June 20, 1860
In New York City, a 78-foot (23.8-meter)-long pilot boat was launched from the foot of 12th Street and into the East River. This type of vessel operates in the vicinity of a port and is used to transport maritime pilots to ships in the area. While on board a ship, the maritime pilot is responsible for safely guiding that vessel in or out of the port.
The pilot boat launched on that Wednesday morning in 1860 was constructed by shipbuilder Henry Steers (1832-1903). This vessel was named after Captain Charles H. Marshall (1792-1865), a prominent merchant and businessman in that part of the world.
A little over two weeks following her launch, this pilot boat was taken out for a trial run to the New Jersey side of the entrance to New York Harbor. Those traveling on the Marshall for this Saturday trip included the captain for which she was named. The New York Times reported that all of the passengers “expressed themselves highly pleased with the performance of the boat.” This newspaper also noted, “A dinner was served on board, and there were toasts complimentary, and speeches in response by several of the guests.”
At the time of her debut, the Marshall became one of 21 New York pilot boats in regular service. She ended up earning widespread attention in the aftermath of the Great Blizzard of 1888, one of the most severe storms of its kind in American history. This blizzard significantly impacted the region of the Eastern Seaboard between the Chesapeake Bay and Maine (along with Canada’s Atlantic provinces). U.S. Navy officer and meteorologist Everett Hayden (1858-1932) wrote about the blizzard in an article that was published in an October 1888 issue of National Geographic Magazine. In his article, Hayden highlighted the daunting challenges endured by the Marshall and her crew out at sea during that storm.
Hayden asserted, “The gallant and successful struggle made by the crew of this little vessel for two long days and nights against such terrific odds is one of the most thrilling incidents of the storm, and well illustrates the dangers to which these hardy men are constantly exposed.”
The Marshall had departed from Staten Island on March 10 of that year. By the time the blizzard began slamming the region with full force the following day, this pilot boat’s crew was unable to return to shore and instead had to contend with a combination of heavy snow, rain, winds, and fog out there in the water. Those on board the Marshall ultimately realized that their only option for survival involved braving all of that turbulence and riding out the storm. Hayden recounted that the vessel “was thrown on her beam ends; she instantly righted again, however, but in two hours was so covered with ice that she looked like a small iceberg.” When the blizzard finally subsided, the Marshall and her crew were able to return safely to port.
Nearly eight years later, the Marshall was one of 16 sail-powered pilot boats in the New York area that were removed from service and replaced with steam-powered pilot boats. The Marshall was subsequently sold for $4,000.
(The accompanying image of the Marshall is a drawing that was created for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in 1860.)
Image: Public Domain
For more information on pilot boats that have served in the northeastern United States, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Northeastern_U.S._pilot_boats
Everett Hayden’s article about the Great Blizzard of 1888 and its impact on the Charles H. Marshall is available at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49711/49711-h/49711-h.htm#chap5
Transportation History 
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