Pilot Boat Christian Bergh, No. 16., with Line Steamer Isaac Bell; painting by Antonio Jacobsen. | |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | Christian Bergh |
Namesake | Christian Bergh shipbuilder of Christian Bergh & Co. |
Owner | New York pilots |
Operator | E. Comfort, Jacob Britton (1860), Josiah Johnson Sr. |
Builder | Westervelt & Co. shipyard |
Launched | Jun 14, 1851 |
Out of service | September 6, 1886 |
Homeport | New York |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Schooner |
Displacement | 42 tons TM |
Length | 74 ft 0 in (22.56 m) |
Beam | 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m) |
Draught | 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m) |
Propulsion | sails |
Sail plan | Schooner-rigged |
The Christian Bergh was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1851 at the Westervelt & Co. shipyard. She later became a Pennsylvania pilot boat until her service ended in 1886 when she became an oyster boat in the Delaware Bay. She was named after Christian Bergh a prominent shipbuilder in New York and a close friend of Jacob Westervelt.
New York pilot-boat Christian Bergh, No. 16 was built by Aaron J. Westervelt at the Westervelt & Co. shipyard at the East River in New York City in 1851. On June 14, 1851, she was launched from the Westervelt shipyard at the foot of Houston Street for piloting into the port of New York. [1]
On June 16, 1851, she went down the New York Bay on her first trial trip. She was sometimes listed as the Christian Berg. [2]
On April 2, 1855, the Christian Bergh, No. 16, met up with the pilot boat Edwin Forrest, when the Forrest was on a trial trip near the Sandy Hook Lightship. On their return to port, both pilots were able to test the speed and strength of their boats. [3]
In 1860, the Christian Bergh, was one of twenty-one New York and New Jersey pilot boats. Josiah Johnson Sr., owned shares in the Christian Bergh. [4] On October 10, 1860, New York Sandy Hook Pilot Jacob Britton, of the pilot boat Christian Bergh, No. 1, signed a statement along with other pilots, that he was satisfied with the representation he had received from the New York Board of Commissioners of Pilots. [5]
On March 10, 1860, the pilot boat Christian Bergh, No. 16, picked up passengers on the packet ship De Witt Clinton, and took them to quarantine. [6]
The Christian Bergh, was registered with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping from 1881 to 1897. In 1881, Electus Comfort was listed as Master of the ship; New York Pilots were owners; built in New York in 1851; and New York was her hailing port. Her dimensions were 74 ft. length on deck; 66 ft. length on keel: 18.3 ft. breadth of beam; 8 ft. depth of hold; 42-tons burthen. [7] [8]
From 1882 to 1897, according to ship records, the owner of the Christian Bergh, changed to Captain W. W. Andrews and her hailing port became Baltimore, Maryland. [9]
On September 6, 1886, the pilot boat Christian Bergh, was reported as a Pennsylvania pilot boat that was taken off her pilot station. She was then rebuilt and fitted out for new service. [10] She then became an oyster boat in the Delaware Bay on Dec 1, 1886. [11]
Electus Comfort was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot, in active pilot service for 42 years. He was known as the "Beau Brummell of the Sea". He was the captain for the 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat Joseph F. Loubat, No. 16.
The Moses H. Grinnell was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1850 for the New York maritime pilots. She was designed by the yacht designer George Steers. The Grinnell was the first pilot boat to feature a fully developed concave clipper-bow, which was to become the New York schooner-rigged pilot boat's trade mark. This new design was the basis for the celebrated yacht America.
The Fannie was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1860 by Edward F. Williams at his shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for New York City pilots. She was in the pilot service during the American Civil War. In an age of steam, she was sold in 1896.
The Washington was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1845 by C. & R. Poillon for New York Pilots. She was rebuilt several times, the last with the sail number "22" painted on her mainsail. In 1884, she was sunk by the German steamship Roma, and then replaced by a new Washington.
The Edwin Forrest was a 19th-century pilot boat built in 1855 by Jacob A. Westervelt's Sons & Co., for a group of New York pilots. She was designed by Dennison J. Lawlor, for Pilot Captain John Low. The Edwin Forrest was named in honor of the American actor Edwin Forrest. A second Edwin Forrest was built for Boston pilots in 1865 to replace the New York Edwin Forrest, No. 14, that was lost in 1862. She attained celebrity for her speed and stability. The Edwin Forrest was sold to Pensacola, Florida parties in 1882 and replaced by the George H. Warren.
The John D. Jones was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1859 at the Van Deusen shipyard in East River for a company of New York Sandy Hook pilots. She was one of the finest vessels of her class. She was replaced by the pilot-boat Widgeon, when the Jones sank in a collision with the steamer City of Washington in 1871.
The David Mitchell was a 19th century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1846 at Baltimore, Maryland, for a group of New York Pilots. She was launched at the John A. Robb shipyard in East Baltimore. She was sold to the Pensacola, Florida pilot fleet in 1875.
Christian Bergh, was the oldest and one of the first American shipbuilders in New York. He was known for not allowing drinking and was the first shipbuilder to employ African Americans at his shipyard. He contributed to the advances in the design and speed of 19th century sailing vessels.
The James M. Waterbury was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1843, at Williamsburgh, Brooklyn for a group of New York Pilots. She helped on many of the rescues along the New York Harbor. One of last reports of the James M. Waterbury was in 1867 when seaman James Roach fell overboard and was drowned off Fire Island.
The Caprice was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1871 by Brown & Lovell in East Boston, Massachusetts for Peter McEnany and other New York pilots. In 1876, she was run down and sank, off Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, by the steamship New Orleans. She was raised and was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. The Caprice was last reported sailing off the coast of New York in 1891.
The Abraham Leggett was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built by Daniel Westervelt at the Westervelt & Co. shipyard. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. In 1866, Pilot Michael Murphy was on the Abraham Leggett when the bark Emilie ran into the pilot boat. In 1879, the Abraham Leggett was hit and sank by the steamship Naples from Liverpool. She was replaced by the pilot boat Alexander M. Lawrence.
Edmund Blunt was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built in 1858 by Edward F. Williams for the New York Pilots. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Blunt along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats. She was built to replace the Jacob L. Westervelt, which sank in 1857.
The Edward Cooper was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1879 for New York Pilots at Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She was named in honor of the Mayor of New York City. The Edward Cooper helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In 1892, the Cooper sank in a snowstorm and was replaced by the Joseph Pulitzer in 1894.
The William H. Aspinwall was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1861 and launched from the J.B & J.D. Van Deusen shipyard at East River for New York Pilots. She was a replacement for the former pilot boat Virginia. In 1880, the Aspinwall was caught in a thick fog and went ashore at the Long Island bar and became a total loss. She was replaced by a new pilot boat, the America, No. 21.
Michael Murphy, was a 19th-century American New York Sandy Hook maritime pilot. He was best known for being in the Sandy Hook service for over 34 years. Murphy was captain and owner of the pilot boats, Washington,Abraham Leggett, and Alexander M. Lawrence. He piloted the Great Eastern from Southampton to New York in 1860.
The Mary E. Fish was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built at the Edward F. Williams shipyard of Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 1861 for Richard Brown and the New York Pilots. She was built to replace the Mary Taylor. The Fish was hit and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington in 1885 and replaced by the David Carll.
Charlotte Webb was a 19th-century New York City pilot boat built in 1865 at the Webb & Bell shipyard to take the place of the James Funk, that was destroyed by the rebel Tallahassee during the Civil War. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888, but was run down by the French steamship La Normandie in 1889. She was replaced by the pilot boat George H. Warren.
The A. T. Stewart was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1865 at the Edward F. Williams shipyard to replace the pilot boat George Steers, which was lost in 1865. She was built for the New Jersey and New York Sandy Hook Pilots Association. The Stewart was in a collision with the steamship Scotia and sank in 1869. She was replaced by the James Gordon Bennett in 1870.
The Mary and Catherine was a 19th-century New York pilot boat built in 1848 by the Jacob Aaron Westervelt shipyard. She was hit and sunk by the steamship Haverton in 1885. The collision was the subject of a court case that went to the Supreme Court of the United States as Devere v. The Haverton. The Mary and Catherine was replaced by the pilot boat William H. Starbuck.
The Enchantress was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1851 by John Maginn who named her after one of the cast in the opera The Enchantress. She was launched from the Westervelt & McKay shipyard. The Enchantress was one of the oldest pilot-boats in the service. She was Cornelius Vanderbilt's favorite pilot boat. The Enchantress went down with all hands in the Great Blizzard of 1888. The pilot boat James Stafford was built to replace her.