James Howard Van Pelt

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James Howard Van Pelt
James Howard Van Pelt.jpg
Pilot James Howard Van Pelt
Born(1857-02-24)February 24, 1857
Stapleton, Staten Island, US
DiedSeptember 19, 1915(1915-09-19) (aged 58)
Staten Island, US
NationalityUnited States American
Occupationharbor pilot
Spouse(s)Petra Gertrude Jacobson
Children1

James Howard Van Pelt (February 24, 1857 – September 19, 1915) was a 19th-century New York Sandy Hook Pilot. He is best known for being a Sandy Hook pilot for forty years. He lost his life while boarding a Standard Oil tanker outside Sandy Hook. His father, Howard Van Pelt, was also a Sandy Hook pilot and lost his life in a similar way.

Early life[]

Howard Van Pelt

James H. Van Pelt was born Stapleton, Staten Island, in 1857. His father was Howard Van Pelt and his mother was Margaret M. Perry. He was married to Petra Gertrude Jacobson on April 23, 1892. They had one child.[1][2]: p3 

Van Pelt was fifteen when he helped his father sail a four masted schooner safely into the Brooklyn docks.[3] His father was knocked overboard when the hawser parted and struck him in the chest while towing the bark Ukraine.

Career[]

James H. Van Pelt was in the pilot service for forty years without a single accident.[2] He received his pilots' license in 1888.[4]

On July 20, 1942, his cousin, Frank P. Van Pelt, a Sandy Hook Pilot, died at age 81 in Staten Island.[5][2]: p42 

Death[]

On September 19, 1915, James H. Van Pelt, at age 58, died while boarding a Standard Oil tanker No. 95, outside Ambrose Light during rough weather. He was on the pilot boat Sandy Hook when he slipped from the ladder trying to board the barge and hit his head on the pilot boat's yawl. Funeral services were at his residence in Brooklyn and the next day at the St. Patrick's Church, Fort Hamilton. He was buried at the Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.[6][3]

Van Pelt was a member of the Elks and a member of the St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church. His wife and daughter were still living at the time of his death.[3][2]: pXVI 

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "United States Census, 1910". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  2. ^ a b c d Allen, Edward L. (1922). Pilot Lore; From Sail to Steam, and Historical Sketches of the Various Interests Identified With the Development of the World's Greatest Port. The United New York and New Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Benevolent Associations.
  3. ^ a b c "Pilot Falls To Death Boarding An Oil Barge". The Sun. New York, New York. 20 Sep 1915. p. 12. Retrieved 14 Apr 2021.
  4. ^ "Pilot Dies On Ladder". The Sun. The New York Times. 20 Sep 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 14 Apr 2021.
  5. ^ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  6. ^ "Pilot Van Pelt Buried In Greenwood Cemetery". The Daily Standard Union. Brooklyn, New York. 22 Sep 1915. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
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