^outli of the fl^joun tu i n 5 published by Tappan Zee Historical Society Rockland County, Orangeburg, New York Vol. 8 No. 4 October-December 1964 DUNDERBERG By J. R. Dunham Laird The Hudson River, one of the most beautiful and interesting of all the rivers in America, flows from the majestic Adirondacks southward to the Atlantic, guided in its course by several groups of mountains. One of these groups of mountains is known as the Hudson Highlands. Rising from the flatlands that enclose the Newburgh Bay area, they narrow the waters so that the river becomes deep; and they funnel the winds so that they become gusty and unpredictable, and often roar through the mountains, and the region is famous among boatmen and river people for the sudden onslaught of storms. Particularly is this true of the winds funneled and confined by that section of the Highlands be­ tween Anthony’s Nose on the east, Bear Mountain on the west, and a mountain to the south that our early Dutch forebears called Donder Berg, or Thunder Mountain. Here in summer one may often see the storm brooding. The Goblins Washington Irving in his legend of The Storm-Ship, poking fun at the early Dutch navigators, states: “The captains of the river craft talk of a little bulbous-bottomed Dutch goblin, in trunk hose and sugar- loafed hat, with a speaking trumpet in his hand, which, they say, keeps the Donder Berg. They declare that they have heard him, in stormy weather, in the midst of the turmoil, giving orders in Low Dutch, for the piping up of a fresh gust of wind, or the rattling off of another thunder­ clap. That sometimes he has been seen surrounded by a crew of little imps, in broad breeches and short doublets, tumbling head over heels in the rack and mist, and playing a thousand gambols in the air, or buzzing like a swarm of flies about Anthony’s Nose; and that, at such times, the hurry-scurry of the storm was always greatest.” The early Dutch navi­ gator would find little changed if he were suddenly to return to Donder Berg. The Revolutionary Period Narrowing Dunderberg’s history to the period of the American Revolution, we find that the mountain played a fairly important role. It was crossed by the Continental Troops of General Wayne and by the British troops under Sir Henry Clinton. It was from part of this moun­ tain that General Washington and General Wayne planned the recap­ ture of Stony Point from the British. It was July 1, 1779 that the British under Sir Henry Clinton captured the fortification at Stony Point from the Continental Army. The American garrison was small and the posi­ tion was taken without bloodshed. Stony Point, together with a small installation called Fort Fayette on the opposite shore at Verplank’s Point, later also captured by Sir Henry, controlled the lower entrance to the Hudson Highlands. Stony Point, situated upon a high rocky pen­ insula, practically an island at high water, was considered next to im­ pregnable. Washington, in his deliberations, was cautious but the im­ petuous “Mad Anthony," scorning all obstacles, made his renowned statement to General Washington: “Sir, I’ll storm hell if you will only Goblin of Donder Berg From the Museum Collection plan it." Washington gave his permission, and Wayne stormed and recaptured Stony Point on July 15, 1779. However, Sir Henry rein­ forced Fort Fayette, the Continentals were not able to retake it and Stony Point was ordered abandoned. The ordnance and stores were removed and the fort destroyed. The ordnance was placed upon flat boats for removal to West Point. One flat boat with ordnance aboard was sunk by the HMS Vulture [the ship that later played a part in the Arnold treason] off the point of Dunderberg. A Tale of Fraud On the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Chart 282, there appear two small parallel lines, just off the point of Dunderberg as it extends eastward into the stream of the river. These parallel lines in­ dicate a treacherous, sunken obstacle of some sort. They actually mark the spot where the remains of a coffer dam, built in the middle of the 19th Century, lay hidden. This dam marks on old Dunderberg a tale of fraud which, in this day, is hard to believe. An iron cannon had been brought to the surface of the river through some accident. An enterprising person conceived the idea that this can­ non was from a vessel sunken at this spot in a storm, and that the vessel was none other than that of the infamous Captain Kidd. Furthermore it was claimed that a long auger had penetrated the surface of the sub­ merged vessel and "pieces of silver brought up in its thread." This au­ ger was exhibited and the story believed. Money was raised, a coffer dam built, pumps set in motion and the work of looking for the supposed treasure ship with its bulging hoard of silver and gold went on for months. Finally all hope failed and all that remains of the venture are ruins of the coffer dam as shown on Chart No. 282. It is without doubt that the cannon that caused all the speculation was one of the pieces that were being transported from Stony Point to West Point by a flat boat when sunk by the Vulture. The Spiral Railway In 1889 a Company was organized under the General Railroad Act of the State of New York, called The Dunderberg Spiral Railway. The President was a Mr. James Morgan; the Treasurer, Mr. Henry J. Mun- ford; and the Secretary, Mr. David L. Proudfit. It had a capital stock of $750,000 and First Mortgage Bonds of $600,000 to ‘‘run for thirty years, with interest payable semi-annually at the rate of 6 per centum, per annum, and secured by Deed of Trust conveying to the Holland Trust Company, 7 Wall Street, New York, as Trustee, the entire assets of the company now held or to be acquired.’’ It was planned to build an incline railway in two stages, from the foot of Dunderberg, at the level of the West Shore Railroad, to the top. At each stage there was to be erected an engine house and various ap­ pointments to run the incline. Also at the second stage end, an area of about twenty acres, there was to be a hotel, observatory, a restaurant, and water tower, the ‘‘whole tract being arranged as a park or picnic ground with the usual accessories for pleasure and profit.” A dam was contemplated across a gorge about one-third the way down the mountain that would have formed a beautiful lake and reservoir. The cars of the incline railway would be shunted by their own gravity back to the start­ ing place, a distance of about twelve miles, by means of a long spiral railway. Various points along this return route were to be laid out for picnic purposes. The rolling stock of the company initially was to consist of one locomotive, fifteen open passenger cars, two closed passenger cars, four coal cars, two flat cars, one box car, and a multitude of smaller items. It was figured that 2,500 people could be hauled up the mountain each hour. In the Prospectus of the Dunderberg Spiral Railway it was pointed out that this plan had been successfully worked by Messrs. T. L. and H.J. Munford in the “Switch-back Railroad” of Mauch Chunk, Penn­ sylvania and in view of the tremendous population in New York City and environs the Dunderberg enterprise should be a very successful financial venture. Work was started in 1890 and collapsed in early 1891. The ruins may still be seen by anyone who wishes to climb Dun­ derberg. Many grades of the spiral return are in evidence and there is a tunnel about 100 feet long that would have been part of the incline railway. The Twentieth Century After the collapse of the Dunderberg Spiral Railway venture, old Dunderberg returned pretty much to its natural condition as first view­ ed by Henry Hudson in 1609. At the close of the first World War, the government anchored a number of decommissioned merchant vessels in the water south of Dunderberg. They were finally junked. At the end of the second World War, the government anchored the Reserve Mer­ chant Fleet at this same spot. These vessels are kept in fair condition. One doesn’t hear of the little Dutch Goblin of Donder Berg any­ more. Merchant vessels and pleasure boats ply the Hudson now in great numbers. They enter the confines of the Highlands in confidence and in awe of its wonders. But when the storms break and the winds howl, and the thunder peals off the mountain side, how many think that probably “Mien Heer of Donder Berg,” is shouting orders to his imps for a “fresh gust of wind, or the rattling off of another clap of thunder —and at such times when the hurry-scurry of the storm is at its greatest.” The Tappan Zee Historical Society has in its possession two $1,000 bonds of the Dunderberg Spiral Railway, presented by Mr. William Feeney, formerly of Haverstraw. They are on display at the museum in Orangeburg. OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES [Year indicates expiration of term as trustee]. Blauvelt Edwin D. Miller '65 George R. Sharpless ’66 Vice President Vice President Mrs. H.L. Niederauer '67 Piermont Arthur W. Tallman '67 Congers *Dr. J. R.