LETTERS Yes, to the Hudson Heritage To the Editor: I am delighted that there is a strong impetus to memorialize the incalculable contribution of the Hudson River and its traffic. The value of the River extends not only to the world-renowned port of New York on the Atlantic but also the settlement of the Hudson Valley and the first great thrust to populate the vast region west of the seacoast. I feel that the designation of Kingston as the center of such a project would be most appropriate since Kingston harbor for three and a half centuries has been recognized as the most commodious and safest harbor on the entire river and the harbor most greatly utilized north of New York City. Kingston was involved in river and canal transportation for many, many years. Cross-river transportation here has existed si nce the mid-l680s and until the bridging of the river in the 1920s. Shipbuilding has existed as a prime industry from the 1600s through World War II. Ship chandlery and other ship accessory business was part of the local scene until very recent days. As a matter of fact, a ropewalk here was destroyed when the British burned Kingston in 1777. Kingston was the hometown of the Mary Powell, long known as "the Queen of the Hudson." The community, today contains much memoriabilia and many marine artifacts which could be made available by loan or gift. The aid of Kingstonians would be available without question. HARRY RIGBY, JR. City Historian Kingston, New York To the Editor: I was very much pleased to learn of your plans to establish a Museum of Hudson River Navigation at Kingston. The river played an important part in the War of the Revolution as it has in war and peace ever since its discovery by Hudson in 1609. Even before the outbreak of hostilities in 1775 the Americans realized that the British would attempt to gain control of the north-south waterway comprised by Lake Champlain, Lake George and the Hudson River. Attempts were made to do so in 1775, 1776 and 1777. Theimportance of the Hudson River was recognized by the Americans when they built West Point and by the British when they tried to obtain it with the help and co-operation of Benedict Arnold. General Washington made his headquarters 6
during the last years of the war at Newburgh on the river. The most delightful and romantic era of Hudson River navigation comprised the lifespan of the palatial dayline and nightline sidewheelers. Nostalgia is the only word that describes memories of these graceful and luxurious vessels. JOHN H .G. PELL Chairman N. Y. State Bicentennial Commission Doing It the Hard Way To the Editor: For years I have asked people who I thought should know, why since the Straits of Magellan were discovered in 1520 and the Panama Canal was opened in 1914-a period of 394 years-did sailing ships continue to round the treacherous Cape Horn to the Pacific, particularly in the California Gold Rush? I also wonder what became of the many ships that were abandoned by their crews in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. A.P. FROST, Sr. Rockville, Maryland
South Street Seaport Museum Historian Norman Brouwer, leader of a recent expedition to the Straits done with the National Society, responds as follows: "Prior to the opening of the Panama Canal, the Straits of Magellan were used by steamers and small sailing vessels. The Straits are winding and quite narrow in places, and swept by severe gales with little warning. A large sailing vessel would never be far from a lee shore. There would be little chance of anchoring successfully due to the depth of the Straits. And there are strong currents, particularly at the bends and the narrows, whose characteristics are as unpredictable as the gales, since they are more affected by the weather conditions prevailing in the various adjoining bodies of water than by the global tides. Steamships could drive on through the Straits, or quickly seek shelter if the weather deteriorated. Small sailirrgc vessels could feel their way through, anchoring in a sheltered cover each night, of which there are a number, th(lughfew have room enough to maneuver a large ship under sail. "From time to time there were proposals to station powerful tugs at the Straits to tow sailing ships through, but these were never implemented. By the time the Panama Canal was opened, the economics of sailing ship operations were such that the cost of Canal tolls, plus towage, would have wiped out any
profits on a voyage. The small amount being spent on the longer voyage in crew wages and board were not comparable. "The fleet of sailing ships abandoned at San Francisco was largely wiped out by several major fires. The unburned lower hulls were buried in landfill as the shoreline was extended, and these reappear from time to time during modern construction. " The hotel ship Niantic, uncovered and partly salvaged in May of this year, was one of a number of ships put to use as a shoreside building. It might also be noted that study of sailing records shows a large number of the 500-odd vessels crowded on the San Francisco foreshore in 1849 setting sail again in ensuing years, with crews shanghaied from the boarding houses ashore. Shipmasters or owner's agents kept watch on these "abandoned" ships until they could set out again.-ED. The Bayard Finds a Home To the Editor: I have been promoting, by speech and published word, the saving and restoration of the Thomas F. Bayard and a very small handful of surviving ships in this area for a good many years now ... and my verbal work has now finally caught up with me. The Vancouver Maritime Museum has just bought the Bayard! In late July we learned that her owner J . P. Mackenzie was ill and had moved off the ship. I took my new colleague Michael Duncan, who has been appointed Chief Curator here, down to the mooring site to acquaint him with one of the few existing historic ships still in local waters. We noted a new, roughly painted sign tacked on the vessel which said, in effect, For Sale, Quick ..... See Boat Agent Round the Corner. Accordingly we went off to the agent just to find out what was going on. We were informed that Mackenzie was too ill and had therefore decided to sell the ship as quickly as possible as he was not going to go back to it. We decided on the spot that we shold at least try to obtain this historic vessel for the Mari time Museum, the last unengined sealing schooner hull in existence here-plus being the holder of some other notable records. In something just over 24 hours we had persuaded our Board of Trustees to authorize payment and, three days after having come across the "Sale" sign, we took title. We know what we took title to. She is pretty much a disaster! But, we are confident, recoverable. We are going to prepare for a major fundraising camSEA HISTORY, FALL 1978