The names of things on ships are different than buildings on land. Here are some key words using PortSide New York's MARY A WHALEN as the example. Ship parts: beam: width of the boat bow: front end bulkhead : wall bunk: bed cabin:...
Captain Maude Jensen, first female licensed pilot of steam vessels in New York Harbor, 1905
"You don't know what I mean about that job out there do you? I thought not. Well, it's this way. Down here in the towing, and ice and water supply business we have a great deal of competition. No, it is not friendly competition, I might almost say...
Public School 30, 1868, 1930s
Red Hook's Public School 30 was built in 1868. P.S. 30 was located on the east side of Conover Street between Wolcott and Sullivan Streets. By 1930 a modern addition was built just to the east of the original building. P.S. 30 was in bad...
Grace Lines Warehouse 1924, 1933
This image of the Grace Lines warehouse in Atlantic Basin comes from a scrap book (1924-1925 page 28) in the collection of the Seaman's Church Institute. In the background of the photo to the left of the Grace Lines warehouse Governors Island with...
Winter storm batters, buries and freezes ships and shore, February 1895
Huge waves crashing down on the deck as hail, steamers burning through their coal just to stay in place against the wind, ships being thrashed by the storm and everything, and everyone, frozen and encrusted in ice. These are the stories that the...
A Spectre that Seems to Preserve the Good Ship Belfast, 1897
Docked at the German-American pier, at the foot of Ferris Street, in May of 1897 was the clipper ship Belfast - known as a ghost craft in the British Merchant Marine. The World newspaper reported that: "Seamen Burke and...
Books for Brooklyn Boats: Captain Benn's Library Service for Sailors, 1900s
All day and into the night Captain Benn made his rounds of Brooklyn's piers supplying newly arrived vessels with something that he said could keep sailors sane and captains ethical: reading material. Benn had been spreading words for 11 years by...
Newspaper calls out Rotten Excursion Barges, 1892
Excursion barges “bedecked with flags, bunting and streamers” are boarded by crowds, often numbering in the thousands, on that portion of the outside north pier at Atlantic Basin which is closest to Hamilton Ferry “The sight is a most pleasing...
How to Report Flooding & Why
Street Flooding Report Street flooding to NYC by calling 311 or by going to their 311 website . There is a detailed questionaire to report flooding on the the website, that allows you to submit images and other attachments. Sewer Backups...
Fire Destroys four Atlantic Basin Warehouses and 3,800 TVs, January 16, 1954
Fireboats from the water and fire engines on land battled for over 8 hours to extinguisher four warehouses ablaze along Atlantic Basin’s Commercial Wharf, January 16, 1954. Twenty-one fighters and two policemen were injured. Fifteen of those...