Book & Bottle "The Sinking of the Great Ship Lexington" with Bill Bleyer

The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound

Book and Bottle Lecture, with author BILL BLEYER. Saturday, January 11, 2025 - 1:00 PM.

Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes refreshments. Registration + non-refundable prepayment required. To register, call 631-727-2881 x100, or .

The author will have books available for sale and signing.

Complimenting our "Lexington" exhibit, maritime historian Bill Bleyer will detail the story of the steamboat Lexington--from its unique construction to its harrowing demise --along with discussions regarding the artifacts in the exhibit.

Commissioned by "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt as he built his maritime empire in New York, the Lexington was the fastest, most luxurious steamboat on Long Island Sound. On a bitter cold night in January 1840, a fire broke out that quickly spread throughout the wooden vessel. Lifeboats were overfilled and capsized, with rescue boats unable to respond in time. Only 4 of the more than 145 people on board survived after the vessel sank, northwest of Port Jefferson, by clinging to cotton bales, including second mate David Crowley who drifted for more than 40 hours until he came ashore in Riverhead. The disaster intensified the national debate about steamboat safety, and an image of the blaze launched the career of lithographer Nathaniel Currier. After initial salvage attempts, the wreck remained unseen until it was rediscovered by a team of divers in 1983.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A prizewinning staff writer for Newsday for 33 years specializing in history and maritime issues, Bill Bleyer retired in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and magazines.

Host or Publisher Suffolk County Historical Society