PS Alexander Hamilton

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PS Alexander Hamilton
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PS Alexander Hamilton on the Hudson River, 1933
History
United States
Name: Alexander Hamilton
Owner: Hudson River Day Line
Operator:
  • Hudson River Day Line 1924-1960
  • Circle Line 1960-1971
Route: Hudson River between New York City and Albany, New York (until 1948)
Builder: Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
In service: 1924 (1924)
Out of service: 1971 (1971)
Fate: Sank in storm, November 1977
Notes: Ruins still partially visible however wreckage is within the security region of Naval Weapons Station Earle
General characteristics
Type: Passenger steamboat
Length: 349 ft 5 in (106.50 m)[1]
Beam: 77 ft (23 m)
Draught: 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
Draft: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Decks: 4 total, 3 complete and 1 partial
Installed power: Four Scotch marine boilers
Propulsion: Incline triple expansion engine
Capacity: 3,000
PS Alexander Hamilton is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey
PS Alexander Hamilton
Location near Naval Weapons Station Earle
Middletown, New Jersey
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Built 1924 (1924)
Architect Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Demolished November 8, 1977 (1977-11-08)
NRHP Reference # 77000887[1]
NJRHP # 1960[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP March 25, 1977 (1977-03-25)[1]
Designated NJRHP October 22, 1976 (1976-10-22)

Alexander Hamilton was a steamboat built for the Hudson River Day Line[3] in 1924. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1977. The remains of the vessel are located adjacent to the Naval Weapons Station Earle pier in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

History

The Hudson River Day Line used Alexander Hamilton to transport passengers along the Hudson River between New York City and Albany, New York.[4] In her later years the run was shortened to a turnaround in Poughkeepsie. The steamship was built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in 1924.[5] The steamship operated from 1924 to 1971, first running with other Day Line Steamers, including the Peter Stuyvesant until the 1960s, when the company was purchased by the Circle Line, and became a one boat operation. She was over 300 feet in length and was built to handle more than 3,000 passengers. Her replacement was the passenger vessel Day-liner, which took over the run. Alexander Hamilton spent time at the South Street Seaport and Brooklyn Navy Yard before being moved to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. In 1977, the Alexander Hamilton was moved to a temporary berth along the east side of the Navy pier in Middletown Township. During a storm, she caught fire and sank next to the pier on November 8, 1977.

Design

The steamboat was a rare type of side-wheeler because of its engine system. Four Scotch marine boilers delivered steam to an incline triple expansion engine that turned a crankshaft attached to feathering paddle-wheels on the port and starboard sides. This system propelled the boat during its cruises. In other words, it was a paddle steamer with the paddle-wheels on the side as opposed to a stern-wheeler, which has one wheel at the stern. She was the last of the great Day Line "side-wheelers", and perhaps, the last of her kind to ply the Hudson River.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1966/06/04/1966_06_04_029_TNY_CARDS_000284432 Accessed March 30, 2010.
  4. http://www.hrmm.org/steamboats/dayline/dayline1920.html Accessed March 30, 2010.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links