The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington

Bill Bleyer, author of The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington: Long Island’s Worst Maritime Disaster, will discuss the 1840 fire and sinking in Long Island Sound that claimed the lives of all but four of the up to 150 people on board. The survivors escaped by using cotton bales as life rafts with one drifting for 40 hours in subfreezing weather before landing in Riverhead.  The disaster became a milestone in journalism history because young lithographer Nathaniel Currier rushed to make an image of the fire for the New York Sun, which put out extra editions using the illustration, one of the first times a daily newspaper had an illustration with a breaking news story. The loss of the Lexington also led to an important Supreme Court decision and helped lead to tougher safety regulations for steamboats.

All welcome!