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Thousands flock to the beautiful coastline along Penobscot Bay every year, but the dark sea has often turned treacherous. Temperamental skies become stormy without notice; violent gales challenge even the most seasoned captains. Craggy rocks can be virtually invisible to oncoming vessels, like the Alice E. Clark, which simply strayed off course in good weather. Other ships, like the Governor Bodwell and Royal Tar, were destroyed by fire. But not all of the ships were a total loss--some were repaired and resumed life under different names. Local author Harry Gratwick explores some of Penobscot Bay's most historic and dramatic shipwrecks, from what caused the wrecks to what happened during those fateful moments when the ships were going down.

Beginning in the mid-1800s, steamboats carried people between New York City and the Albany area on the Hudson River. Romantic images lull us into believing it was a quiet means of travel, but a crowded river, faulty equipment and the bravado of the captains resulted in at least one major catastrophe every year. Night boats collided and sank, carelessness caused boiler explosions, races put passengers at risk and fires would quickly swallow the wooden vessels. The grand Empire of Troy suffered many collisions. The Swallow broke in two on a rock, Reindeer's explosion took forty lives at once and the Oregon and C. Vanderbilt entered into an epic and dangerous race. Collected from eyewitness accounts, these are some of the most exciting and frightening stories of peril aboard steamboats on the Hudson River.