Mary E. Fish

Last updated
Sail plan schooner.svg
Pilot Boat Mary E. Fish.
History
US flag 30 stars.svgUnited States
NameMary E. Fish
NamesakeMary E. Fish, wife of a South Street merchant
Owner
  • New York Pilots (1861-1880)
  • New Jersey Pilots (1881-1885)
Operator Richard Brown
Builder Edward F. Williams shipyard
Cost$15,000
LaunchedApril 24, 1861
Out of serviceNovember 8, 1885
FateSank
General characteristics
Class and type schooner
Tonnage46-tons TM
Length80 ft 0 in (24.38 m)
Beam20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)
Depth8 ft 0 in (2.44 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail plan

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.

Contents

Construction and service

The pilot boat Mary E. Fish was built in 1861 from the Edward F. Williams shipyard of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. [1] The Mary E. Fish, was built to replace the Mary Taylor, that was hit and sank by the U. S. steam transport Fairhaven in 1863. [2]

On April 24, 1861, the Mary E. Fish was launched from the Edward F. Williams shipyard for the New Jersey and Sandy Hook pilots. Williams had recently launched the pilot boats Fannie (1860) and Mary A. Williams (1861). The boat's name was in honor of the wife of a South Street merchant Mrs. Mary E. Fish. [3] The sail number "4" was painted as a large number on the mainsail identified the boat as belonging to the Sandy Hook Pilots.

Richard Brown was the captain and part owner of the pilot boat Mary E. Fish. He helped supervise the construction of the Fish, and served aboard as master her from 1876 to 1885. [4] She was registered as a pilot Schooner with the Record of American and Foreign Shipping, from 1876 to 1885. Her ship master was Richard Brown; her owners were New York Pilots; built in 1861 at New York; and her hailing port was the Port of New York. Her dimensions were 80 ft. length on deck; 20 ft. breadth of beam; and 8 ft. depth of hold; and 46-tons Tonnage. [5]

On December 23, 1869, the Mary E. Fish, No. 4 was on a cruise with Captain Richard Brown in command. He was 70 miles south of Sandy Hook when he encountered the wreck of the schooner Saxon, with a cargo of yellow pine lumber, that had been run into by the steamship Leo. Captain Brown toed the 'Saxon to the Erie Basin. [6]

On May 9, 1872, William A. Lucky, a Sandy Hook pilot for 25 years, was on the pilot boat Mary E. Fish, No. 8, of the New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilot Company. After boarding the outgoing brig Susan, he returned to the station boat Washington. When attempting to board the pilot boat Charlotte Webb, he drowned when the yawl he was in capsized. [7]

On October 9, 1873, the Mary E. Fish was one of the boats that participated in the Ocean Regatta, which was a race from Owl's Head Point around to Cape May Lighthouse in New Jersey, and back to the Sandy hook Lightship. Captain Richard Brown sailed the Fish in the race and represented the New York Pilots. Of the pilot-boats, the Thomas S. Negus took first place and the Widgeon was second, the Mary E. Fish third, the James W. Elwell fourth, and the Edmund Blunt was last. [8]

In 1874, the Mary E. Fish, No. 4, was listed with the New Jersey Pilots and Richard Brown as her captain. [9]

On June 4, 1878, pilot boat Mary E. Fish, No. 4, with Captain Richard Brown, rescued the captain, his wife and four children and the crew from the sinking two-masted schooner George Kilburn of Bangor, Maine. The schooner was on Long Beach, eight miles above Little Egg Harbor Inlet. The schooner was carrying 153 pieces of granite when the vessel was caught up in a storm causing her to sink. [10]

End of service

Pilot Boat David Carll. David Carll Pilot Boat.jpg
Pilot Boat David Carll.

On May 8, 1885, the New Jersey pilot boat Mary A. Fish, No. 4, was run down and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington 40 miles outhwest of Barnegat Light. The four pilots and crew were able to escape from the sinking vessel. The Brooklyn pilots were Frank Nelson, Robert Sylvester, William Maxwell, and Jeremiah Reardon. The crew were transferred from the schooner to the pilot boat Mary and Catherine and then to the steamship Saxon, which brought them back to the city. She was worth $15,000 and had some insurance. [11] On September 9, 1885, the pilot owners filed a suit for damages with the US District court against the schooner Frank Harrington. The claim was for $14,000 in damages for the boat and $2,000 for the loss of property on the boat. [12]

The pilot owners entered into a contract to build a new boat with shipbuilder David Carll at City Island, which they named after him, the pilot boat David Carll. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Brown (pilot)</span> American pilot

Richard "Dick" Brown was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot. Brown was captain for the 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat Mary Taylor. At the time of his death he was the oldest of the Sandy Hook pilots having served for 50 years. He was the captain of the racing yacht America, which won the inaugural America's Cup in 1851.

<i>Mary Taylor</i> (pilot boat) Boston Pilot boat

The Mary Taylor was a 19th-century yacht and Sandy Hook pilot boat, built at the Hathorne & Steers shipyard in 1849 for Captain Richard Brown. She was designed by George Steers with a new radical design with a long thin bow and wide stern, which made her faster than any other boat in her class. This design proved successful and led to the famous yacht America, which won the America's Cup in 1851. The Mary Taylor sank after colliding with the schooner Fairhaven in 1863. She was replaced by the Mary E. Fish.

<i>Edward F. Williams</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Edward F. Williams was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1863 at the Edward F. Williams shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for a group of New York Pilots. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Williams was sold in 1896.

Mary A. Williams New York Pilot boat

The Mary A. Williams was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1861 by the shipbuilder Edward F. Williams in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for a group of New York pilots. She was named Mary Ann Williams after the wife of the builder. The boat was considered one of the finest connected with the pilot service. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, the Mary A. Williams was sold in 1896.

Ezra Nye New York Pilot boat

The Ezra Nye was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1859 by the Wells & Webb shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for a group of New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilots. She was one of the pilot-boats that was in the Great Blizzard of 1888, that was one of the most severe blizzards in American history. In 1896, in the age of steam, the Ezra Nye along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats.

Jesse Carll New York Pilot boat

The Jesse Carll was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1885 by Jesse Carll at Northport, New York, for George H. Sisco. She was one of the largest vessels ever built in the Sandy Hook service. She was named in honor of Jesse Carll, a well-known Northport shipbuilder. In 1896, in the age of steam, the Ezra Nye, along with other pilot boats, were replaced with steamboats.

<i>Centennial</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey Pilot boat

The Centennial was a 19th-century wood pilot boat built in 1876 by Robert Crosbie and designed by Boston designer Dennison J. Lawlor for New York and New Jersey pilots. She was one of the pilot-boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. By 1898, in the age of steam, she was the last pilot boat left in the fleet; then sold in 1898 to a group in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

<i>Caprice</i> (pilot boat) Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1871

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.

<i>David Carll</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The David Carll was a 19th-century pilot boat, built in 1885 at the David Carll shipyard in City Island, New York. She was named in honor of David Carll, a well-known City Island shipbuilder. The David Carll was considered to be among the fastest schooners in the fleet. She was built to replace the Mary E. Fish that was run down and sank by the schooner Frank Harrington in 1885. She was one of the pilot boats that survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. The David Carll was lost at sea in 1893.

<i>Actaea</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

The Actaea, or Actea, was a 19th-century Boston yacht built in 1880 by Weld and David Clark of Kennebunk, Maine for David Sears, Jr., of Montgomery Sears of Boston. She was purchased by a group of New York Sandy Hook Pilots in 1890. She was one of the largest and fastest pilot boats in the fleet. In the age of steam, the Actaea was sold in 1896 to John J. Phelps of the New York Yacht Club and used as a pleasure yacht.

<i>Hermann Oelrichs</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot Boat

The Hermann Oelrichs was a 19th-century Sandy Hook Pilot boat, built in 1894 by Moses Adams at Essex, Massachusetts for a group of New York Pilots. She helped transport New York City maritime pilots between inbound or outbound ships coming into the New York Harbor. The Herman Oelrichs was said to be the fastest of the New York pilot fleet. She was built to replace the pilot boat Hope, that was wrecked in 1890.

<i>Edmund Blunt</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

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.

<i>Edward Cooper</i> (pilot boat) New York Pilot boat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Carll</span> American shipbuilder

David Carll was a 19th-century American shipbuilder. He was well known for building fast and seaworthy yachts and schooners. He specialized in shallow draft Centreboard schooners. The David Carll's shipyard was the first commercial shipyard built in City Island. He built the popular schooners David Carll, Vesta,Resolute, and Ambassadress. His brother, Jesse Carll had a successful shipyard in Northport, New York.

The James Gordon Bennett was a 19th-century two-masted pilot boat, built in 1870 at the Lawrence & Foulks shipyard. She was named in honor of James Gordon Bennett, Jr., publisher of the New York Herald. She went ashore in 1893 and was rebuilt at the C. & R. Poillon shipyard. In 1897, the James Gordon Bennett was bought by Miller J. Morse of the Atlantic Yacht Club and made into a yacht. He changed her name to Hermit. The New Jersey pilots purchased her in 1901, to replace the David T. Leahy, that was run down by the steamship Alene. The Hermit sank in 1906, when the steamship Monterey ran into her.

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.

<i>Edmund Driggs</i> (pilot boat)

The Edmund Driggs was a 19th-century Sandy Hook pilot boat built in 1864 at the Edward F. Williams shipyard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She was built to replace the pilot boat Elwood Walter. The schooner was used to pilot vessels to and from the Port of New York. She survived the Great Blizzard of 1888. In the age of steam, she was sold in 1896.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward F. Williams (shipbuilder)</span> Early American shipbuilder

Edward Francis Williams, was a 19th-century shipbuilder. He apprenticed under his father Jabez Williams. Edward F. Williams built his own shipyard, building clipper ships and eleven Sandy Hook pilot boats, some of the finest boats in the fleet. He was the first president of the Greenpoint Savings Bank. Williams died in New Providence, New Jersey, in 1902.

<i>James W. Elwell</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey and Sandy Hook Pilot boat

The James W. Elwell was a 19th-century two-masted Sandy Hook pilot boat, built in 1867 by John A. Forsyth at Mystic Bridge, New London, Connecticut for New Jersey and Sandy Hook maritime pilots. She raced for a $1,000 prize at the Cape May Regatta in 1873. She went ashore and was shipwrecked on North Beach Haven, New Jersey in 1875.

<i>W. W. Story</i> (pilot boat) New Jersey Pilot boat

W. W. Story was a 19th-century New Jersey pilot boat built in 1874 at the Samuel H. Pine shipyard in Greenpoint, New York. She sank off Sandy Hook horseshoe during the Blizzard of 1888. She was raised and turned into a fishing smack. On November 13, 1896, she was reported missing along with her crew after being last seen along Absecon, New Jersey when she was caught up in a hurricane.

References

  1. "The Pilot Yachts". Brooklyn Evening Star. Brooklyn, New York. 13 September 1862. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore From sail to Steam. New York: The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations. p. 23.
  3. "Launch". New York Daily Herald. New York, New York. 24 Apr 1861. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  4. Shaw, David W. (2004). America's Victory: The Heroic Story of a Team of Ordinary Americans. ISBN   9781574091878 . Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. "Record of American and Foreign Shipping". Mystic Seaport Museum. New York. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
  6. "Marine Disasters". The New York Herald. New York, New York. 27 Dec 1869. p. 8. Retrieved 13 Mar 2021.
  7. "An Old Sandy Hook Pilot Drowned". Monmouth Democrat. Freehold, New Jersey. 9 May 1872. p. 1. Retrieved 13 Mar 2021.
  8. Loubat, Joseph Florimond (1887). A yachtsman's scrap book: or, The ups and downs of yacht racing. New York: Brentano Brothers. pp. 42–106.
  9. "The American Yacht List: Containing a Complete Register of the Yacht Clubs, List of Pilot Boats, Port of New York". 1874. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. "Disasters". Boston Post. Boston, Massachusetts. 4 Jun 1878. p. 4. Retrieved 13 Mar 2021.
  11. "The Loss Of The Mary E. Fish. Run Down By The Schooner Harrington, She Sinks In Ten Minutes". The New York Times. New York, New York. 15 May 1885. p. 8. Retrieved 14 Mar 2021.
  12. "Collision Damages Suit". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. 9 Sep 1885. p. 4. Retrieved 14 Mar 2021.
  13. "A New Pilot Boat. Which is Outside Sandy Hook With Six Brave Brooklyn Men on Board". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. 8 Nov 1885. p. 1. Retrieved 6 Feb 2021.