J. R. Coleman
Lumber Barge · United States · Lost November 1904; reported as "Wednesday night" before the November 14, 1904 newspaper account. · Hudson River
Said to be the oldest lumber barge still working the Hudson, the aging J. R. Coleman burned and settled into the riverbed above Albany's upper bridge.
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The Vessel and Her Loss
Built around 1836, the barge J. R. Coleman spent more than half a century hauling cargo on the Hudson River and was, by 1904, described as the river's oldest working lumber barge. Some years after a thorough overhaul, she was towed to the east bank of the river above Albany's upper bridge and allowed to settle into the mud. In November 1904 she caught fire overnight and burned to the waterline, becoming a submerged wreck at the site.
Vessel
- 1836
- Not established
- Not established
- Wood
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- Not established
- None (towed barge)
- P. J. Cole, Watervliet, New York
Loss
- November 1904; reported as "Wednesday night" before the November 14, 1904 newspaper account.
- Fire
- Hudson River, east bank above the upper bridge at Albany
- Hudson River
- Not established
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The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Reported as a submerged wreck on the river's east bank above the upper bridge at Albany after burning to the water's edge.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Albany, New York
Evidence
Overall confidence: Sparsely documented (48/100)
The barge's builder, dimensions, and exact date of the fire are not established in the sources reviewed.
Kingston Daily Freeman, 14 November 1904, via Hudson River Valley Heritage Historical Newspapers
Vessel age, owner, location, and cause of loss.
