PS Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a steamer built for the Hudson River Day Line[3] in 1924 and named after Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. 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.

PS Alexander Hamilton on the Hudson River, 1933
History
United States
NameAlexander Hamilton
OwnerHudson River Day Line
Operator
  • Hudson River Day Line 1924-1960
  • Circle Line 1960-1971
RouteHudson River between New York City and Albany, New York (until 1948)
BuilderBethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
In service1924 (1924)
Out of service1971 (1971)
FateBurned and sank 8 November 1977
NotesRuins still partially visible however wreckage is within the security region of Naval Weapons Station Earle
General characteristics
TypePassenger steamboat
Length349 ft 5 in (106.50 m)[1]
Beam77 ft (23 m)
Draft8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)[1]
Decks4 total, 3 complete and 1 partial
Installed powerFour Scotch marine boilers
PropulsionIncline triple expansion engine
Capacity3,000
PS Alexander Hamilton is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey
PS Alexander Hamilton
Locationnear Naval Weapons Station Earle
Middletown, New Jersey
Coordinates40°26′22.97″N 74°03′34.09″W
Built1924 (1924)
ArchitectBethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
DemolishedNovember 8, 1977 (1977-11-08)
NRHP reference No.77000887[1]
NJRHP No.1960[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 25, 1977 (1977-03-25)[1]
Designated NJRHPOctober 22, 1976 (1976-10-22)

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 steamer was built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in 1924.[5] The steamer 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 Dayliner, 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 steamer's propulsion system consisted of four Scotch marine boilers delivering steam to an inclined triple expansion engine that turned a crankshaft attached to feathering paddle-wheels on the port and starboard sides. She was the last of the great Day Line "side-wheelers", and the last of her kind to ply the Hudson River.

See also

References
  1. "Alexander Hamilton". National Park Service. United States Department of Interior. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. "Full Ahead on the Hamilton". www.newyorker.com. 28 May 1966. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  4. "Hudson River Day Line, Expansion and Decline, 1920's". Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2010-03-30. Accessed March 30, 2010.
  5. "Sidewheels on the Hudson". Scuba Diving - New Jersey & Long Island New York. Retrieved 16 November 2010.

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