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13 August 2004Fireboat points up river's need for docks
by Crystal Quarles
The smell of fuel reeked through the rusting metal interior and exterior, but the strength showcased in the performance of the 73-year-old John J. Harvey fireboat still attracted a crowd.
"Just the idea of seeing something so old in running condition is worth coming to see," said Ernest Lindmark, who came to watch the boat at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie during his lunch break Thursday. "And it's made of real stuff, real metal. Its origin, everything, is old and good."
 Kathy McLaughlin/Journal The John J. Harvey fireboat heads to dock at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie Thursday. |
Built in 1931, the John J. Harvey drew recognition after it was brought out of its 1994 retirement by the New York City fire department to help fight the fires at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. It has capacity to pump 18,000 gallons of water per minute and can shoot water more than 150 feet. It is among the most powerful fireboats ever in service and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Huntley Gill, one of the 14 boat enthusiasts who bought the fireboat at auction in 1999 for their nonprofit group, said people ignore the importance of the river that helped establish New York's towns and villages. His group, Save Our Ships New York, uses the fireboat to remind them.
"A lot of people have turned their backs on the river," Gill said. "We try to make stops to help remind them why the towns are here, but a lot of towns we can't go into because they don't have docks any more."
When the nonprofit organization purchased the ship, they didn't know how important it was, Gill said. But as they learned more, it evolved into a treat for the whole community.
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and Save Our Ships New York have been working together since 1999 to launch the "Blue Links" campaign to resuscitate and rebuild the waterfront infrastructure that once lined the Hudson River. Since then, raising awareness of the importance of the historic vessels of New York has succeeded through trips up the Hudson.
"It was awesome," said 15-year-old Jose Simms. "There was a lot of water at the beginning and the end. It was awesome how it splashed down on everybody."
Crystal Quarles can be reached at cquarles@poughkeepsiejournal.com
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