Oades, the builder of the others at this place, and came out on her first trip in August, 1852. Tonnage, 994. Length, 224 feet; beam, 32} feet; entire breadth, 64 feet. Engines, by II. R. Dunham & Co., of New York; cylinder, 60 inches in diameter and 12-feet stroke. Wheels, 64 feet in diameter, and cost about $100,000.
" In 1848 the two companies above named, which were generally styled the Utiea Company and the St. Lawrence Company, united into one, and assumed the name of the 'Outario and St. Lawrence Steamboat Company,' having a capital of $750,000, and the follow- ing officers : E. B. Allen, president ; E. B. Allen, G. N. Seymour, H. Van Rensselaer, A. Chapman, E. G. Merrick, S. Buckley, H. Fitz- hugh, A. Munson, T. S. Faxton, H. White, L. Wright, directors ; and Jaines Van Cleve, secretary and treasurer.
" This company is the owner of eleven steamers, in daily use during the summer season, as follows :
"'Express Line,' from Ogdensburgh to Lewiston direet, touching at Clayton and Cape Vineent, a daily line of two steamers, from May till October, viz. : 'Bay State,' Captain John Ledyard, and 'New York,' Captain R. B. Chapulan.
"' Mail Line,' from Ogdensburgh to Lewiston, touching at Pres- cott, Morristown, Broekville, Alexandria Bay, Clayton, Kingston, Sacket's Harbor, Oswego, Genesee River, and Lewiston. A daily line of three steamers, viz. : 'Cataract,' Captain A. D. Kilby ; ' Niagara,' Captain G. B. Estes ; ' Ontario,' Captain H. N. Throop. In 1852 the steamer ' Northerner,' Captain R. F. Child, formed one of this line.
"The ' American Line,' from Ogdensburgh to Montreal daily, viz .: ' British Queen,' Captain J. La Flamme; 'British Empire,' Captain D. S. Allen ; ' Jenny Lind,' Captain L. Moody. From Cape Vincent to Kingston, the ' Lady of the Lake,' Captain Root. From Lewiston to Hamilton, the ' Rochester,' Captain I. Mason."
This company continued to operate their lines until 1858, when the competition of the Grand Trunk railway so seriously affected their business that its affairs were placed in the hands of a receiver, and the property sold to a new company, styled the " American Steamboat Com- pany," whose managers were E. B. Allen, Samuel Buckley,
# " Baron" in the act; probably William Bacon.
+ 1854.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Augustus Chapman, James G. Averill, and George N. Seymour.
" In safety, regularity, and dispatch, these boats will compare with those on any inland water in the Union ; and such has been the skill and carc exercised in their management, that not a single life has been lost, or injury to passengers occurred from accident, upon these or any of the steamers owned and run upon the American side of the lake. The melancholy accident that befell the ' Occan Wave,' a boat with a British license, and running in connection with the Northern railroad, in the spring of 1853, is entirely without parallel upon this lake, and was said to be due to a faulty construction.
" The steamers upon this lake are characterized for tho perfection, neatness, and convenience of their arrangements, and their routes for attractive and beautiful scenery; and the throng of pleasure- seeking tourists that pass up and down the St. Lawrence during the summer scason is constantly increasing.
" The steamer 'Bay State,' during the season of 1852, ran 47,310 miles, cqual to sixtcen times across the Atlantic, and her wheels performed 5,000,000 revolutions. No accidents or delays whatever occurred. The duty performed by the other boats would doubtless compare with this.
" The ' Passport,' ' Magnet,' ' Maple Leaf,' ' New Era,' ' Arabian,' ' Lord Elgin,' ' St. Lawrence,' ' Boston,' and other boats were running upon regular lines in 1853, some of them from Montreal to Hamilton ; and the ' Champion,' ' Highlander,' and ' May Flower' formed a daily line between Capc Vincent and Hamilton, touching at the principal ports on the north shore of the lake.
" A submarine railway at Ogdensburgh is destined to confer great benefits upon the navigation of the lake, by affording the means for taking the largest class of steamers and vessels out of the water for repairs."
For some years lines of steamers ran in connection with the various railways, but at the present only small pleasure- steamers on the St. Lawrence, and lines of ferries to Cana- dian ports, are connected with them in Jefferson County. The Northern Transportation Company's heavy propellers, which formerly connected at Cape Vincent, have been changed to Kingston and the north channel of the river, and connect lower down at Ogdensburgh and other ports. For further account of ship-building and lake navigation, see history of Hounsfield, Cape Vincent, Clayton, and other marine towns.
POST-ROUTES.
Post-routes began to be established as early as 1806, and were added to as the country became more densely settled and roads more plenty, until the region of northern New York was as well supplied as other and older portions of the commonwealth. The earliest mails were undoubtedly carried on horseback, and all the routes, of course, up to the advent of railways, were over the common roads of the country. At the present time nearly all the mails come into and leave the county by rail, and nearly every section is accommodated by daily mails. In this connection we furnish a list of the post-routes of the county from 1806 down to 1851, with the date of the formation of each by act of Congress :
April 21, 1806. From Harrisburg, through Williams- town (De Kalb), Ogdensburgh, Potsdam, Chateaugay, to Plattsburgh. From Rome, through Redfield, Adams, by Smith's Mills, to Sacket's Harbor, and from thenee to Chaumont.
April 28, 1810. From Utica, by Whitestown, Rome, Camden, Adams, and Sacket's Harbor, to Brownville. From Utica, by Trenton, Steuben, Leyden, Turin, Lowville, Harrisburg, Ox Bow, De Kalb, Canton, Ogdensburgh,
Lisbon, Hamilton (Waddington), Madrid, Potsdam, Ches- terfield (Lawrence), Malone, and Chetango (Chateaugay), to Plattsburgh. From Harrisburg, by Champion, Water- town, and Brownville, to Port Putnam.
April 30, 1816. From Williamstown, by Richland, El- lisburg, and Henderson, to Sacket's Harbor. From Brown- ville to Cape Vincent.
April 20, 1818. From Denmark, by Le Raysville, to Wilna.
March 3, 1821. From Turin, by Harrisburg, Copen- hagen, Tylerville, Pinckney, and Rodman, to Adams. From Watertown, by Le Raysville, to Antwerp.
May 8, 1822. From Champion to Alexandria, by Felt's Mills, Le Raysville, Evans' Mills, Theresa, and Plessis.
March 3, 1825. From Watertown, by Adams and Mannsville, to Sandy Creek ; and from thence, by Rich- land, etc., to Syracuse.
March 2, 1827. From Ellisburg, by Smithville, to Sacket's Harbor.
May 24, 1828. From Watertown, by Evans' Mills, Philadelphia, Antwerp, Gouverneur, De Kalb, and Heu- ville, to Ogdensburgh.
June 15, 1832. From Watertown, by Brownville, La Fargeville, to Cornelia, at the mouth of French Creek ; thence, by Depauville, to Brownville. From Heuville, by De Peyster, to Ox Bow.
July 2, 1836. From Watertown, by Burrville, to Rod- man. From Carthage, through Great Bend, Le Raysville, Felt's Mills, Lockport, and Huntington's Mills, to Water- town. From Theresa, by the Glass-Works and South Hammond, to Hammond.
July 7, 1838. From New Haven, by Port Ontario and Lindseyville, to Ellisburg.
August 31, 1842. From North Adams, through Field's Settlement, to Watertown.
March 3, 1845. From Wilna, by Natural Bridge, to Diana.
March 3, 1847. From Antwerp, by Shingle Creek, Fowler, Fullerville, Edwards, and Russell, to Canton.
August 14, 1848. From Copenhagen, by Boynton's Corners, Worthville, and Jacksonville, to Lorraine. From La Fargeville, by Shantyville, Parker Settlement, Theresa, Ox Bow, and Wegatchie, to Gouverneur.
September 27, 1850. From Pierrepont Manor to Sacket's Harbor, by railroad. From Adams Centre to Saeket's Har- bor, on the direct road. From Natural Bridge to Diana. From Evans' Mills to Ox Bow. From Lowville, by Har- risburg and Pinckney, to Rodman.
March 3, 1851. From Great Bend, by Evans' Mills, to French Creek (Clayton).
POST-OFFICES.
The following list shows the present post-offices in the county, arranged by towns, alphabetically :
Adams .- Adams, Adams Centre, Smithville. The latter is on the line between this town and Henderson.
Alexandria .- Alexandria, Redwood, Plessis.
Antwerp .- Antwerp, Ox Bow.
Brownville .- Brownville, Dexter, Perch River, Lim- erick, Pillar Point.
128
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Cape Vincent .- Cape Vineent, St. Lawrence, Rosiere. Champion .- Champion, Great Bend, South Champion. Clayton .- Clayton, Depauville, Thousand Island Park.
Ellisburg .- Ellisburg, Rural Hill, Pierrepont Manor, Mannsville, Belleville, Woodville.
Henderson .- Henderson, Bishop Street.
Hounsfield .- Sacket's Harbor, Stowell's Corners, Galloo Islands, East Hounsfield.
Le Ray .- Le Raysville, Evans' Mills, Black River, San- ford's Corners.
Lorraine .- Lorraine, Allendale.
Lyme .- Chaumont, Three-Mile Bay, Point Peninsula.
Orleans .- Orleans Four Corners, Omar, La Fargeville, Stone Mills, Fisher's Landing.
Philadelphia .- Philadelphia, Sterlingville.
Rodman .- Rodman, East Rodman.
Rutland .- Rutland, South Rutland, Felt's Mills.
Theresa .- Theresa.
Watertown .- WATERTOWN (eity), East Watertown, Burr's Mills.
Wilna .- Wilna, North Wilna, Carthage, Natural Bridge. Worth .- Worth Centre, Worthville.
MISCELLANEOUS.
NARRATIVE OF A TRANS-CONTINENTAL BALLOON VOYAGE FROM ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, TO HENDERSON, JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK, JULY 1, 1859.
On the evening of July 1, 1859, the balloon " Atlantie" aseended from St. Louis, Missouri, with Prof. John Wise, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania ; John La Mountain, of Troy, New York ; O. A. Gager, of Bennington, Vermont; and William Hyde, with the intention, if possible, of reaching the Atlantic coast. During the night they passed over the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and the next forenoon obliquely over Lake Erie, passing between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. When over Lake Ontario they were caught in a hurricane. Their ballast was nearly exhausted, and they were swept along near the surface of the waves, in the greatest peril, and often with the prospeet of a speedy death before them, until at length the shore appeared. We eopy the following from the narrative of Mr. Wise :
" At 7.20 p.M. we set sail from the Washington Square of St. Louis, and our course at starting was north of east. At 8.30 p.M. the shades of evening shut from our view the noble city of St. Louis, and the 'Father of Waters,' though it continued light until after nine. Before I went to sleep we had mounted to a height at which the balloon be- eame completely distended, and where we found the current due east. Mr. La Mountain proposed to take the lower curreut, as long as it would take us hut a few points north of east, and I told him to do as he deemed best, aud report his reckoning in the morning. After hidding the party in the boat good-night, I coiled myself up in the blankets, and laid down as hest I could, and in a few minutes was sound asleep, and knew of nothing but repose until 11.30 P.M. At this time Mr. La Mountain again mounted for the upper current, being desirous of making a little more easting; he hailed me to open the valve, as the balloon had become so tense, and the gas was rushing from the neck with a noise; hut receiving no answer frou me he sus- pected that I was heing smothered in the gas, and he admonished Mr. Gager to mount to my car hy a rope provided for that purpose, and Mr. Gager found me breathing spasmodically ; but a good shaking, and the removal of the neck of the balloou from my face, brought me hack to a knowledge of what was going on, and I resolved not to sleep more during the night. The whole dome of heaven was lit up with a mellow, phosphorescent light, the stars shone with crystalline
brilliancy, and the milky way looked like an illuminated stratum of cumulus clouds. Whenever we crossed water the heaven-lit dome was as visible helow by reflection as ahove. At 3 A.M., Saturday, we came to a general conclusion that we were somewhere over the State of Indiana or Ohio. At 4 A.M. we passed a city, hut could not make it out. At 5 A.M. we discovered Lake Erie ahead of us. At 6 A.M. we passed Toledo, and about an hour afterwards we lowered on the margin of the lake, a little north of Sandusky. After a few moments' consultation and a review of our hallast, we determined to risk the length of Lake Erie. Just as we emerged upon the lake a little steam screw, that was propelling up a river or hay, headed for our track, and some one on board of her quaintly cried aloud to us, 'That is the Lake ahead of you.' La Mountain cried back, ' Is it Lake Erie?' and the answer was, ' Yes, it is, and you had better look out.' We mounted up until the balloon was filled, and the barometer fell to 23º. Mr. La Mountain suggested that we could make the city of Buffalo by sailiug hut a few hundred feet above the lake, and I accordingly opened the valve until we gradually sank to within five hundred feet of the water. This was the most interesting part of our voyage. We overtook seven steamboats, passed mutual salutations, and would soou leave them flitting in our rear. At twenty minutes past ten A.3. we were skirting along the Canada shore, and passed near the mouth of the Welland canal, and I soon began to mount for a more easterly current, so as to take Buffalo in our track ; hut we circled up into it hetween Buffalo and Niagara Falls, crossing Grand Island, leaving Buffalo to the right and Lockport to the left of us in our onward course.
" Finding ourselves in the State of New York, hut too far north to make the city of New York, it was agreed that we would make a landing near Rochester, detach the boat, leave Mr. Gager and Mr. Hyde, and Mr. La Mountain and myself would pursue the voyage to a point at Boston or Portland. Accordingly we descended gradually, hut hefore we got within a thousand feet of the earth we found a most terrific gale sweeping along helow. The woods roared like a host of Niagaras, the surface of the earth was filled with clouds of dust, and I told my friends certain destruction awaited us if we should touch the earth in that tornado. The huge ' Atlantic' was making a ter- rific swoop earthward; already were we uear the tops of the trees of a tall forest, and I cried out excitedly, 'for God's sake, heave over- hoard anything you can lay your hands on, La Mountain !' and in another moment he replied 'all right,' standing ou the side of the hoat with a shaft and wheels, intended for the working of the fan- wheels, and ready to heave it over, should it become necessary. We were fast running on to Lake Ontario ; and oh, how terribly it was foaming, moaning, and howling ! I said, ' La Mountain, I have one hundred and fifty pounds of ballast in my car yet, and a heavy valise, with a lot of provisions.' 'Well, if that won't do, I will cut up the hoat for hallast, and we can keep above water until we reach the opposite shore,' which was near a hundred miles off in the direc- tion we were then going. Everything now indicated that we should perish in the water, or on the land, and our only salvation was to keep afloat until we got out of the gale, if we could. By this time Mr. Gager and Mr. Hyde had clambered into the basket with me. Mr. Ilyde said, very coolly, ' I am prepared to die, but I would rather die on the land than in the water.' I said, ' What do you say, Mr. Ga- ger ?' He replied, ' I would rather meet it on the land; but do as you think best.' Our carpet-hags, our instruments, the express-bag, our provisious, were all ready to go and go they did, one after another, until we were reduced to the express-bag, and that went overboard at last. We were swooping at a fearful rate upon the turbulent water, and, in another moment, crash went the boat upon the water sidewise, staving in two of the planks, and giving our whole craft two fearful jerks hy two succeeding waves. La Mountain threw over the express-bag and the last remaining hallast, and cried out, ' Be easy, gentlemen, I'll have her afloat ouce more.' In another moment we were up a few hundred feet again, and the steamer ' Young America' was tacking across our track. I now proposed to swamp the boat and balloon in the lake, and trust to heing picked up by the ' Youug America,' hut the desire was that we should make the shore and try the land, and as we crossed the how of the steamer they gave us a hearty hurrah. We were now withiu fifteen miles of the shore, the gale was raging below. I saw by the swaying to and fro of the lofty trees into which we must inevitably dash, that our worst perils were at hand ; but I still had a bliud hope that we would he saved. We struck within a hundred yards of the water, among
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK.
somo seattered trees, our hook, which was of ineh and a quarter iron, breaking like a pipe-stem at the first catch of it in a tree, and we hurling through the tree-tops at a terrific rate. After dashing along in this way for nearly a mile, erashing, and hreaking down trees, wo · were dashed most fearfully into the boughs of a tall elm, so that the basket swung under, and up through the erotch of the limb, while the boat had caught in some other branches, but in another moment the ' Atlantie' puffed up her huge proportions, and at one swoop away went the limh, basket and boat, into the air a hundred feet. This limb, which was about eight inehes thiek, and weighed no less than eight hundred pounds, proved too much for tho 'Atlantie,' and it brought her suddenly down upon the top of a very tall tree, and eol- lapsed her. It was a fearful plunge, but left us dangling between heaven and earth in the most sorrowful-looking plight of machinery that ean be imagined. Nono of us were seriously injured, the many cords, the strong hoop, and the close wieker work, saving us from harm. Wo landed upon the farm of Mr. T. O. Whitney, in the town oť Henderson, Jefferson County, New York."
The balloon " Atlantie," after making the remarkable trip from St. Louis to Henderson, was repaired, and ex- hibited for a time in Watertown. August 11, 1859, Mr. La Mountain made an exeursion alone from the publie square in Watertown, and landed on the farm of C. Trim- erman, near Pereh lake. There was much fault found with the aeid used in making the gas, and the excursion was deemed a partial failure. A few days after he went up from Saratoga Springs, and landed a hundred miles away, in two hours from the time of starting. Returning to Watertown, Mr. La Mountain made another ascension from the publie square in Watertown, with Mr. John A. Haddock, one of the editors of the New York Reformer, which, on account of the long absence of the aeronauts, ex- eited extraordinary interest. Ascending about half-past five, they disappeared from view a few minutes after, and were last seen, passing at a great elevation, over Antwerp. They descended about eight in the evening in a wilderness, which proved to be about one hundred and fifty miles north of Ot- tawa, in Canada, and three hundred miles north of Water- town. After four days without food, in trying to float by the aid of a raft down to some inhabited place, they found a lumbering station, where they were kindly received. Mr. Haddoek returned to Watertown after thirteen days' absence.
A TORNADO
passed over a portion of the town of Antwerp, in Jefferson 10
County, and a portion of St. Lawrence and Essex counties, on the 20th of September, 1845, which was very destruc- tive in its effects, though fortunately no lives of human beings were lost by it. The Jeffersonian, of September 30, in that year, contains a very graphie account of the work of destruction, from which this account is condensed. The tornado struek the earth and began its work about a mile east of Antwerp, and when it reached Fowler, in St. Law- renee county, its track was about three-fourthis of a inile wide, and increasing, until, at the end of eight miles, the width was one and a half miles, covering an area in Fowler of four thousand aeres, and in Edward of six thousand aeres. In all this distance and area not a tree or building was left standing. On the Pitcairn road, and on one paral- lel to it, and about two miles distant, running through Emerson and Streeter settlements, sixteen buildings, com- prising dwellings, barns, and a school-house, were instantly swept away, but no serious injury resulted to the inmates. Large trees and like heavy objeets were twirled about in the air like straw. Large and well-tilled farms were so eov- ered with the wreck of forests, the expense of elearing it away was more than the original cost of elearing them up in a state of nature. The eyelone traveled at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Crossing the great forest lying be- tween the Black river and Lake Champlain, it burst upon a village and extensive iron-works near Keesville, Essex county, and swept them away as with a besom of destrue- tion. A feather-bed was carried sixteen miles, and depos- ited unhurt, save from the rain and hail, which followed elose on the track of the hurricane. A man traveling along the road, with a yoke of oxen and a wagon, was completely hemmed in by falling trees, brought from more than eighty rods distant. He escaped without serious in- jury, but his team was so entangled and bound in by the trees they were not extrieated until after several hours of hard work. A framed school-house, with the teacher and scholars inside, was moved entirely from its foundations, while a log one was carried away from over the scholars' leads, every log of it, down to the floor on which the ehildren sat. The hail which followed was very heavy, and composed of great ragged pieces of ice.
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VILLAGE AND CITY OF WATERTOWN.
THE city of Watertown, the civil and commercial capi- tal of Jefferson County, New York, one of the most thriv- ing counties of the Empire State, is finely located on the Black river about seven miles from its junction with Lake Ontario. The river divides the city into two unequal por- tions, the bulk of the place being on the southern side of the stream. Two large islands, Beebee's* and Sewall's, besides several smaller ones, are encompassed by the various channels within the city limits. Of these Bcebee's con- tains about five, and Sewall's fifteen acres of land, or rather land and rock, for underneath the scanty covering of soil lies the formation known as the Trenton limestone, com- posed of three stratifications, individually known as “Tren- ton," " Black River," and " Birds-eye," which comprise a large share of the surface, or outcropping strata of the county. The river is spanned by eight substantial bridges (counting the various channels) within the city, six of which are of wood, or wood and iron combined, including the railway bridges, and two of iron; the latter on Mill street, near the centre of the city.
One of these iron bridges, a remarkable and unique structure, upon the suspension plan, was designed and con- structed by Mr. Gilbert Bradford, a local engineer and mechanic of distinguished celebrity. (See history of manu- factures in this work.) The islands and banks of the river are mostly occupied by the various manufactories for the distance of a mile or more, nearly all of which are very conveniently connected with the tracks of the railway lines which centre here. The main body of the town is beauti- fully situated on a broad-spreading plateau, running back to the terraces of limestone which mark the ancient shores of Lake Ontario. The city is remarkably well built, more especially in the line of dwellings, which for number, ele- gance, and comfort are not excelled by those of any city in the Union.
The place has all the necessary and characteristic clements of a large city, including fine, broad, and well-paved strects, grand hotels, extensive printing establishments, costly churches, good schools, gas- and water-works, a well-ordered fire department, a competent police force, two great rural cemeteries, excellent bands, a good opera-house, extensive and imposing business blocks, and heavy manufactures. It
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