Notorious LI Tragedy Explored In New Book By Bill Bleyer

Lauren Feldman

lfeldman@antonmediagroup.com

One author — Bayville’s Bill Bleyer — is trying to change this, revitalizing the history of the Lexington in his new book, The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound.

Bleyer has published five previous works with History Press. His books have explored Long Island and its history, ranging from the Fire Island Lighthouse to George Washington’s Setauket spy ring during the Revolutionary War. In this latest book, he is back again to bring readers the story of the Lexington from its conception and construction to its sinking, the subsequent legal cases which ensued, as well as modern day efforts to research and rescue remains of the ship — which still sits nestled along the floor of the Sound. Considering that Long Island is rampant with boats used for transportation, business and enjoyment alike, many locals are unaware of the maritime travel around Long Island and the rocky waves of its past. The Lexington was a paddlewheel steamboat, commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt, that transported both passengers and cargo across the Long Island Sound between 1835 and 1840. Sailing the Sound was actually quite difficult at the time, as Bleyer explains, because the body of water — about 100 miles long and up to 20 miles wide — could become quite rough. Another complication was fog, a constant companion to travelers on these temperamental waters.

Bleyer’s work is incredibly thorough in its coverage of the four survivors of the Lexington; Chester Hillard, Stephen Manchester, Charles Buckingham Smith, and David Crowley. Each of these men receives a riveting recounting of their stories, from escaping the boat to their subsequent journey on the Sound, as well as when and how they were finally rescued. Bleyer, true to his historian lens, does not make heroes or villains of these men, and instead provides intimate detail which makes a reader feel as though they are being rescued alongside each victim.

Following the disaster was also a lengthy court case, and Bleyer gives this part of the story its due time and attention. For as sensational as the sinking itself has been in other forms of media, not as much focus has been turned to the confusion and suspicions which surrounded the early weeks of the sinking. Several chapters are devoted to unraveling this mystery, including statement records and court logs directly from the trial.

Central to the story of the

Lexington was the role of the media. Conflicting reports left many people confused on what was happening at the time, and for a while afterwards. This conflict is a central focus in Bleyer’s book, and offers not just a commentary on the disaster, but a meta-commentary on the role news plays in reporting on disaster, and how disparate reports impeded the case and finding answers for those impacted. This theme coincides with the lithograph of the sinking, which sensationalized the story — both for good and bad — and rocketed the public imagination into even more gruesome territory. Bleyer features nearly 20 pages of photographs, including the original lithograph which sparked such controversy at the time of the disaster. Also included are scan images of the wreck in the modern day, as recovery efforts of the ship have now resumed since the tragedy.

This book is not for the faint of heart; it requires a passion for Long Island’s history, and a knowledge of — or an excitement to learn — the terminology of steamboats. Patient readers will be rewarded, however, with a fascinating exploration of a long-underappreciated, life-changing moment in Long Island’s history. Bleyer truly provides an all-encompassing work on this tragedy and the legacy it left behind.

Word Find

Horoscopes

HOROSCOPES By

HOROSCOPES By Holiday Mathis

Holiday Mathis

By Holiday Mathis

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have pleted the puzzle, there will be 14 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle.

International Word Find International Word Find

International Word Find

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You take hold of your mood and send it up and up. ough every emotion has its purpose, some are best experienced ever so brie y. Some feelings are like kryptonite to your superpowers. You’ll note the e ect and move from the source to process the information -- or lesson, if there is one -- from a distance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Many wouldn’t think to work on their own attitude because they assume their own reactions are correct. You have the awareness that there are many ways to see and respond to life beyond what might come naturally to you. You’ll pause to select a perspective that empowers aligning your attitude with your aspirations.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Other people cannot write your dreams for you, but how they will try this week! As much as they assign you their own ambitions, the only one who can sing your soul is you. It requires the trying of new things until you nd the match that makes your mind quick and your spirit bright.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). What would you do for your beloved? ink about the level of support, understanding and compassion you would extend. Are you o ering this to yourself? It’s not enough to allow yourself room to grow. Give yourself the resources, too, and while you’re at it, a ord yourself the grace to make mistakes.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). e end of an option isn’t necessarily a loss. ough it may have been something you really wanted, do not grasp at the door as it closes -- you’ll only get pinched ngers. Instead, trust life and set your gaze to higher, more interesting and exciting views. New opportunity is imminent.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Inside you is a shy child and a bold explorer and they are equally able to e ectively navigate the world, one with the caution that has kept the species alive for hundreds of thousands of years and the other with the verve that has done the same. ere is no wrong way to be this week. Embrace your polarities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s a funny thing about humans. We tend to attribute other people’s behavior to their disposition, and yet we believe our own behavior springs from the circumstances at hand. You’ll take full responsibility for your perspective this week as you nd the attitude that lifts you above the obstacles in play.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You don’t have to be a people-pleaser categorically to recognize that giving people what they want is often the easiest, smartest and all-around most satisfying way to go. You’re exceedingly clever and yet it will still be hard to deduce what the others are expecting. is is a good week to, instead of guessing, just ask.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re at the point in a project when no one else can gure it out like you can, so it’s better not to ask for feedback yet. If you got praise, it might hinder your progress, causing you to relax. And if you got criticism, it could be discouraging. Trust what you’re learning from the work itself.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). People like you and want to impress you or in uence you, so they o er their advice. You bene t from being receptive and appreciative in the moment, and then doing whatever you want. ey are looking for your approval, not your follow-through. e most exceptional ideas will emerge from your own creative mind.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). ough moods, like weather, are out of your control, you’ll be brilliant at positioning yourself to make the most of them. When it’s emotionally sunny, you get out and enjoy it. With worse climates you suit up, shelter or escape accordingly. You keep getting better at navigating shifts of state.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Self-esteem is dynamic and you’ll experience its complex wobble in the di erent groups and environments you roll through this week. You can accept and like yourself fundamentally and still feel unsuited for certain tasks and situations. Be brave, advocate for yourself and believe in your resilience.

THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS

Your professional life extends in a new direction. You’re kissed by muses and you’ll focus your abundant creative energy on building what’s beautiful, useful, clever and necessary. Instead of working with the usual suspects, you branch out, invigorating your projects and attracting new customers and fans. More highlights: You’ll succeed with a fresh investment style. You’ll help family with an important passage. And this social phenomenon: One minute you’re strangers, and then an instant and constant connection... like magic! COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM

Cattle farming

Solution: 14 Letters Agist

Word Find

This is a theme puzzle with the subject stated below. Find the listed words in the grid. (They may run in any direction but always in a straight line. Some letters are used more than once.) Ring each word as you find it and when you have completed the puzzle, there will be 14 letters left over. They spell out the alternative theme of the puzzle. Cattle

FROM KING FEATURES SYNDICATE, 300 W. 57th STREET, 41st FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 236

CONTRACT BRIDGE — BY STEVE BECKER FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2023

Contract Bridge

By Steve Becker

More than meets the eye

your last trump, and discards his deuce of hearts on the jack of clubs to make the contract.

You might go on to the next deal without giving the matter further thought, but the fact remains that you could have stopped South from making his game. Instead of discarding a heart on the third round of diamonds, you should have ruffed your partner’s ace and returned a trump!

Had you done this, South would have found it impossible to make the contract. Your trump return would have killed one of dummy’s vital entries before declarer could cash his A-K of clubs, and he eventually would have lost a heart trick to go down one.

Assume you hold the West hand and lead your singleton diamond against four spades. East wins with the jack and continues with the K-A, on which you discard first the seven and then the four of hearts.

East obediently returns a low heart, but declarer goes up with the ace, cashes the A-K of clubs, leads a trump to dummy’s eight, ruffs a club, leads a trump to dummy’s queen and ruffs another club. South then crosses to the ace of spades, simultaneously drawing

Trumping partner’s ace is, of course, a spectacular and unusual play, but it makes a lot of sense here — if you stop to think about it. To begin with, it’s a play that can’t cost you a thing, since the trump you are wasting is of no earthly use to you.

More important than that is the 100% certainty that if South has a heart or club loser in his hand, it will be utterly impossible for him to avoid losing that trick — provided you trump your partner’s ace at trick three and return a trump at trick four to guard against the hand South actually has.

Weekly Sudoku Puzzle

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

Answer

To Advertise here call 516-403-5170 • Email

Announcements Employment

***AAA*** AUTO BUYERS $Highest$ Ca$h Paid$. All Years/ Conditions! WE VISIT YOU! Or Donate, Tax Deduct + Ca$h. DMV ID#1303199. Call LUKE 516-VAN-CARS. 516-297-2277

Drive Out Breast Cancer: Donate a car today! The benefits of donating your car or boat: Fast Free Pickup - 24hr Response Tax Deduction - Easy To Do! Call 24/7: 855-905-4755

COMPANIONS / ELDERCARE

Gentle. Optimistic. Experienced with many medical conditions and kinds of people.

Families have told me I created a lovely environment, one they never could have hoped for.

Please call Grace 917-499-9520.

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 844-947-0192 (M-F 8am-6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR WANTED

Will Certify & train, Co. Car. New York State License

3 yrs clean.

High School Diploma

Seniors Welcome

Call 516-731-3000

241836 M

If you are interested in opportunities to work in a beautiful setting that provides residents with excellent care in a warm and friendly environment, this may be the long-term job you’ve been looking for. Competitive benefit package for full and part-time employees.

Hiring

EXPERIENCED HHA/Med Tech

If you are looking for a position to supplement your income, we are hiring MedTechs for 1,2 or 3 day shifts for Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. PER-DIEM AS WELL AS FULL OR PART-TIME. Various shifts available

FOOD SERVICE

Full/Time Experienced Prep/Cook/Kitchen Utility. Per Diem Dining Room Server.

RECREATION TEAM

2 RECREATION ASSISTANTS

If you are creative and love working with the elderly this may be the job of your dreams. It could be crafts, music, painting - even storytelling. (FT/PT), experience helpful, but willing to train.

94 School Street, Glen Cove (516) 674-3007 ext. 118

Email resume to Silvana@Regencyglencove.com

Visit our

HEALTH / WELLNESS

HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-598-5898

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 855-413-9574

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636

Home Services

BEST SATELLITE TV with 2 Year Price Guarantee! $59.99/mo with 190 channels and 3 months free premium movie channels! Free next day installation! Call 888-508-5313

DIRECTV. New 2-Year Price Guarantee. The most live MLB games this season, 200+ channels and over 45,000 on-demand titles. $84.99/mo for 24 months with CHOICE Package. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24. 1-866-595-6967

ARE YOU BEHIND $10k OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-869-5361 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST)

AKM Construction Services, 2208 Jericho Tpke, New Hyde Park, NY 11040

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 855-543-6440. (M-F 8am6pm ET). Computer with internet is required.

ADVERTISE HERE CALL 516-403-5170

Pro Piano Man

Tuning,

STEAM from page 6 would often spend an hour at the Mineola station to experience just such a view. On those Sunday afternoon outings, we would frequently be joined on the platform by others with the same fascination, standing at trackside, waiting.

The show would always be heralded by the lowering of the Main Street gates. Occasionally, we would be disappointed by a false alarm (electric train), but usually, our patience would be rewarded. We could feel the ground tremble underfoot as the event unfolded. The huge, black locomotive with its string of red coaches presented a threatening yet graceful image as it slowly passed just a few feet from our vantage point. The rails would sink slightly under the weight and, to the sound of metal brakes scraping against metal wheels, all motion would come to a halt.

Even while stopped, the engine had an amazing presence. Diesels rumbled and electrics hummed, but these magnificent machines actually breathed! As we stood and felt the heat from the boiler and inhaled the aroma of the coal fire, we marveled at what appeared to be a plumbing supply house on wheels. Pipes ran in every direction. Steam hissed and water dripped from several sources.

After a brief pause, the performance would continue. With almost imperceptible motion, the complex array of piston rods would gradually exert their force against the huge driving wheels. This would be accompanied by a single, authoritative “CHUFF!” As the train started rolling, repeated chugging would evolve into a four-beat pattern that matched each revolution of the drive wheels. Occasionally, the tempo and the wheels would briefly accelerate as traction was lost, and then quickly recovered. A growing cloud of smoke and steam from the smoke stack would block out the sun. The colder the outdoor temperature, the thicker the cloud, hence the better the show. Although diesel power replaced these engines more than a half-century ago, two of them have struggled to remain on Long Island. The one that stood for many years at Salisbury (now Eisenhower) Park was moved to Mitchell Field and now rests, disassembled, at Oyster Bay. The other is slowly undergoing restoration at the Riverhead station. For any of my fellow train