History of Staten Island, New York, USA

Staten Island, in New York bay, 5 or 6 miles S. W. from the city, is separated from New Jersey by Staten Island sound, and from Long Island by the Narrows, is about 14 miles long, and from 4 to 8 miles wide, constitutes the county of Richmond, and forms the southern extremity of the state. (See Richmond County, N. Y.) The northern portion of it, denominated Richmond Hill, rises from either shore into a beautifully rounded elevation, 307 feet above the level of the sea. This is occupied with many splendid mansions, and surrounded with the most enchanting scenery. A marine telegraph has been erected on a hill, near the Narrows. On a bluff, the E. side of the island, 10 miles N. N. W. from Sandy Hook, stands the Prince's Bay lighthouse, exhibiting ! a fixed light having 11 lamps, 29 feet 11 inches from its base, and 106 feet 11 inches above the level of the sea. Steam ferries connect Staten island with New York, and boats from Newark touch at different landings on the N. side.

This county was organized Nov. 1, 1683. It includes Staten Island, Shooters Island, and the islands of the meadow in Staten Island Sound. It is separated from Long Island by New York Bay, the Narrows, and New York Harbor; from Bergen, N. J. by the Kil Van Kull; and from N. J. on the w. by the Arthur Kil, or Staten Island Sound. Staten Island is nearly oval-shaped, its longest diameter extending N. E. and s. w. It is 14 mi. long by 8 broad, has an area of 58½ sq. mi., and is centrally distant 146 mi. from Albany. Princess Bay and Great Kils are small bays upon the s. shore. Fresh Kils is a tidal estuary extending about 3 mi. inland from Staten Island Sound, and during high tide it is navigable nearly its whole extent. The surface of the co. is mostly level or gently undulating. A broad range of hills extends from the Narrows across the island, terminating between the branches of the Fresh Kils. Near Tompkinsville these hills attain an elevation of 310 ft. They are composed of granitie...

The heavy and rather unusual spring fog which enveloped bay and river to-day was responsible for two serious collisions in the harbor, in one of which one man was killed and in the other a hundred or more passengers were carried down with the tide on an almost helpless ferryboat, but were later rescued uninjured in a panic stricken condition. The crash resulting in a fatality occurred at a little before 11 o'clock between the steam yacht AILEEN and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Company's ferryboat, MIDDLETOWN. Near Governor's Island the yacht's bowsprit smashed the starboard side of the Middletown and J. C. ATTERBURY of Manor Road, West New Brighton, Staten Island, who was sitting in the men's cabin, was instantly killed.

The Middletown left St. George, S. I., at 10:20 o'clock for her slip at South Ferry. The bay was covered with a dense fog and her whistle was blown repeatedly. Everything went smoothly until after Bay Ridge was passed, when Captain CATTERMOLE noticed a steam...

Stat'en Island, the southernmost part of New York state and of New York city, of which latter it constitutes the borough of Richmond. It is 13 miles long and is 5 miles SW. of the extremity of Manhattan Island. It is separated from Long Island by the Narrows, and from New Jersey by two narrow channels called Staten Island Sound (or Arthur Kill) and Kill van Kull, the latter of which connects New York Bay with Newark Bay. The surface is moderately hilly, rising to a little over 300 feet (Grimes Hill ), and presents diversified and beautiful scenery. There are many fine mansions and villas. The largest village on the island is New Brighton, which is on the northern shore. Forts Tompkins and Wadsworth, situated on or near the Narrows, defend the entrance to New York city. Area, 63 sq. m. Pop. in 1900, 67,000.

Thirty-one persons were injured last night, two seriously, when a steel trolley car on the Richmond Light and Railway Company was derailed on the curve at Richmond Turnpike and Jewett Avenue, Castleton Corners, S. I., by the failure of the airbrakes. The momentum of the car was so great that it left the track and ran about 200 feet before it overturned.

When LOUIS SCHALZO, the motorman, found that the airbreaks had failed he sized the emergency handbrake and tried to stop the car, but it had gathered such speed that his effort failed. He shouted to the passengers to leave the car, and JOHN HAYWARD, the conductor, tried to operate the air apparatus to open the doors, but it would not work. The crash threw one end of the car from the trucks, broke all the windows, and unloosened seats, so that none of the thirty-one passengers escaped injury. After the car had turned over policemen had to break open the steel cars with crowbars to release the passengers.

Those seriously injured in ...