Shipwreck Report: SYLVAN STREAM (1863, Steamer)

SITE INFORMATION

  • Name: SYLVAN STREAM (renamed EMPIRE STATE in 1893)
  • Official Number: 22795
  • Type: Wooden Sidewheel Steamer
  • Built: 1863, Athens, New York
  • Builder: T. Collyer & Co.
  • Master Carpenter: Thomas Collyer
  • Original Owner: Harlem & New York Navigation Co.

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

The SYLVAN STREAM was a single-Deck wooden sidewheel Steamer, powered by a vertical beam (walking beam) engine with one cylinder and a gunboat boiler. Her propulsion system included 26-foot paddle wheels. This vessel was part of the Sylvan Line, operating passenger services along the Harlem River and later transitioning to excursion routes on Lake Ontario.

HISTORY

  • 1863: Enrolled in New York on September 30; commenced service on the Sylvan Line, providing passenger transport between Peck Slip and the Bronx.
  • 1883: Acquired by Robert W. DeFoust’s Highland Steamboat Co. for excursion purposes.
  • 1885: Operated by the Genesee River & Lake Ontario Steamboat Co., running routes from Charlotte to Sea Breeze and Irondequoit Bay.
  • 1890: Conducted daily excursions to the Thousand Islands alongside the Steamer PILGRIM.
  • 1893: Purchased by Folgers & Clayton; renamed EMPIRE STATE; began operations between Kingston, Ontario, Alexandria Bay, and Cape Vincent, New York.
  • 1898: Owned by Henry Folger; ran routes from Kingston to Montreal under Folgers Thousand Island Steamboat Co., navigating the rapids with vessels like New York and AMERICA.
  • 1901: Filled and sank after departing Brockville; subsequently laid up at Kingston CPR dock.

FINAL DISPOSITION

  • Date: June 25, 1903
  • Location: Kingston, Ontario, Lake Ontario
  • Cause: Destroyed by fire while laid up at dock; machinery was removed in October 1903, and the hulk was Abandoned in Collins Bay.

CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY

The remains of the SYLVAN STREAM (renamed EMPIRE STATE) lie in Collins Bay near Kingston, Ontario. The vessel was burned to the waterline and sank; the machinery was salvaged later that year. The hulk was Abandoned and is presumed to have deteriorated over time. There is no specific information available regarding the current condition or accessibility of the wreck site.

NOTES

The SYLVAN STREAM was part of a fleet of vessels, including the SYLVAN DELL and SYLVAN GLEN, which operated until the rise of elevated railways in New York City led to a decline in Steamboat passenger business. The vessel’s transition from urban passenger service to excursion routes reflects the changing transportation and leisure trends of the late 19th century.

Sources:

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files
  • Old Timers – Boats of the Hudson
  • Great Lakes USA Paddle Steamers