Introduction by Adam Levine
In presenting this annual log of activity by Delaware River Harbor Police (an early version of what is now the Police Marine Unit), I just might be overtaxing the patience of my readers, who will have to scroll down, down, down (and down some more!) to get to the end of the year, and the bottom of this page. But I found these reports mesmerizing, each tersely-recounted event a story in itself, with so much left unsaid. A fiction writer could have a field day here, taking off from these tidbits in any number of imaginative directions. In another age the Duffey Brothers (see June 8) could have written a bestseller, if they even knew how to write.
Being a historian I tend to stick to the facts, and I ended up searching online for more information to add narrative flesh to these meager bones. The fire at the Atlantic Company’s Point Breeze works was the biggest event of the year on the waterfront, starting on the night of May 23 when a couple of petroleum tanks were struck by lightning. The oil burned for the next two days, eventually destroying 32 tanks, 90,000 barrels of oil, and causing damage estimated at $450,000. A reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer visited the scene and couldn’t help expressing his awe at the scale of the destruction:
“The spectacle of fields of smoke and flame were grand in the extreme. The oil from the exploded and broken tanks had flowed over in the neighboring hollow, carrying with it the fire which consumed everything in its path. Several large trees standing outside the yard stood with incinerated branches, like withered arms supplicating heaven for protection and relief.”
Two tugboats of the harbor police – the William S. Stokely, and the Samuel G. King, both named for former Philadelphia mayors – greatly lessened the property loss by towing ships moored near the refinery out of reach of the flames, remaining on the scene for 17 hours. Of these two boats only the Stokley was equipped with pumps and hoses, to aid in fighting waterfront fires, but it was not used for that purpose in this event, since pouring water on burning oil generally does little good.
In the aftermath of this fire Mayor William B. Smith cited the work of the two tugs in rescuing shipping in his request for a beefed-up fleet for the harbor police. As reported in a May 29, 1884 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith “was in favor of providing two or three new boats at least, so as to have four in all, that might be kept in readiness in case of fire, and might be used for police purposes meanwhile. They would convey bodies of police from point to point with considerable speed, and would come of use in an indefinite number of ways which will readily suggest themselves.” While admitting the futility of throwing water on burning oil, the article pointed out that “other property is just as likely to take fire as crude petroleum in its tanks, and should such a disaster occur anywhere along either river front of the city the value of the tugs, both as to rapidity of movement from point to point, and capacity for throwing enormous quantities of water from the unlimited supply all around them, would be manifest to the perceptions of all classes of citizens.” Because fire on the wharves could easily spread to the ships in port, Smith also imagined that it would be in the interest of insurance companies underwriting the vessels to buy these new tugboats for the city, considering the amount of protection such an augmented fleet would provide. “What the insurance men will think of this,” the article concluded, “remains to be seen.”
Besides firefighting, the harbor police tugboats helped break ice on the rivers to keep navigation channels open. They also transported prisoners upriver to the House of Corrections in Holmesburg. To make this page somewhat shorter, I have eliminated these redundant listings, but in aggregate the tugs made made 38 such trips in 1884, transfering 382 prisoners (277 men and 105 women) from temporary incarceration in the city jail to more permanent lodgings in the county prison. From 3 to 33 prisoners were carried on any given trip, which were made mostly on Sundays. On 10 other days the tug carried members of the Grand Jury to the prison but, to avoid any possible friction between the indicters and indictees, not in the same trips as the prisoners.
I assume that these transfers were made on the water, rather than overland in carriages or railroad cars, to lessen the risk of escape. The boat docked directly at the House of Corrections wharf. If anyone had tried to jump overboard on the way they could have been easily recaptured; or if they had been shackled, would have risked drowning.
The Stokley was taken out of service midway through the year for a major overhaul that was not completed until December. This left the Harbor Police with only one tugboat to patrol the hundreds of wharves along the the city’s two rivers and other navigable waterways. Without adequate motorized equipment, most of the river patrols were done by officers in in rowboats.
George Moore, lieutenant of the Delaware Harbor Police, told the Inquirer on June 10: “Every evening the docks are patrolled from Greenwich Point to Port Richmond in a row boat, and this distance is entirely too great for men to pull over in a small boat. They get tired out and fatigued with this hard work. It wouldn’t cost the city much to put a small steam launch on the river for police patrol, and it would be ten times more effective than a row boat. It is very little to ask for a town having a river front as large as Philadelphia has.”
Recovering drowning victims was, I assume, one of the least-pleasant asks of the harbor patrols. Both the rowboats and the tugboats carried grappling hooks, used to drag the river bottom to find drowning victims who had sunk out of sight. Those hooks were in use late into the evening of August 4, searching for the body of Mrs. Rebecca Shepcott. That afternoon she had accompanied another married woman and two men who were not their husbands to Ridgway Park on Smith Island in the Delaware River. The foursome apparently enjoyed the beer garden, Mrs. Shepcott perhaps more than she should have. At about 7 p.m., as they were waiting to board the boat to return to the city, she slipped off the dock, went under, and never came up. Mrs. Shepcott’s two male companions attempted a rescue but ended up needing to be rescued themselves. The Harbor Police grappled for the body for hours, but were unable to find it. Three days later, on her own accord, the dead woman bobbed to the surface on the Philadelphia side of the river and was plucked out of the water near the Reed Street wharf. She was 38 years old.
On five separate days in December 1884 a tug journeyed downriver to Tinicum Island, searching the water in vain for the body of Clifton Melick. Because of this concerted effort I assumed, wrongly, that Melick must have been well-known. I found nothing about him in the newspapers. Like so many people, he seems to have vanished without a trace – at least not anything that can be found 139 years later, on the Internet.
George Pote did not vanish without a trace. The 12-year-old drowned on September 6th in Timber Creek, on the New Jersey side of the river, where he had been playing with friends. His body was recovered and given a proper burial in a cemetery in Kensington. One can only hope that his father, Henry Pote – an officer of the Delaware Harbor Police – was not working on the boat that retrieved his son.
On the upside, Pote and other members of the force managed to rescue many people who ended up in the river, either by accident or with suicidal intent. One was John Campbell, who was pulled out of the Delaware River on July 11. The newspaper headline, above a small item that ran in the Philadelphia Times about this mishap, says it all:
“Too Drunk to Swim.”
If you manage to get to the bottom of this page, and still want more, you’ll find a link to the 1884 report of the Schuylkill River Harbor Police. But just a warning: it’s a deep dive to the bottom, so deep you might need a grappling hook to pull you back to the surface.
Report of the Lieutenant of the Delaware [River] Harbor Police, for the year ending December 31, 1884.
From the First annual message of William B. Smith, Mayor of Philadelphia, with the accompanying documents. Philadelphia: Dunlap & Clarke, 1885.
January 4.—Found an unknown drowned man at Race street wharf; notified the Coroner.
January 5.—At 12.30 A. M., picked up a barge adrift in the ice off Walnut street; towed her into Spruce street wharf, and made her fast.
January 13.—At 11.30 A. M., Officer Lynn arrested Daniel Glover, at Water and Chestnut streets, for vagrancy; he was committed to the House of Correction, for six months, by Magistrate South.
January 14.—At 9.15 P. M., a fire broke out at the foreign fruit and produce store of Edgar Thomas, No. 250 South Front street; fire trifling; tug did not go into service.
January 23.—At 1.30 A. M., a runaway horse with sleigh attached, went overboard at Willow street wharf; the horse was drowned.
February 10.—At 10.30 A. M., the tug Rebecca broke her shaft while in the heavy ice off Spruce street; the tug and crew being in danger, the Police Tug Stokley towed her into the wharf.
February 11.—At 6.30 P. M., Albert Bailey, salesman for George K. Hubbard & Co., Wholesale Grocers, No. 230 and 232 North Delaware avenue, was knocked down, chloroformed and robbed of his watch, ring, and $300, by three or four men in an alleyway adjoining the store; his watch, gloves, and hat were afterwards picked up in the alley; a search was made in the neighborhood for any suspicious looking characters, by Officers Defoney and Coolidge.
February 17.—At 8 A. M., an unknown man fell overboard at Noble street wharf, and was drowned; grappled for the body several hours, but did not succeed in recovering it.
February 28.—At 10.20 P. M., a fire broke out at Messrs. Coon Brothers & Co., Commission Merchants, No. 29 South Water street; tug proceeded to first wharf above Chestnut street and went into service, remaining one hour and thirty, minutes.
February 29.—At 2.30 A. M., George Williamson, fireman of the steamship “Benthope,” lying at Bainbridge street wharf, fell overboard and was drowned; grappled for the body several hours, but did not succeed in recovering it.
March 13.—At .7 P. M., Officer Lynn arrested Richard Schaeder, age 13 years, residing No. 3 Ton alley, for being beyond the control of his parents; confined three days at the Central Station; discharged by Magistrate Ladner.
March 13.—At 7.10 P. M., a fire broke out at Messrs. Baugh & Co., bone establishment, at Mifflin street wharf; tug proceeded to Mifflin street wharf; went into service, remaining three hours.
March 16.—At 10.50 P, M., Geo. Hill, age 31 years, residence No. 400 Thirty-fourth street, New York, fell overboard at Walnut street wharf; was rescued from drowning by Officers Jenney and Betzold; taken on board the tug and cared for.
March 21.—Tug conveyed the Port Wardens around in the Schuylkill river.
April 2.—At 10.20 A. M., a fire broke out at C. W. Simons, oil establishment, No. 155 North Front street; tug proceeded to Race street wharf; went into service, remaining forty-five minutes.
April 4.—At 7.40 P. M., a fire broke out at Messrs. Barber & Perkins, Commission Merchants, No. 3 North Water street; tug proceeded to first wharf above Market street; did not go into service, the fire being under control.
April 14.—At 9.45 P. M., a fire broke out at Front and Market street, Camden, property owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, used as a hay market; tug proceeded to Market street wharf, Camden, went into service, remaining one hour and fifteen minutes; succeeded in saving adjoining property.
April 14.—About 3 A. M., an unknown man walked or fell overboard at Queen street wharf, and was drowned; the body was recovered and Coroner notified.
April 15.—At 7.30 A. M., the wall of the dye house on Windmill Island, facing the canal, fell in, setting fire to the building; tug proceeded to the Island; went into service, remaining in service some thirty minutes.
April 15.—At 10.30 A. M., Officers Seidel and Redmond picked up the drowned body of C. H. Button floating in the river, opposite Walnut street wharf; towed into Lombard street wharf, and notified the Coroner.
April 16.—At 7.50 P. M., a fire broke out at 248 North Delaware avenue, spreading to Nos. 244 and 246; also, to Nos. 229 and 231 North Water street; tug proceeded to Vine street wharf; went into service with three streams, remaining in service until 12 M.
April 17.—At 7.30 P. M., a fire broke out at Benner’s Glass Works, Richmond street and Gunner’s Run; tug proceeded to fire; did not go into service, the fire being under the control of the firemen.
April 27.—Harbor Policeman Jenney picked up a tuck-up clinker-built skiff, thirteen feet long, stolen from Camden in November, 1883, the property of C.M. Wells; skiff returned to owner after proving property.
May 11.—Theo. R. Jones, residing at Sixth and Moyamensing avenue, committed suicide by drowning at Morris street wharf; body recovered; Coroner notified.
May 11.—At 4.45 P. M., Nathan Williams, residing No. 305 Cherry street, fell overboard at Chestnut street; was rescued from drowning by Delaware Harbor Police.
May 11.—At 10.30 P. M., Michael Stafford, aged 22 years, residing at No. 5 Elsford place, Second and Race streets, arrested by officer Jenney, charged with assault and battery on the person of Clara Oberly, at the foot of Chestnut street and Delaware avenue; had a hearing before Magistrate South; was held to Pail in the sum of $500 to answer the charge at court.
May 12.—At 3.30 P. M., John Morricey, aged 58 years, had his right leg broken by a box falling on him from his wagon, at Walnut and Water streets; sent to the Pennsylvania Hospital.
May 13.—At 8 P. M., Eugene Clinton, aged 26 years, residing in West Philadelphia, was crushed to death while coupling cars, at Delaware avenue and Spruce street.
May 13.—Tug out of service, by order of the United States Inspector, being considered by him not seaworthy.
May 16 —At 3 P. M., Joseph Marshall, aged 47 years, residing at Newmarket and Callowhill streets, fell overboard at Walnut street wharf; was rescued from drowning by Officer James Martin.
May 23.—At 10 P. M., The Philadelphia and Atlantic Refining Oil Company, at Point Breeze, struck by lightning, took fire; on the morning of the 24th, at 1.45, received a dispatch from Lieutenant Francis, of the Schuylkill Harbor, that he anticipated serious trouble; tug proceeded to the fire, arriving at 3 A. M., went into service, and continued in service to 8 P. M.
May 26.—At 8.30 P. M., Officer Martin arrested John Flinn and Benjamin Tindall on a charge of larceny at Ridgway Park; defendants taken before Magistrate Smith, at the Central Station, and committed by him, in default of bail, to answer at Court.
May 26.—John Flinn, aged 30 years, jumped overboard at Pier No. 7 South Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Officer Martin and Special Officer Grimes, of Ridgway Park.
May 30.—Officers Curry and Caseley recovered a twelve feet boat, valued at $45, stolen from Camden, N. J., the property of George P. Stephan, residing at No. 340 Federal street, Camden.
June 1.—At 3 A. M., William Neal…, aged 30 years, residing at Haddonfield, N. J., fell overboard at Chestnut street wharf; was rescued from drowning by Officers Martin and Coolidge.
June 4.—-At 1.45 P. M., received a dispatch from Chief of Police, for the tug to proceed to a fire at Gibson’s Point, Schuylkill; arrived there at 2.45 P. M.; went into service, and continued in service until 6.30 P. M.; the fire being under the control of the firemen, and our services not being required, tug returned to Pier 7, Delaware avenue.
June 6.—At 6 P. M., a drowned man was picked up at Pier 7, Richmond, by Delaware Harbor Police; Coroner notified.
June 8.—At 2.30 A. M., Officers Caseley and Curry found Michael and Hugh Duffey, brothers, aged 12 and 13 years, lying under some canvas at Almond Street wharf; they stated to the officers that they had been in this country about nine months from Ireland, and that they had no parents, friends, or home; Magistrate List committed them to the care of the Managers of the House of Refuge.
June 9.—At 8.30 A. M., tug proceeded to Rancocas creek and Delanco bridge; arrived at Delanco at 10.30 A. M. commenced to grapple for the bodies of Robert R. Coster and Alfred Anderson, drowned on Saturday midnight, June 8th, from the steam yacht “Stella,” sunk by coming in contact with the bridge; recovered the body of Coster; assisted in raising the yacht, and towed her to the Flats; did not recover the body of Anderson; tug returned to the city at 6.15 P.M., leaving the body of Coster in charge of the Coroner.
June 15.—At 6 P. M., Patrick Daley fell overboard at Pier 7, South Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Officers Lynn and Curry.
June 20,—At 11 A. M., John Riest, aged 36 years, residing at Second and Green streets, backed his horse and cart overboard at Windmill Island; Riest and the horse were drowned; the body of Riest was recovered, and Coroner notified.
June 21.—A. M., a fire broke out at Kaighns’ Point, Camden, N. J., destroying Joseph Baymore’s spar shed and several dwelling-houses on Kaighns’ Point avenue; tug proceeded to the fire, went into service, saving several properties, and putting out the fire; returned to the city at 1.30 P. M.
June 30.—George Burket, aged 38 years, was run over by his horse and Wagon at Front and Walnut streets, and was seriously injured, receiving a compound fracture of one of his legs; sent to the Pennsylvania Hospital.
July 5.—At 7 P. M., William Fallowfield, a blind man, residing at No. 4 Short court, fell off Pier 8, Delaware avenue below Chestnut street, on to a scow, and broke his leg; sent to the Pennsylvania Hospital.
July 11.—At 3 P. M., John Campbell, aged 39 years, residing No. 226 Poplar street, jumped off Pier No. 9, Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Delaware Harbor Police.
July 12.—Tug left Pier No. 7, at 2.30 P. M., and proceeded to Point Breeze with three Deputy United States Marshals, having a warrant for the arrest of four sailors on a charge of deserting from the bark “Walraven;” tug arrived at the Point at 3.20 P. M., made the arrest, and returned to Pier No. 7 at 5.30 P. M.
July 17.—At 4.30 P. M., one of the Pennsylvania Railroad Floats got adrift; recovered by the Police Tug and returned to the Railroad’s Tug “Jamesburg.”
July 19.—At 5 P. M., the tug “W. S. Schaubel,” with the brig “Mattie B. Russell” in tow; opposite Chestnut street wharf the tow line of the tug parted, leaving the brig unmanageable; run into the Baltimore steamboat “Weldon,” doing her considerable damage.
July 19.—At 9.30 P. M., Walter Duffey, aged 20 years, residing at No. 1910 Trenton avenue, was drowned at Ridgway Park while bathing in one of the bathtubs; body recovered and Coroner notified.
July 24.—James Devlin, aged 35 .years, residing at No. 232 Monroe street, was drowned while bathing at Hartney’s landing, Camden, N. J.; grappled for the body, but did not succeed in recovering it.
July 24.—At 3 P. M., Michael Rafter, aged 34 years, assistant engineer of the steamship “Pottsville,” residing at Huntingdon and Salmon street, Richmond, was drowned at Pier No. 19, Richmond coal wharves; body recovered by officers Martin and Coolidge; Coroner notified.
August 2.—At 3.30 P. M., John Finney, aged 36 years, fell overboard off the barge “Maingus,” at Pier No. 6, South Delaware avenue, and was drowned; body grappled for and recovered by Delaware Harbor Police.
August 3.—At 5 P. M., Frederick Snyder, aged 23 years, residing at Fifth and Girard avenue, was drowned at Arch street wharf; body recovered by Reddy Shannon; Coroner notified.
August 4.—At 8.30 P. M., Rebecca Shepcott, aged 38 years, residing at No. 1249 Saren street, Kensington, was drowned at Ridgway Park; body grappled for by Delaware Harbor Police; did not succeed in recovering it.
August 6.—At 2.30 A. M., the schooner “Carrie Lye,” Captain Hancock, lying at Marlborough street wharf, was boarded by thieves; a quantity of rigging and canvas was taken from the deck of the schooner and placed on the wharf; the captain, hearing someone on the deck, got out of his berth; on going on deck with his gun, the thieves, hearing the captain, became alarmed and made their escape, leaving their plunder behind; also a boat, a coat, and pair of shoes, the said being in the possession of the Delaware Harbor Police.
August 7.—At 5.45 A. M., the body of Rebecca Shapcott, drowned at Ridgway Park, was picked up by Wm. Gallagher, floating in the river opposite Reed street wharf; Coroner notified.
August 8.—At 10.30 tug proceeded to Greenwich Point, boarded the schooner “Nina Tilison,” of Rockland, Maine, Capt. J. C. Ackhorn, and arrested Thomas Tobin…, aged 31 years, on a charge of committing assault and battery with intent to kill E. L. Coombs, mate of the schooner; defendant handed over to the United States Marshal.
August 13.—At 7 P. M., Edward McLaughlin, aged 63 years, jumped overboard at Walnut street wharf; was rescued from drowning by the Delaware Harbor Police.
August 24.— At 9.30 P. M., an unknown woman, aged about 25 years, jumped overboard from the steamboat Ridgway Park, and was drowned.
August 24.—At 1.30 P. M., Asher Atkins, aged 26 years, fell overboard off the sailboat R. M. Fitz, off Maiden’s Is land, and was drowned.
August 25.—At 11.30 A. M., tug proceeded down the river to Maidens Island, to grapple for the body of Asher Atkins; on arriving at the Island found the body lying on the new made bar; returned to the city with the body, and notified the Coroner.
August 25.—At 3 P. M., Francis Bernard, aged 25 years, residing at Flemington, New Jersey, fell overboard at Pier 8, South Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Delaware Harbor Police.
August 27.—The body of Lena Marohn, the unknown woman who jumped from the steamboat “Ridgway Park,” on the twenty-fourth of August and drowned, was recovered by the Delaware Harbor Police; Coroner notified.
August 30.—J. T. Scherlock, aged 21 years, was drowned at Pier No. 55, Old Navy Yard; body recovered; Coroner notified.
August 30.—At 4.30 P. M., Andrew McConnell, aged 7 years, residing No. 2022 Meldred street, First Ward, was drowned at Greenwich Point: Harbor Police grappled for the body but did not succeed in recovering it.
September 1.—At 2.25 A. M., a fire broke out at Dobson’s rag store, No. 135 South Water street; the fire being slight the tug did not go into service.
September 3.—At 4 P. M., Philip Sigman, aged 19 years, residing at No. 148 West Dauphin street, Kensington, was drowned at Plumb street wharf, Delaware river; body recovered; Coroner notified.
September 6.—At 4 P. M., George Pote, aged 12 years, the son of Henry Pote, one of the officers of the Delaware Harbor Police, was drowned at Timber creek; body recovered. [Name and age corrected based on newspaper account]
September 7.—At 6.30 P. M., Charles Barnes, aged 31 years, residing at No. 940 Race street, fell overboard at Pier 7 Delaware river; was rescued from drowning by Officer James Lynn, Delaware Harbor.
September 7.—At 2.15 P. M., a fire broke out at Ridgway Park, destroying the gas house, and doing considerable damage to other property; tug proceeded to the fire, went into service, and continued until the fire was out.
September 14.—At 5.30 P. M., discovered a dense smoke at Greenwich point; tug proceeded to the point; the smoke proved to be a fire at Logan, Emory & Weaver’s Linseed Oil Works; on account of the distance of the fire from the pier, tug did not get into service.
September 14.—At 8 P. M., George Greenwood, residing at the corner of Palethorp and Diamond streets, fell overboard at pier No. 7 South Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Delaware Harbor Police.
September 22.—Albert Clark was drowned off the tug-boat “Truro,’’ below Chester.
September 27.—At 11.40 P. M., a fire broke out in the building occupied by George Campbell, of the Odorless Excavating Company, on George street, south of Market, below Front street, Camden, N. J.; the flames spread with great rapidity, and soon communicated to the building occupied by D. H. Erdman, and other properties; tug proceeded to the fire, run out a line of hose, and did effective work, and continued in service some three hours.
October 22.—At 12.15 A. M., a fire broke out on William street, Port Richmond; tug proceeded to fire; it being under the control of the firemen, did not go into service.
October 24.—At 4 P. M., a fire broke out at Barber & Perkins’ store, No. 3 North Water street; tug proceeded to fire; the fire being under the control of the firemen, did not go into service.
November 4.—At 9.45 A. M., picked up the body of an unknown drowned man, floating in the river Delaware, opposite Queen street wharf; notified the Coroner.
November 8.—At 2 A. M., a fire broke out at Tunis’s Cooper Shop, Swanson street, above Queen street; tug proceeded to fire, went into service, and continued eight hours, doing effective work.
November 11.—James Gallon, aged 50 years, with no home, was drowned at Pier 9, North Delaware avenue; body recovered; Coroner notified.
November 23.—At 6 P. M., an old man, about 65 years of age, fell overboard at Pier 7, South Delaware avenue; was rescued from drowning by Delaware Harbor Police; he refused to give his name or residence.
November 28.—At 7.10 P. M., tug-boat “J. W. Cloud,” lying at Christian street wharf, took fire; tug proceeded to Christian street wharf; the fire not doing any amount of damage, tug did not go into service.
November 28.—At 8.20 P.M., the tug-boat “S.E. C. Shaw,” lying at Pine Street wharf, took fire; tug proceeded to the fire; the damage not amounting to much, did not go into service.
December 8.—At 3.15 P. M., tug proceeded to Tinicum Island, to grapple for the body of Clifton Melick; was not successful in recovering the body; returned to the city at 5.30 P. M.
December 9.—Tug down to Tinicum Island, to grapple for the body of Clifton Melick; was not successful in recovering it; returned to the city at 3.30 P. M.
December 10.—At 5.45 A. M., a fire broke out on Penn street below Pine street; tug proceeded to Pine Street wharf; the fire being under control, did not go into service.
December 11 and 13.—Tug down the river to Tinicum Island, to grapple for the body of Clifton Melick; did not succeed in recovering it.
December 13.—At 6.20 P. M., Edward Johnson…, aged 35 years, residing at Ninth and Bainbridge streets, fell overboard at Pier 8; was rescued from drowning by Officer John Betzold, of the Delaware Harbor Police.
December 18.—Tug down the river in search of the body of Clifton Melick; did not succeed in finding it.
Respectfully submitted,
GEORGE MOORE,
Lieutenant of Delaware Harbor Police.
If you’ve gotten this far and are interested in more, here’s a link to the 1884 report from the Schuylkill Harbor Police.