H I S T O R Y m ifi u r k i a r ns 3m cn é b p y J H N H R I N O . M O R S O AUT H O R H ISTO RY O F AM ERI CAN STEAM NAVI G ATI O N P RESS O F AM ETZ 6: C0 . W M . F. S NEW YO R K C ONT ENT S . P AG E CHAPTE R I . Co lo nia l Perio d E CHAPT R II . 1 84 to 1 820 7 . “ ” E a r ly Am er ic a nNew Yo rk Shipbuilders — Th e Clerm ont and Her Builder E CHAPT R I I I . Perio d o f Large Devel o pment in Shipbuilding— Marine Ra ilwa y and D r y Do cks — T oo ls CH AIP 'T E R I V . o f r E o o o o f T Strikes Shipya d mpl yees , and F rmati n rade Unio ns in New Yo rk City ' CHAPTE R V . M echanics ’ Bell CHAPTE R VI . — — w E r a . Ne in Shipbuilding Ocean Steamships Clipper Ships . I CHAPTE R VI . Launch i ng o f Vessels and La unching Disasters — D r y Do ck Accidents CHAPT E R V I I I . ’ “ ” High W ater in Wo oden Shipbuilding— Yacht America Reco rd of Prominent American Clipper Ships CHAPTE R I ". ' Decline o f W o oden Shipbuild i ng I LL T R AT I U S O NS . P AG E ” T h e Steamb o at Clerm o nt ( 2 ) ’ No a h o S 1 81 2 Adam Br wn s hipyard , Original M echanics ’ Bell M ’ 1 845 echanics Bell, “ Steambo at Orego n “ Steamb o at E mp i re o f Troy ” Steamb oat Th o mas Po well Clipper Ship “ Challenge Balance D r y Do ck Steamb o at City o f New Y ork “ ” Steamb o at Rh o de Island Clipper Ship Co met Clippe r Ship Flying Clo ud Clipper Ship Ga z elle Clipper Ship S o vereign o f th e Seas “ Clipper Ship Yo ung America Cl ipper Ship “ Great Republic “ Clipper Ship Dr eadn o ught “ T h r ee- Masted Sch o o ner E ckfo rd Webb “ Steamb o at D a niel Drew ’ Steambo at C. Vibbard P R E F AC F HE development of shipbuilding in New York prior to the separation of the colony from the Mother Country , both under the Dutch as well a s ver v the English occupation , was of a uncertain character, m ainly for the reason that for the greater portion of the period the commerce carried on with foreign countries w a s with vessels owned abroad , and it was only toward the latter days of the colony that vessels were constructed in this city for trad ing coastwise for any distance , and to the West Indies . - b There were vessels built for near y trade , but they were comparatively small in dimensions and number . For the reason that our forefathers were not given to the habit of recording any advancement made in industrial pursuits in this country , it is impossible to cover the subj ect but in a general manner during the Colonial period . It w a s not until after the treaty of peace with Great i i n 1 7 83 a e Brita n September, , th t th re are any records of shipbuilding in the City of New York . In fact , while the n several States still retai ed their separate governments , o 1 7 89 is to the formati n of the Union of States in , there i no record to be found in this city . So there s no official record of ve ssels built in this city prior to President ’ ’ W ashington s administration , and even for a few years later there are some of the offi cial papers of New York v ea r s a built vessels , that have been for many mong the missing . The indu s tr v now bega n to show much a c tivitv com its m th e ' r es tl es s e pared to for er condition , and nergy of the American mechanic beg a n to as ser t itself in its first o stage of freedom fr m foreign control , and while the “ ” pro gress in the art of shipbuilding was very small in it a deed , was not until after the monop oly of ste m navi g a tio non our rivers was removed in 1 824 that we s ee the vast improvem ents that took place in shipbuildin g in E F CE 4 PR A . this city . From this period to its final decline about r w a s fo ty years later, it a rapid development with the large growth of the city and its many industries . a In the first stage of this exp nsion of shipbuilding, the skilled mecha nic bega n the agitation for the relief a a nd a from his long hours of l bor, in few years he was t e successful , and hrough the s veral changes in the o f methods of construction , and the use better tools , work was turned out more rapidly and better than b e fore . Then came the building of Ocean and Coastwise - Steamships, and later the far famed Clipper ships , for w a s a nd . which New York City so widely noted , j ustly so Th is lasted for a few years ; a nd th en several surrounding f s conditions , all a fecting the shipbuilding indu try of the o s h a d efi ec t a city, m re or le s , the to stop the m king of a nd o new contracts for vessels , to close up s me of the local shipy a rds . The progress in the industry at New York w a s followed during the whole period at all the a a shipbuilding centers on the Atl ntic Co st , but this city was the most unfortu nate in losing its hold up o n this business so so o n after the close of the c o nflict between 1 5 s ex c e the States in 86 . The State of Maine w a the p o f or o a ti n , w oden ship building was l rg ely carried on there till very recent date . Had the builders and owners of vessel property at tha t d a y the fo resight to have seen that the da y of the o s w oden hull vessel had pa sed , generally, they would h a ve been s aved many anxio us days waiting for its r e . o d e turn to prosperity S me no oubt did see it , and retir d h r e from business before it was too late, while ot ers e a T h main d to the l st . e prosperous d a ys of the wooden hull shipyards had passed , the iron hull shipyards took their business , and the former passed into his tory . The o ld Mechanics Bell and the Bal a nce Dry D o ck are about n r the o ly material evidences we h a ve left of the indust y . The American wooden - hull shipbuilder was undoubtedly o h is a credit to the nati n in day . C H AP T E R I . C L NI L E I D O O A P R O . D U R I NG DUTCH AND E NG L I SH OCCUPATION O F NE W Y OR K CITY . HE Atlantic coast being well fitted for ship o f t building by the abundance its imber , vessels have been constructed at several points on its northern and eastern shores from the first a ctual settlement of the country by Europeans . That which made it almost a work of necessity was the fact that the early colonists were located along the immediate coast, and were forced a t first to b u ild the Indian canoe to obtain the fi s h for a food product for their own use ; but a few years later they built small sail vessels that gave them a wider range in t heir fishing operations than with a canoe . The earliest record we have of the construction of a a is vessel in this country , other th n small fishing boats , o f one built by c olonists sent to the coast of Maine by 1 607 some merchants of London in , who landed at the mouth of the Kennebec river . They erected building s and constructed a vessel of thir ty tons during that y ear “ ” they named Virginia . They were favorably situated to w a s construct the vessel , for one of the colonists a ship c arpenter . This body of colonists soon became dis c o u r a g ed ; became involved in diffi culties with the I n d ians , so that some went back the next year to England “ ” o thers took the Virginia and sailed to the English a . c olony at J mestown , Va The next vessel built in New “ ” England was the b a rk Blessing of the Bay of 60 tons s 1 63 1 b urden on Mystic river, Mas , in for Governor Win 1 00 r .