USA > New York > Staten Island > History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York : from its discovery to the present time > Part 62
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South side. " Charity never faileth : Its memory is immortal." West side.
" The Trustees of the Sailors' Snug Harbor have caused the remains of Robert Richard Randall to be removed from the original place of interment and deposited beneath this monu- ment on the 21st of August, 1834."
Great praise is due for the excellent judgment evinced in the choice of the site for the institution. It is a situation as health- ful as it is beautiful, and commands by day a constantly changing view of the waters of the Kill Von Kull and the har- bor, and at night is in sight of the lights of the great bridge, which, like a string of flashing diamonds, unites the two great cities of New York and Brooklyn ; while that of the adjoining country affords a sense of peaceful quiet in delightful contrast.
The original tract contained one hundred and thirty acres, to which, within a few years, thirty-five acres more were added, and still more recent acquisitions have increased it to about one hundred and eighty acres, furnishing a present frontage of nearly two thousand feet. Thirty acres on the front are en- closed by a substantial iron fence with granite coping, within which are erected the buildings, thirty-five in all. There are
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
eiglit large dormitory buildings, capable of accommodating one thousand men, a hospital with beds for two hundred patients, which compares favorably in all respects with the best in the land, a church, dwellings of officers and employees, laundry and clothesrooms, machine shop, with engine room attached, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, with steam sawing and plan- ing machines, paint shop, boiler houses, ice house of six hun- dred and fifty tons capacity, constructed with refrigerating and meat rooms, kitchen buildings, morgue, hot houses, lodges and barns ; also sheds for building materials.
In the central building are located, on the ground floor, the governor's suite of offices, the reception roonis, library and reading rooms, all opening out of the grand entrance hall, which rises to the full height of the building and is surmounted with a dome. This hall and the principal rooms are handsomely embellished in fresco and stained glass ; the designs, though varied in subject, are mainly of a nautical and astronomical character. Facing you, upon entering, stands the marble bust of the founder. In the reception room hang the portraits in oil of the former governors of the institution and other paintings. This hall, about fifty feet in depth, is bisected by another, which ex- tends east and west through the entire chain of the five con- nected buildings; about five hundred feet from which there is an entrance to the chapel for morning and evening service. This is also tastefully and appropriately decorated.
These five buildings are connected by two wide corridors and a covered way with three rear main buildings. These corridors, suitably furnished, serve as recreation and sitting rooms. The central rear building contains the four dining-rooms, steward's office and store-rooms, and from this a corridor connects with the main kitchen below, and the matron's office and clothes- rooms above. The face of the five front edifices is of marble with massive columns, and the hospital is of granite of similar style; otherwise the buildings are of brick with stone or iron trimmings. The yards and courtways adjoining the buildings are neatly kept and pleasing views are gained from the win- dows. A continuous lawn, elegant in the wealth of its grand elms, extends across the entire front.
About fifty thousand gallons of water per day are furnished from springs at the rear of the property, and a reservoir with a capacity of five hundred thousand gallons is available in
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case of fire or other emergency and also serves for washing pur- poses.
On May 30, 1884, occurred the unveiling of a heroic statne in bronze of the founder, by Augustus St. Gaudens. Addresses upon the occasion were made by the Hon, Algernon S. Sullivan and Hon. Erastns Brooks, It is erected npon a pedestal of polished granite and located upon the lawn between the main buildings and the governor's residence, upon a slight elevation which commands a pleasing view of the surrounding and ad- jacent lawns and the park beyond.
Looking southward on a June day the eye traverses a plain of beauty, picturesque and rare. Gravel walks intersect the green expanse, the limits of which, rendered deceptive by the artistic grouping of varied and ornamental shrubs, and serve as rambles past beds of radiant rhododendrons and fragrant azaleas to the little lake beyond, whose glittering surface mirrors shadows of surrounding beauty, and serves as the arena for contesting miniature yachts constructed and sailed by the inmates. The lake is fed by an artificial brooklet springing from a rocky bed, spanned by a rustic bridge, which forms a link in the path which encirles the lake and connects with the driveways from the southern and western gates. But perhaps some of the loveliest and most diversified views upon this beautiful island are obtained from the upper wards and balconies of the hospital.
Beyond the limits of the grounds proper, the land of the in- stitution is devoted to the production of milk, vegetables, and supplies for the inmates. In providing for their other numer- ous requirements, it may be said that, in the fullest sense, everything needful for their comfort is furnished in a liberal and thoughtful manner. Suitable workrooms and facilities are available to such inmates as desire to engage in light employ- ments, like the manufacture of baskets, useful and ornamental mats, hammocks, nets, and miniature craft of all rigs, which are disposed of for their own benefit. This is a feature of the institution interesting to visitors. The regular religious services are conducted in the Presbyterian form, but Roman Catholics are permitted to attend churches of that faith. Beneficiaries of the institution must be of the class denominated by the founder : "aged, decrepit and worn ont sailors," who have sailed at least five years under the flag of the United States,
Rules and regulations tending to good order and the comfort
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
and welfare of all the inmates, are assented to by each upon entering the institution, as conditions of enjoying its privi- leges.
The total number admitted up to June 1, 1886, is 3,175, of whom 805 were those remaining, including twenty in asylums for the insane, where they are provided for at the expense of this institution. The mortality of the inmates is about ten per cent. per annum.
In the numerous departments necessary to the proper con- duct of the affairs of this little municipality is everywhere evidenced that systematic and harmonions action dne to care- fully devised method and wise administration. The prudence, sagacity and fidelity which has uniformly characterized the management of the trustees, which is, perhaps, without a parallel in the history of public charities, is forcibly indicated by the fact that in addition to the vast amount expended in bringing this institution to its present condition of excellence, and in fulfilling every requirement of the trust, the annual in - come, which, in 1806, was $4,243, is now increased one hun- dred fold.
Men sometimes build even more wisely than they plan, and the marvelons growth of New York has made Captain Ran- dall's bequest valuable beyond his thinking; yet the form of his bequest displays a wisdom commensurate to all possible growth and contingency. Familiar with the characteristics of seamen, the vicissitudes of their lives, knowing their helpless- ness as a class when deprived of their accustomed vocation, and in full sympathy with their needs, his one great object was to provide " for aged, decrepit and worn ont sailors." The elaboration of a plan for the fulfilment of this purpose, which circumstances and events impossible to foresee would be likely to frustrate, was wisely avoided; but with his purpose clearly indicated he selected representative men, who by their posi- tions and professions, would be best qualified to administer the trust. His will is dominated by a settled idea; it is not the chance disposal of a fortune he knew not what to do with, or the mere good-natured befriending of the sailor in response to some chance suggestion. No man was in a better position than himself to know the desirability of such a charity. The man who generously dedicated his fortune to this purpose, and wisely directed its husbanding until the plan could be applied
42
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
on a reasonably large scale, had the qualities of heart and head to devise it.
The Sailors' Snug Harbor is itself the most appropriate monument to the memory of a man who deserves in the highest degree the gratitude of his beneficiaries, and the admiration of the world at large. It is grander and larger, perhaps, than its founder dreamed of, yet in its greatest development it is but the culmination and completion of the general purpose of Captain Randall. Had the property not increased so remark- ably in value, the same instruments would have been the best to conserve and administer the more humble estate. But great or small, the gift was a noble one, the object was a worthy one, the manner was wise, and with all credit to those who have so well fulfilled the trust imposed in them, the man who is, and will be, and should be commemorated by this unique and benefi- cent institution is Robert Richard Randall.
The officers and managers of the institution in 1886 were as follows :
Board of Trustees :* William R. Grace, mayor of the city of New York; Frederick Smythe, recorder of the city of New York; James M. Brown, president Chamber of Commerce; Ambrose Snow, president Marine Society of N. Y .; Edward G. Tinker, vice-president Marine Society of N. Y .; Rev. Morgan Dix, D.D., rector of Trinity church; Rev. Richard D. Harlan, minister First Presbyterian church.
Officers of the Board .- Ambrose Snow, president; Thomas Greenleaf, secretary and controller; Richard Luce, agent.
Resident Officers : G. D. S. Trask, governor; Henry D. Joy, resident physician; S. V. R. Bogert, consulting physician; Charles J. Jones. chaplain; Joseph K. Clark, steward.
Subordinates : Charles A. Decker, bnilder; J. H. Miles, chief engineer; Hugh Clark, farmer; Mrs. A. G. Hammond, matron.
The governors of the institution have been since its establish- ment, Capt. John Whetten, from August, 1833, to September, 1844; Dr. S. V. R. Bogert (acting), from September, 1844 to September, 1845; Capt. A. F. Depeyster, from September, 1845, to November, 1867; Capt. Thomas Melville, from Novem- ber, 1867, to March, 1884; Capt. G. D. S. Trask, from March, 1884, the present incumbent.
* By the new constitution of the State of New York, adopted November, 1846, the office of chancellor was abolished from and after the first Monday of July, 1847,
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IIISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
The general arrangement of the various buildings and grounds at the "Harbor" proves conclusively that, from its conception to the present moment, its destiny has been guided by the hand of refinement and judgment. Its marble and granite blocks, which adorn the prominent portions of the main buildings, stand out in bold relief, and aid to form the picture, which is completed by the beautiful surroundings. Gracefully curving walks and drives wind their way through the velvet lawns, which are tastefully dotted by rare and fragrant flowers, and shaded by broad elms that have become a pride to those who look upon the "Harbor" only in the light of home. The little silvery lake, whose pure and silent water reflects the soft green shadows along its rugged edge, adds a dreamy fascination to the scene, and furnishes material for reflection to those brave old seamen who have come here to await their summons to em- bark upon the waters of eternity.
It is while contemplating this scene that one can appreciate the hallowed motive of him whose heart and mind laid the foundation of this institution, and whose beneficence gave a liome to brave men that will live on through the generations to come, embalmed, as it were, with their prayers and gratitude and thankfulness. Growing, as it does, each year, in import- ance and usefulness; fostered, guarded and beloved by one faithful trustee after another, as time and death enter their little circle, it seems impossible to contemplate the limit of its usefulness, or the ending of its power to alleviate the suffering's of those who have "gone down to sea in ships," and at last, homeless and decrepit, have anchored safely in this protecting harbor.
There is a mystic tradition that Michael Angelo, the greatest of artists, at one time determined to make the grandest effort of his life-to place upon canvas a painting that would live on and on, as a monument to his memory. But, after spending a number of years at the task, death came to him, and the work was left unfinished. More than one artist undertook the task of completing the picture, but each attempt only proved a fail- ure. It requires no imaginary effort to place the Sailors' Sung Harbor beside the great painting of Michael Angelo. The noble work was begun by Captain Robert Richard Randall, no doubt with equal pride and ambition; but other hands were called to render it complete. How beautifully have their efforts been
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
crowned ! How noble and grand is its mission ; for it stands to-day without a peer-without a rival in the world.
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
In 1867 the law placed Staten Island within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan police force of New York city. A small force of men were enlisted and detailed for the express duty of patrolling the island. Criminals arrested by those officers were taken before police justices within the limits of Edgewater and New Brighton, and throughout the remainder of the connty they were disposed of by justices of the peace.
In 1870 a law was enacted by the legislature which made Richmond county a separate police district, and gave it power to establish a department with its essential duties and pow- ers. The act placed the control of the department under three commissioners, who are elected by an appointing board, con- sisting of the county judge and the five supervisors of the county. These commissioners must be residents of the county, and are elected for three years, the term of office of one of the board expiring on the 10th of May annually; but shall hold office until his successor is appointed and duly qualified. The expenses of the department are provided for in the county budget, adopted by the supervisors, and are collected from all real and personal property subject to taxation.
On May 9, 1870, Messrs. William C. Denyse, of Middletown; Abram C. Wood, of Castleton, and Garrett P. Wright, of Northfield, having been elected commissioners, met to organ- ize. They "drew lots " as to terms with the following result: Mr. Wood, one year; Mr. Denyse, two years; and Mr. Wright, three years. Mr. Wood was elected president; George H. Hitchcock, chief clerk; John Laforge, captain; Dr. Isaac Lea, surgeon: James J. Esterbrook, sergeant; Daniel Blake, rounds- man; Edward Roe, Alexander McIlhargy, Edward Brice, Robert Lyons, James E. Brown, Stephen McEvoy, Alexander Young and Edward F. Roy, patrolmen.
May 20th the various incorporated villages made a demand upon the department for police as follows: Port Richmond, 7; New Brighton, 7; Edgewater, 14, and Tottenville (which was an incorporated village for about ten weeks), 2. The experiment of having mounted police was made during the first month, but was soon abandoned. One of the first general orders issued at
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
headquarters was the careful observance of the excise laws. On the 28th of June a police station was established in Port Richmond, opposite the park, in a building belonging to ex- Chief Engineer Decker, of the old volunteer fire department of New York city. During the first year the force was increased to thirty men.
In May, 1871, the appointing board unanimously elected one of its number, George W. Ellis, supervisor from Westfield. Mr. Wood, the outgoing commissioner, earnestly protested against the election; nevertheless Mr. Ellis took his seat as commissioner and was made president of the board. The mat- ter was strenuously fought in the courts, and was finally set- tled, after a period of four months, in the court of appeals, against Mr. Ellis. During Mr. Ellis' incumbency, however, a number of changes were made in the department. Commis- sioner Wright refrained from attending any of the meetings of the board. Captain Laforge refused to obey the orders of Presi- dent Ellis and was suspended, and notwithstanding an effort was made by his friends to re-instate him at a later period, he was unsuccessful, and Sergeant M. I. Holbrook was appointed in his place. Chief Clerk Hitchcock also refused to obey orders, and Peter H. Wandel was appointed to serve in his place. Mr. Isaac M. Marsh was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Mr. Ellis' departure, and besides being president of the board for a number of years was repeatedly re-elected until May, 1883, when he retired, and was succeeded by Mr. Edward P. Barton. Under the reorganization of the board Mr. Hitchcock was reappointed clerk.
In May, 1872, Major Clarence T. Barrett, of Castleton, was elected commissioner, and served until 1878, when he was suc- ceeded by Mr. Philip Wolff, of Middletown.
At the October term of the court of oyer and terminer, Judge Tappen took occasion to compliment the police depart- ment of the island in very flattering terms for the efficient aid it was rendering the courts in detecting and aiding to punish criminals.
Mr. Wright served as commissioner until 1879, when he was succeeded by Francis McQuade. In 1882, Mr. R. B. Whitte- more, of Castleton, was appointed.
October 21, 1880, chief clerk Hitchcock resigned and Mr. George W. Ellis was appointed to succeed him.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
The organization of the department at present is as follows : Commissioners-Richard B. Whittemore, president; Philip Wolff, treasurer; Gaston D. L'Huillier, purchasing committee; George W. Ellis. chief clerk; Isaac Lea, M. D., surgeon; Daniel Blake, captain; Joseph Cobb and Paul Cornell, sergeants; Thomas Drummond, Philip Sharrott, John H. Cook and Henry Brand, roundsmen, acting sergeants.
There are forty-two regular patrolmen and about the same number of special officers serving under the department au- thority, but not drawing pay from the county.
The headquarters of the department is at Station No. 1, Bay street, Edgewater. Station No. 2 is a handsome new building located on Richmond terrace, near Broadway, West New Brighton. The stations at Port Richmond and Tottenville were long ago abandoned. The last appropriation made for the maintenance of the department was $54,000.
A second attempt to render the force more efficient by hav- ing mounted patrolmen, was made during the winter of 1883-4, when a number of good horses and necessary accoutrements were purchased. The men selected to perform that branch of the service unfortunately were not used to the saddle, and the experiment was, after a brief trial, given up, greatly to the regret of residents in retired parts of the island.
The force is a credit to the island, and is composed of men who are directly interested in its progress and welfare, being, probably, without an exception, real estate holders. The strictest discipline is enforced, and the men have grown to look upon their routine life in a similar light to that of regular soldiers who know nothing beyond the straight lines of duty.
The Edgewater Fire Department was organized in 1871, with Benjamin Brown as chief engineer. James R. Robinson and James Garvey were afterward elected chiefs. The department was re-organized in 1879, with William Burbank as chief.
The following companies form the department : Niagara En- gine Company, No. 5 (organized in 1873 as the Neptune Hose Company, and re-organized in 1878 as an engine company); Neptune Engine Company, No. 6, organized 1867; Protective Engine Company, No. 7, organized October 16, 1858; Clifton Engine Company, No. S, organized June 2, 1863; Rescue En- gine Company, No. 9, organized May 1, 1879; Enterprise Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, organized December 5, 1856;
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Columbia Hook and Ladder Company, No. 5, organized March 15, 1880; Neptune Hose Company, No. 1, organized March 16, 1878; Benjamin Brown Hose Company, No. 3, organized Jan- mary 1, 1869; Clifton Hose Company, No. 6, organized Septem- ber 6, 1863; Robinson Hose Company, No. 9, organized Feb- ruary 17, 1880; Excelsior Bucket Company, No. 1, organized October 20, 1858; Relief Bucket Company, No. 2, organized May 11, 1863, also has a chemical engine attached; Tompkins- ville Fire Police Company, organized 1859.
The officers of the department at present are as follows : Chief engineer, William Schick; assistants, James Lestrange and Thomas Willshaw.
The board of representatives, which is composed of two mem- bers for each company, holds regular monthly meetings in the village hall. The officers are as follows: President, N. J. Macklin; vice-president, John Potthoff; secretary, Joseph Scott; treasurer, Robert Goggin.
Much valuable property has been rescued from destruction by the efficiency of this department. The men receive no compensation for their services, and the annual appropriation, which is divided among the various companies, amounts to only $2,500. There are four hundred active firemen on the rolls.
The North Shore Fire Department, which is composed of the companies located in the towns of Castleton and Northfield, was organized on April 2, 1874, and was chartered on March 10, 1875. The first meeting of the board of representatives was held in the house of Zephyr Hose Company, Port Rich- mond, on Monday, May 18, 1874, when W. M. Washburne was elected president and Wilbur F. Disosway secretary. The following companies formed the department: Washington En- gine No. 1, Port Richmond; Cataract Engine No. 2, West Brighton; Port Richmond Engine No. 3; New Brighton Engine No. 4; Zephyr Hose Company No. 4, Port Richmond, and Medora Hook and Ladder Company No. 3, of West Brighton.
Immediately after the companies were drawn together as one organization, a parade was held, which seemed to create a good feeling throughout the department, the effect of which is quite visible even to-day. Visiting companies and distinguished guests were present, and it was a gala day for Staten Island.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND COUNTY.
Later, a movement was made to create the office of fire marshal for the county; but it was so strenuonsly opposed by this department that it never took effect.
At times two or three companies have been rendered in- capable of efficient service through the loss of members; but during the past two or three years special efforts were made to revive the old time spirit of the department. Credit is due to Chief Engineer E. A. Bourne, who has just retired from office, for materially aiding to reorganize the department and to replace it upon an efficient footing. The most successful firemen's parade ever witnessed on the north shore was under Chief Bonrne's command on Thanksgiving day, 1885. Two great conflagrations will ever cause this officer's memory to be honored by the citizens of New Brighton, viz .: the burning of the cotton warehouse at Tompkinsville, on January 20th, where the firemen were in service for days; and the burning of Bodine Brothers' lumber yard, West Brighton, on March 1, 1886. The latter occurred during the severest weather of the month, and continued for two days and two nights, during a heavy wind that threatened to spread the flames for miles along the north shore, and to totally destroy at least two-thirds of New Brighton. The department, aided by friendly companies from Bergen Point, under the direction of Chief Bourne, re- mained at the posts of peril until there was no longer any danger. A single mistake on the part of the chief would have lain waste the most valuable part of the village.
The department now is composed of the following companies: Washington Engine Company No. 1, Port Richmond, organized October 7, 1853; Cataract Steam Engine Company No. 2, West New Brighton, organized August 19, 1844; Port Richmond Steam Engine Company No. 3, organized Angust 24, 1859; New Brighton Steam Engine Company No. 4, organized Oc- tober 4, 1856; Aquehonga Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, Mariners' Harbor, organized January 1, 1879; Granite Hook and Ladder Company No. 2, Graniteville, organized August 4, 1881; Medora Hook and Ladder Company No. 3, West New Brighton, organized June 10, 1868; Friendship Hook and Ladder Company No. 4, New Brighton, organized August 8, 1876; Zephyr Hose Company No. 4, Port Richmond, organized February 22, 1861; Oceanic Hook and Ladder Company, Travis- ville, organized 1880; Steady Stream Hose and Bucket
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