New-York tribune., 1913-07-27

tain Anderson tells of one occasion when
she was caught in one Of the worst gales
OF the last half century, and i'm spite OF
the fact that her smokestacks were blown
down, reached her dock at Newburgh
according to schedule. The gale, he said,
took place in August about fourteen
years ago and was hummer" while t
lasted. Branches Of trees were blown
from shore upon the Powell's deck. and
when her smokestack was carried away
she looked like a wreck. BY changing
from the forced 10 the natural draft
she not only succeeded in keeping her
headway but in making Newburgh on
time; but when she arrived there, with
her smokestacks laid along her deck, the
citizens believed that some big sunboat
was coming up the river.
THE NORWICH.
There is another boat still afoat that is
almost as interesting as the Mary Powell
herself and considerably older. This is
the famous old side-wheeler Norwich.
built in 1896 and now used as towboat
by the Cornell Steamboat Company. The
Norwich, which has won the title Of Ice
[ x,
a passenger boat on Long Island Sound
and later transferred to the Hudson to
carry passengers and freight. In lS9 she
was changed into a towboat' and Gas been
O towboat ever since. But her chief SER
/ vice for many years was that OF breaking
/ up the ice in the river and Sound to al
/ low the passage of towboats.
The bow OF the Norwich was especially
constructed for this work, being heavily
braced and sheathed with metal so that
it could be run up on to the ice and
break through it by sheer weight. Be
fore the Vest Share Railroad was estab-
lished the steamboat owners were nat
urally desirous Of keeping the river open
as late as possible. and tie Norwich
never failed them. While battling with
the ice tris old warrior would present an
interesting spectacle, charging the foes
like a bull and often being thrown on
her side by the force Of the impact. Then
prompt action would be necessary. Chain
boxes and heavy objects would be shifted
as quickly as possible. orders would be
shouted. the engines would be reversed.
Gradually the little steamer would right
itself and go back in to the conflict un-
dismayed.
AN ICE BATTLE.
The greatest ice battle that the Nor
wich ever won was in the winter OF 1851.
when she went out into Long Island
Sound 20 the assistance Of the steamer
New Haven, stuck fast in the ice and
helpless 1t is said that the piles Of ice
f,1, hgt
Haven could not be seen from the pilot
house Of the Norwich. Nevertheless, the
little terrier went into the combat with
its usual tenacity and pulled the bigger
vessel fely through.
If you ever sail up the river, keep a
lookout for the Norwich, for you can al
WAYS recognize her. She is conspicuous
from the fact that, in spite OF being a
side wheeler, she has no walking beam.
but employs crosshead that can be seen
from a great distance, rising and railing
like the hammer of a plledriver The
Norwich is said TO have traversed the
river more times than any other boat
| Twice she was nearly burned, and on one
Of these occasions was scuttled at the
dock. but each time the sentiment OF her
owners. as well as her actual usefulness
| led to her restoration.
There is only one other side wheeler
used as a towboat now in existence That
one is the old Oswego, that was built
back in the 4Os.
! The sloops of the Hudson were legion
| fifty years ago. and have 4 history that
is more than twice as long as that OF the
river steamers. They are seldom seen
nowadays.
THE OLD SlOOPS.
| Some of the old captains Of the freight
sloops can still be found along the
wharves. and among them Is Captain
Martin V. Drake. of the Mary Dallas.
The masters OF former passenger carriers
have long since passed into hearsay out
these sloops used TO crowd the early
steamers hard. and often would beat
them into dock. Travelling on their decks
was infinitely pleasanter than under the
belching smoAestacks OF the earliest or
their rivals. and il is written that the
| earliest passenger steamers old not
trouble the sloops greatly by competition
The increasing lines of "tows' that are
now such a familiar sight upon the hud-
son finally absorbed most OF the freight
traffic. and. with the railroad, are said TO
be responsible for driving the sloops from
! the water
! An old rhyme is sung about the places
known 10 the captains of rive: steamers.
The old captains knew it by heart One
of them told IL to an author once. and IL
has since appeared in a novel. 1t gives
the landmarks and towns Of the hudson
| i'm the following manner:
West Point. Middetown.
Conn's Hook and Doodletown,
Donderberg and Mummypaw,
| Kackiak and Haverstraw.
| Sing IL the next time that you voyage
up the river. 1t will refresh old paemories.