The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-04-26

| Considering the extreme dllnculty
of passing Wells Falls, which are
below Lambertyille, especially with
| this imperfect craft, it would seem as
| though there were some error here,
as to the upper terminus of the trip.
In addition to the difficulty of ascend
| ing these rapids, the writer, who has
| known the place for more than three
score years, and whose relatives re-
sided there at the time of the alleged
occurrence, has never heard any men
ton there Of the event, which could
not have failed to produce an i'm
preston which would have long re-
manned, That the boat may have pro-
ceeded as far as the foot of the falls
below Lambertville is the more likely
supposition.
In later days several attempts were
made to introduce steam navigation
on the river, above tide. The Belvi-
| dere Delaware Railroad was opened
| from Trenton to Lambertville, Febru-
airy 9Th, 1851. In the following year
| the Major William c. Barnet" a
sternwheel steamer, for some time
made regular trips between Lambert
| Vile and Easton, in connection with
| the trains The frequent rocky
|
water interposed difficulties which led
| to the exchange of the Barnet for a
smaller boat, the Reindeer" which,
| however, ran but a short time.
Henry states, in his History of the
Lehigh Valley" that previous to the
advent of the Barnet, several unsuc-
cessful attempts were made to navi-
gate the upper Delaware by steam.
| Writ
mention of these.
Respecting the Barnet, the follow
ing items are taken from the diary of
the writer On July 22nd, 1851, he
started from Vine street wharf, Phila
delphia, ON the steamer Major VIII
| liam G. Barnet, Captain Young, for
| Lambertvile. Stuck In Trenton Falls
| and returned to Trenton to wait for
| higher water. Here the writer left the
boat There was great excitement at
Lambertyille and New Hope and much
| disappointment with the assembled
crowds, at the non-arriVal of the long
| expected steamer.
On November 18th the Barnet as
| cended the river as far as Yardley
Vile and on the 10Th as far as Scud-
der's Falls, where she broke some
paddles and returned to Trenton Her
first arrival at Bambertville was on
November oath, about 6 p. M, amid
the shouts of the people and the fir
ing of cannon.
On the 26th trip to Easton was at
tempted, but, failing to pass Howells
Falls, a short distance above Centre
Bridge, the boat returned to Lambert
Vile and went into winter quarters.
On March 18th, 1852, the Barnet
made an excursion from Lambertville
to Blacks Eddy and return, with $50
persons On the next day the regu-
lar trips to Easton began, the run to
that point occupying II hours, On
April 18th the steamer brought from
Easton 100 persons to take the train
at Lambertville, for the Kossuth re-
ception at Trenton.
No note Is found of the discontinue
ance of the trips of the Barnet, but
there is mention of the first trip, of
the Reindeer" from Lambertville to
Easton, on April 2Sth, 1852. She ran
up the canal feeder and entered the
river at Bulls Island.
In 1860 steamboat, the Alfred
Thomas, was built at Easton for some
parties at Belvidere, who designed
running the boat between the latter
place and Port Jervis. On the first
attempt to ascend the rapids short
distance above Easton the boiler eX
ploded. causing much injury and loss
of life to those on board and the par
tial destruction of the boat The eX-
pertinent was not renewed.
An account of the river transpor-
tation should include some reference
to the ferries, which afforded means
of transferring persons and property
across the stream, before the con-
struction of bridges.
Unfortunately the history of the
ferries. Is, in great measure, lost
They, as the necessities required, be-
came very numerous, one being found
every three or four miles. until super
seeded by the bridges.
The ferry was usually known by
the name of the person who operated
| It. and as the ownership frequently
| changed, ii is often difficult for the
student of local history to determine
| the location of a ferry mentioned. A
| further complication arises from the
fact that the right of operation from
| opposite sides of the river was not
always held by the same person.
Thus. we find that in the year 1888,
John Wells held the ferry right at
| the present site of New Hope, on the
| Pennsylvania shore, while one Coates
! held it on the New Jersey side, where
LambertVille now is.
Thus Wells and Coates were opera
| tors on opposite sides, at the same
| part of the river. In the year last
named, His Majesty King George the
Second granted the ferry right on the
New Jersey side to Emanuel Coryell,
whose name the ferry on that side
bore until the establishment, in 1912.
of post office, to which was given the
name of Lambertsville. since changed
to Lambertville.
The two shores came under one
designation when, some years after
the advent of Emanuel Coryen, Wells
sold out to Emanuels son. John, and
the name "Coryell's Ferry" was APP
piled to both sides of the stream.
AS such the locality became known
as the scene of important movements
in the Revolutionary struggle and,
with McKonkey's Ferry. where the
ever memorable Crossing" occurred,
! holds a permanent place In the an
nails of those stirring times.
Washington and the patriot forces
We're several times at "Coryell's' and
| the Generals Headquarters" still
stands in Lambertville, not far from
where the ferry boats landed
Much of interest would be found in
the recital of the history of other fer
ries on the river, II it could be brought
to light The early ferry boat was
the canoe. either that of the Indian
or fashioned from it. BY this the
traveller. with his saddle bags. was
conveyed across the stream while his
beast swan behind
With the opening of roads and the
advent of wheeled vehicles came the
ferry with it's commodious Flat"
This was a long, narrow boat, with
fiat bottom and vertical sides. The
fat bottom sloped upward at the
ends, to the height of the sides, which
We're parallel and about foot high.
At each end was a flap or apron"
so hinged as to be turned in-board
while crossing and outward at the
landing, to make connection with the
shore, forming short bridge for the
| MASSAGE of teams