USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. I > Part 20
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30. A house in Orange street robbed of a watch by Catharine Tan- ner ..... . . The whigs nominated John Taylor for mayor.
31. Anna Maria Tyler died, aged 51; wife of Benjamin O. Tyler.
APRIL, 1848.
1. William Caldwell, a retired merchant, died, aged 72. His place of business, in which he succeeded his father, James Caldwell, was at
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No. 58 State street. Since his retirement, he resided principally at Caldwell, Lake George, where he had a large estate ....... Margaret Jane Bell died, aged 21; daughter of Joseph Bell.
3. Isabella Adeline Peckham, died; wife of Rufus H. Peckham, and daughter of Rev. Wm. B. Lacy.
4. John T. Richards died, aged 23 .. . Richard Thompson died, aged 45.
5. The dwelling house 21 Green street robbed of a quantity of clothing.
6. A dwelling robbed of $30 ....... A fire in Chapel street destroyed a carpenter's shop and the candle factory of Josiah Winants ....... Hon. Wm. H. Seward delivered an eulogy on the late John Quincy Adams, in the North Dutch Church ....... A splendid display of aurora borealis.
7. Fire corner Green and Bleecker streets ....... Charles Davis died, aged 26. ...... Maria Vibbard died, aged 30; wife of Philip G. Vibbard.
8. An attempt to rob William Gibbs, on the Troy road, who defended himself so well as to escape with his life and money.
9. Caroline Schmidt died, wife of Rev. F. W. Schmidt, pastor of the German Lutheran Church.
10. The store of James Taylor, corner of Green and South Lansing streets, robbed of $10 in specie.
11. Charter election, which resulted in the success of the whig can- didate for mayor, by 129 majority. The vote stood for Taylor 3115; for Hun 2977 ...... The legislature appropriated $15,000 for the erection of an edifice for the State Normal School-a sum quite inadequate to the purpose.
12. The legislature, having sat out its term of one hundred days, pre- scribed by the new constitution, adjourned at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, having passed 331 laws.
13. Catharine Douw died, widow of John D. P. Douw ....... Mary Ann La Grange died, aged 51 ....... Gertrude Van Sanford died, aged 67.
14. The new steam tug Baltic, intended for the service of the Albany Tow Boat Company, came up to take her place in the line ....... A hali- but, captured off St. George's Bank, weighing upwards of 300 lbs., dis- played in the Albany fish market ....... Meeting of Germans, French and Poles at the National Hotel, to celebrate the establishment of a re- public in France, and the rapid progress of republicanism throughout Germany and Europe.
15. The law went into effect prohibiting dogs from running at large without muzzles ....... A fire in the vicinity of the Basin above Colo. nie street, destroyed much property and rendered several families house- less; loss about $12,000. A riot among the firemen.
18. Meeting of the new board of Common Council for organization. The following appointments were made: L: D. Holstein, clerk ; H. H. Hickcox, dep. chamberlain; Hooper C. Van Vorst, attorney; George W. Carpenter, surveyor; Samuel McElroy, assistant surveyor; Nelson W. Scovel, marshal; John McBride, overseer of poor; Henry B. Fay, alms-house physician.
19. Cold day; snow fell to a considerable depth, accompanied by a piercing wind from the north .. ... Mary Jane Wright died, aged 29 ; wife of Samuel Wright.
20. James Farrell died, aged 78
. Garrett Middleton died, aged . 42.
15
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21. Riot, corner South Pearl and Rensselaer streets ; two persons broke into the store of Albert Allen, beat and robbed him, and were ar- rested therefor.
22. Joseph Graham died, aged 35 .. . . The Armenia, a new steam boat, left New York at 7 o'clock in the morning, made the usual land- ings, and arrived at the dock at 4 o'clock ....... A fire, supposed to have been incendiary, consumed the out houses in the rear of 111 Washing. ton street; 2 horses burnt.
23. Fire on the corner of Dallius and Herkimer streets burnt off the roof.
24. Great fires ; commenced on the corner of Westerlo and Church streets, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and before it was quelled, destroyed twenty buildings on Church, Westerlo, Dallius and John streets, and among them the Free Missionary Protestant Church. Loss estimated at $30,000. This fire was hardly subdued, before another broke out about 10 o'clock in the evening, near the corner of Green and Beaver streets, which destroyed about twenty more buildings, valued at more than $60,000 ....... Margaret Yates died; wife of Benjamin Yates.
25. The store of Burrows & Nelligar, corner South Pearl and Plain streets, robbed of $28 ....... William Hamburgh died, aged 20.
26. Chester Moore died of apoplexy, aged 55. ..... Sarah Dodge died, aged 83; widow of Edmond Dodge ...... Catharine M. Van Buren died, aged 30 ; wife of S. G. Van Buren.
27. Elizabeth Whalen died, aged 64; wife of Jeremiah Whalen.
28. Jewish Synagogue, Beth Jacob, in Fulton street, consecrated. . Great meeting at the Capitol of the friends of progressive liber. ty, to congratulate on the recent movements in Europe.
29. Jane McNaughton died, wife of Peter McNaughton ....... The Carlton House, corner of South Pearl and State street, took fire, and narrowly escaped destruction; loss about $1000 .. ..... A two story frame house, corner of Centre and Colonie streets, took fire about 9 o'clock and was partially destroyed ....... Ten Eyck's soap and candle factory
in Green street took fire about 10 o'clock .. . About 1 o'clock the Carlton House was again on fire, but was soon extinguished ...... At 11 o'clock in the evening, a fire was discovered in John street, which consumed a shed and stable ; a horse was badly burnt ....... The coro- ner and four men going in a wagon to hold an inquest on the body of a man drowned, were precipitated down the embankment of a canal bridge above the Patroon's mansion, and the whole party so severely injured, that another coroner was called to officiate ....... A portion of the walls of the Westerlo street church, which was burnt at the late fire, were blown down by the high wind, and buried two boys.
30. A carpenter shop on the Patroon's creek burnt ....... The Dundee Warehouse, corner S. Pearl and Division street, set on fire in the base- ment ....... Mary Maher died, aged 60; wife of James Maher .. . Sarah Schuyler died, widow of Harmanus P. Schuyler.
MAY, 1848.
1. The Common Council made the annual appointments of watchmen, street-inspectors, &c., and offered a standing reward of $100 for the dis- covery of any person engaged in setting fire to any building in the city.
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2. James Foster died, aged 62 .. . .. Elizabeth M. Osbrey died, aged 28; wife of William L. Osbrey.
3. Caroline Smith, accused of stealing a child, having several times escaped the hands of justice, was finally tried and convicted, and sen- tenced to three years imprisonment at Sing Sing.
4. A fire at 2 o'clock in the morning destroyed two houses and a stable in Denniston street, and burnt three horses. Two robberies were com- mitted at the same time .. .. .. Betsey Bently died, aged 80; widow of Capt. Randall Bentley. . . .. James Gough died, aged 37.
5. The house corner of Broadway and Lumber streets burnt at 1 o'clock in the morning .. .... The steam boats Alida and Hendrik Hud- son left New York at 7 o'clock in the morning, and arrived at Albany, the former at 2 o'clock 55 minutes, and the latter 15 minutes after, hav- ing made but one landing on the way up. The time made by the Alida was as follows : Caldwell 9h. 7m .; West Point, 9h. 34m .; Newburgh, 9h. 554m. ; Poughkeepsie 10h. 40m. ; (landed 2¿m.); Hyde Park 11h .; Catskill, 12h. 31m .; Athens, 12h. 42m .; Albany, 2h. 55m. The two boats not more than 15m. apart during the whole eight hours, with an ebb tide.
6. Peter Drum died, aged 45.
8. Steam propeller Albany arrived from Hartford, intended for freight and passengers; length 140 feet, burden 240 tons ; built in Philadelphia, . . ... Alfred Wickes died, aged 30.
9. Mrs. Merrifield, wife of Richard Merrifield, died .. ..... Meeting of the friends of Ireland at the City Hall; adopted a constitution, and elected officers, John Tracy in the chair; Robt. Higgins and Matthew Jordan, secretaries; Wm. Hawe, treasurer.
10. Hannah Vosburgh died, aged 82 ....... George W. Gardner died, aged 35 ....... Nearly 1000 Swiss emigrants arrived by the morning boats, on their way to Wisconsin.
11. Store of Daniel Brown, corner Broadway and Colonie streets, rob- bed of $10 cash and other articles ....... Abram Pittinger died, aged 47. 12. High water; a rise of 5 feet in 17 hours; docks overflowed ..
William Newton of Albany died at Vera Cruz, aged 24.
13. The Albany and Cohoes Rail Road Company elected its officers. .. Two frame houses in Centre street destroyed by fire ....... Levi S. Hoffman died, aged 45 ...... Ann Taylor died, wife of Robert Taylor. 14. Severe frost, which nipt many tender buds .... ... Edmund Hall, arrested for a robbery committed the night previous.
15. The Board of Trade commenced operations in the rotunda of the Exchange ....... The camphene store of S. T. Thorn, in Church street, took fire, which communicated with twenty-five other buildings before it was arrested. A Dutch immigrant lost $1450 in gold, his all.
16. The store of George Dexter, 57 State street, robbed of $25.
17. Two fires occurred, attended with small damage.
18. William A. Mckown died, aged 39.
19. An attempt made to fire the buildings between Philip and Grand streets without success .. ..... Michael Henley died.
20. The office of Joy & Monteath, on the Dock, robbed of $8 in change, and over $300 in counterfeit money which had accumulated during several years business.
23. Hazeltine's store in Washington street robbed of $60; also the store of Joseph Davis in State street robbed of several dollars.
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24. The store of Daniel Fry robbed of $25, ...... William B. Emer- son died, aged 36.
29. David Newland's house, 456 Broadway, took fire; damage small.
30. A sportsman's club organized, at a meeting of citizens at the Broadway House; having for its object the observance of the law for the preservation of game.
31. John G. Russ drowned in the basin, in attempting to get on board a canal boat; his wife and children were present at the occurrence. . Business of the Justices' Court for the month of May; suits commenced, 270; amounts received for costs, $194.12; amount outstanding, $115.
A frost at some places near the city.
JUNE, 1848.
1. Capt. Edward Whitney died, aged 49 ....... Mary Schuyler died, aged 63; widow of Samuel Schuyler ....... Elizabeth Garretson died.
2. Cowell's store on the dock broken open, and robbed of $15 .. . . . James C. Mull, stabbed several days previously by an insane man, died of his wounds.
3. Shoe store of William Fossard broken open and robbed of boots and shoes.
4. Matthew Gregory died, aged 91; he was an officer of the revolu- tion, and one of the few survivors of the ancient order of Cincinnati. He came to this city soon after the war, was successful in business, and retired with an ample fortune.
5. The Albany County Court entertained an application for the in- corporation of the village of Cohoes, under the act of 1847. The village contains an area of 12 square miles, and has a population of 4,200 in- habitants.
6. A barn burnt on Arbor Hill; a battle with paving stones between a crowd of boys, for the honor of drawing a hose cart.
7. The great menagarie of Sands, Lent & Co., entered the city, pre- senting a pageant of some interest. The huge gilded chariot, drawn by four large elephants, contrasted singularly enough with the Liliputian chariot, drawn by eight Shetland ponies.
12. The store of Mr. Van Heusen. corner of Broadway and Bleecker street, broken open, and a quantity of butter carried off ... .. The Com- mon Council refused to grant $250 towards defraying the expenses of the Fourth of July Celebration, whereat much wrath and indignation was enkindled.
16. A fire in the charcoal vault of the Delavan House, which was ex- tinguished with small damage.
17. A large building, supposed to be set on fire, situated between North Pearl and Ten Broeck streets, was burnt ... . The Pearl Street House burnt ....... Andrew Lloyd died, aged 74 .... .. Abby M. Dela- van died, aged 47; wife of Edward C. Delavan.
22. Datus E. Frost's provision store, corner of Lydius and Swan streets, destroyed by fire, occasioned by the explosion of a camphene lamp. The firemen had a riot on the corner of State and Pearl streets. The walks and streets were plentifully sprinkled with bricks and stones, on the following morning, and the doors and windows of the houses in the vicinity, presented indellible marks of the force with which the missiles were hurled.
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25. An attempt was made to break into the grocery store, corner of North Pearl and Van Schaick streets, but a series of difficulties inter- posed to render the enterprise unsuccessful.
26. Anna Garrison died, aged 97.
27. A meeting in the park, announced by the blaze of tar and the roar of cannon, to respond to the nomination of Taylor and Fillmore.
29. Anna Matilda Visscher died.
30. James Lightbody died, aged 83.
JULY, 1848.
1. Elizabeth Campbell died, aged 18.
2. Corner stone of the Catholic Cathedral laid, on the corner of Eagle and Lydius streets by Bishop Hughes ....... Charles Sayles died, aged 70.
4. The national holiday celebrated with its usual accompaniments, but with an unwon ed sullenness, on account of what was deemed an overweening parsimony on the part of the Common Council in with- holding supplies for ammunition, ad libitum. .... . The remains of Capt. Abraham Van OLinda arrived in the morning, from Mexico, and were escorted to the City Hall.
5. Twentieth anniversary of the Albany Female Seminary, under Rev. Mr. Garfield.
7. The funeral honors to the remains of Capt. Van OLinda were per. formed. The eulogy by Col. John Sharts ....... A man killed by an accident, while laying the foundation of the Cathedral, in Lydius street. . .John Summers died.
8. As an instance of commercial despatch quite extraordinary, the steam propeller Mohawk arrived from Hartford in the morning, was unladen, took in about 300 tons of freight, mostly corn, and sailed on her return the same evening.
9. Catharine Staats died, aged 65; wife of William N. Staats. ...
. Bridget English died, wife of Patrick English.
11. Canal Bank closed by order of the comptroller, and a commission issued to investigate its concerns ... ... Splendid display of aurora bo- realis in the evening ....... Seventh anniversary of the Alumnæ of the Albany Female Academy.
13. The workmen engaged in laying gas pipes in Broadway, above Steuben street, came in contact with the foundation of the ancient man- sion of Gen. Ten Broeck, which half a century ago stood across B ~d- way at that point. At the time it was built it was outside of the c. walls or palisades. ..... The Boston City Guards arrived, as the guests of the Albany Burgesses Corps, by whom they were received and es- corted ...... Enthusiastic meeting of the Friends of Ireland at the Capi- tol, Hon. Erastus Corning presiding. There was universal sympathy for the cause of Ireland, in view of the expected outbreak in that coun- try, for freedom from British dominion ....... The store of Lehrberg & Lederer, in south Broadway, robbed of $1,500 worth of silks.
14. This, it is believed, was the first day of the discontinuance of the Sunday train of cars west ....... George S. Brown died, aged 38.
15. Anna T. Gough died, wife of John T. Gough.
16. Garret Hogan died, aged 65. He had filled the offices of county
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treasurer, deputy sheriff, and varions other places of trust, with great fidelity and zeal for the public interest. He resigned the office of se- cretary of the Albany County Mutual Insurance Company, on account of ill health, some time before his death, the business of which he had conducted with faithfulness nearly eight years.
17. The steam boat Oswego arrived from New York with a fleet of 5 barges and 24 lake boats in tow, all heavily laden ....... Upwards of 300 men engaged in the construction of a new depot to accommodate the increasing trade between this city and Boston. Its dimensions are 750 feet by 133 feet; believed to be the largest building in the United States.
19. Feast of St. Vincent observed at St. Joseph's Church, by the cele- bration of the pontifical high mass by Bishop McCloskey, and the pane- gyric of St. Vincent was delivered by Rev. Dr. McCaffrey, of Maryland. ... The Rev. Benj. N. Martin was installed pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. The Rev. E. N. Kirk and the Rev. Mr. Fisher of Cincinnati, former pastors of the church, officiated on the occasion .. Meeting of the Barnburners at the Capitol, to respond to the nomina- tion of Martin Van Buren for president; Dr. Barent P. Staats in the chair.
18. Dr. Henry McHarg died, aged 23 ....... William Long died, aged 62 ....... Henry R. Gossman died at Cayuga Bridge. aged 28; formerly of Albany ...... Ann Kilkenny died, aged 29; wife of Francis Kilkenny.
20. John Leonard died, aged 18.
21. An abortive attempt to fire the Tivoli Rail Road Mills, at the upper end of Broadway ....... About 700 recruits passed through the city in the morning, destined for the newly acquired territory in Mexico.
24. Sarah Justina Fassett died, aged 23.
25. Company H, 1st Regiment New York Volunteers, Capt. Farns- worth, arrived on board the Hendrik Hudson, and were gallantly re- ceived by the several military companies of the city, consisting of the Albany Republican Artillery, Albany Burgesses Corps, Emmet Guards, Van Rensselaer Guards, and Washington Riflemen. Capt. Farnsworth succeeded to the command on the death of Van OLinda. Of the 70 pri- vates who left the city, but 45 returned.
28. Anniversary of the district schools. The pupils assembled in the Capitol Park, to the number of upwards of 2000, and walked in procession to Kane's Walk, corner of South Pearl and Westerlo streets, where appropriate exercises were held.
29. John S. Vandervolgen died.
30. Cornelius Alexander died ....... A robber assaulted alady in the street, who was accompanied by another lady and a gentleman, and wrested from her hand a purse of money and a ring valued at $20, with which he fled and eluded pursuit.
31. A new organ of great power, recently placed in the Middle Dutch Church, was opened for public inspection. It was the largest in the city, and cost $4,000 ... A meeting at the Capitol of the friends of Ireland, the mayor in the chair ....... Great rain storm at night, which damaged streets and houses. Nearly 2 inches of rain fell, about a week's supply in a rainy season ... . The steam boat Oregon. on her trip down the river, came in contact with a sloop, by which several of her berths were stove in, and a young lady in one of them injured.
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AUGUST, 1848.
1. Judge Harris robbed of his pocket book containing $300, at the rail road depot; the robber was immediately arrested ....... Jacob Featherly died, aged 45 ....... Elizabeth Demming died, aged 17.
2. Jeremiah Smith died, aged 88.
3. Mariah Hallenbake died, aged 21; wife of Christopher Hallenbake.
4. The store 58 state street robbed of a large quantity of silks and other articles of dry goods ....... The police officers arrested Lewis Van Cord at his house, and found in his possession a large quantity of stolen goods .. ..... Margaret Bryan died, aged 24 .. .. ... John Glass fell from a tow boat and was drowned.
6. Charlotte Hoard died, aged 84; widow of Jonathan Hoard, a rev- olutionary soldier.
8. Four military companies arrived from New York as the guests of the Emmet Guards. They were accompanied by Lothian's Band; and having extended their visit to the Watervliet Arsenal, and Troy, returned by the evening boat to New York.
10. Dr. Jonathan Eights died at his residence, corner North Pearl and Columbia streets, aged 75. He practiced his profession in this city nearly half a century, with distinguished skill and success, and was universally esteemed and respected ....... William Updike died of pa- ralysis, aged 34 .. ..... Mary Jane Van Buren died, aged 22.
12. Thos. Sullivan, a deaf mute, run over by the Troy rail road train and killed.
13. James Aiken died of paralysis, aged 59.
14. A man convicted of stealing a pair of horses from Chauncey Dex- ter, was sentenced to three years in the state prison.
15. Dr. Morrell made an ascension in a balloon from the Mineral Spring Garden in Ferry street. The ropes were cut about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and the balloon rose majestically, and took a notherly direction ....... Thomas Maher, aged 8 years, was drowned in the pond at the head of Canal street, formed by the pent up waters which for- merly supplied the Foxen kill. This was the sixth life lost in the pond during two years.
17. The Great Fire. It broke out in a small shed adjoining the Al. bion Hotel, corner of Broadway and Herkimer streets, said to have been occasioned by a washerwoman's bonnet. The flames spread with great rapidity before a strong south wind, taking in their course both sides of Broadway and Church street, and crossing to the Pier, swept every thing down as far as the cut at the foot of Maiden lane. The large buildings in the vicinity of the Eagle Tavern, presented a temporary barrier to the flames, which having passed, they swept on as far as the corner of Hudson street. The wind then suddenly shifted to the north, and drove the fire in an opposite direction. At night it commenced raining, which rendered the buildings less combustible, and assisted in staying the conflagration. Besides the great number of buildings con- sumed, vast quantities of every kind of property perished with them. The losses of the insurance companies was full half a million, and the whole loss could not have been much short of three millions of dollars, contained in about 600 houses. The exact area burnt over, including Basin and Pier, was 37 acres, about one-thirtieth of the whole city. It
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extended 700 feet west from the river on Herkimer street, 350 on Dal- lius, running northwardly ; 900 feet on Union street, continuing in the same direction ; 300 feet east on Hudson, and 1600 on Quay street, run- ing south. This was the most densely populated part of the city .. .. .. Robert Harvey died, aged 48.
19. The store of Matthews Brown, corner of Chapel and Canal street robbed of $30 ....... The firemen had a riot in South Pearl and State streets, as they were returning from a false alarm of fire, and several persons who took no part in the affray were severely injured.
20. The sleeping apartment of Mr. Joseph Parker was robbed of $250 and a gold watch.
21. The Common Council ordained that no wooden building, or build- ing wholly or partially covered with wood, should thereafter be erected in any part of the city of Albany, east of Lark street; and that every eaves trough, cornice and gutter should be made of metal or other in- combustible material.
22. Isaac Brown died at Somerville, N. J., aged 49 ; formerly a hard- ware merchant in Albany.
23. Eliza Salisbury died, age 1 28 ; wife of William Salisbury ....... Benjamin P. Gregory, formerly of Albany, died at Jersey city, aged 43. 25. Betsey McCarty died, aged 21.
26. Whig meeting called at the Capitol on the receipt of Gen. Tay. lor's letter, accepting the nomination of the democrats of Charleston, S. C., to run on their ticket with Gen. Butler. Great indignation was expressed at this unexpected turn of things, and the disposition pre- vailed to throw the General overboard ; but it was wisely determined to postpone the act to Monday night ....... James Hanley, shot at the riot of the 19th, died of the wound after a week of intense suffering.
27. Perry Tucker died, aged 47.
23. The Common Council decided to improve the burnt district by widening and straightening the streets, and raising the grade of Broad- way between Hamilton and Lydius streets ....... Adjourned indignation meeting of the whigs at the Capitol, convened to digest the Taylor and Butler nomination at Charleston, S. C. It was decided that the alarm of Saturday evening was groundless, and that there was no danger to be apprehended from the circumstance of Gen. Taylor having accepted a democratic nomination.
30. Explosion of a steam boiler at the furnace of Ransom & Co., by which a portion of the roof and wall was blown off, and four of the workmen severely injured.
SEPTEMBER, 1848.
1. Col. Robert E. Temple returned to the city from the Mexican campaign ....... John Hunt, forger of a check on the Exchange Bank for $1805, in November last, was arrested and committed for trial ....... George Eugan died of wounds received by the fall of the draw at the Boston Ferry two weeks before.
2. Mrs. Elizabeth Van Schaack died, aged 42; wife of John Van Schaack.
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