Introduction
Colburn Court, also known as Colburn Place, ran for half a block south from 222 Main Street in North Camden. By 1891 a two-story building had been built on Colburn Court. By 1906 this building had been remodeled into two homes, which were still occupied as late as 1947. By the late 1970s all trace of Colburn Court was gone.
Colburn Court derived its name from the man who owned the land and had the houses built there, Arthur T. Colburn, a prominent businessman in Philadelphia and a well-known yachtsman, who was drowned in 1901 in an accident that claimed several other lives, including two of his daughters. He also owned four lots in the 200 block of Main Street—218, 220, 220½, and 222 Main Street. After Colburn’s death the land and buildings on both Colburn Court and Main Street passed on to his daughter and her family, who still owned it as late as 1930.
Colburn Court — 1891 Sanborn Map
FIVE DROWNED IN YACHT
Yawl Venitzia of Philadelphia Lost Off Captain's Island.
OWNER, A. T. COLBURN, DEAD
His Two Daughters, the Skipper, and a Sailor the Other Victims of the Disaster.
Special to The New York Times.
NEW HAVEN, July 19.—The tug Gertrude brought into New Haven Harbor this morning the two survivors of a yachting party of seven and news of the worst yachting fatality that Long Island Sound has known in years. On board the Gertrude were Mrs. Walter J. Sprankle of Philadelphia and James Stanridge, while caught in the sunken wreck of the yacht Venitzia, off Captain’s Island, there are the bodies of Arthur T. Colburn, a wealthy Philadelphia spice manufacturer and owner of the yacht; his two daughters, Annette and Ida Elizabeth; Capt. Flint of Brooklyn, the skipper of the Venitzia, and an unknown sailor.
Stanridge was the steward of the Venitzia. When seen to-day he told of the awful experience from which he and Mrs. Sprankle were the sole survivors. He said the greatest praise was due to Capt. Brown of the Gertrude, and that if the tug had not come to their assistance at the very minute it did Mrs. Sprankle would have been drowned, as she was almost exhausted.
He blames Capt. Flint for the accident, and he says he knows Mr. Colburn advised the skipper to lower everything but the jib and jigger some time before the squall struck the Venitzia, but Capt. Flint declined to do so.
“We left Delaware City last Monday morning,” said Stanridge, “with seven persons aboard. The party consisted of Mr. Colburn, his two daughters, Mrs. Sprankle, Capt. Flint, Fred, (the sailor,) and myself. We reached Tompkinsville Tuesday night, and anchored there the next day. Yesterday morning the tug Rover towed us through Hell Gate. When we were out in Long Island Sound all sails were set, and, with sheets well started, we laid a course up the Sound.
“Shortly before 3 o’clock in the afternoon I began preparations for the dinner, which would have been served at 5 o’clock. I was at work in the galley forward. It was terribly hot, and the galley and forward companionway hatches were both open. While busy preparing the dinner I heard the party aft discussing the condition of the weather. Mr. Colburn said he thought a squall was brewing, and I am sure that he advised the skipper to shorten sail.”
The rest of the story is not quite so clear in the mind of the steward, whose trying experience seems to have unnerved him. He was busy about the gasoline cooking stove when a squall struck the Venitzia. The boat did not right, and the steward, who was thrown off his feet, scrambled to the forward companion way to see what had happened.
He had hardly reached the hatch when he heard the agonized screams of the women in the cabin. Capt. Flint, who was at the wheel when the squall struck the boat, was still at his post, while near him were Mr. Colburn and the sailor hand. They were all bewildered, and did not know which way to turn for safety. The starboard side of the yawl was buried deep in the water, which was rushing into the cabin through the open doors of the after-companionway.
The screams of the women continued, but the steward was unable to move a foot in their direction to render assistance. The Venitzia was settling by this time. Tons of water had poured into the cabin. The vessel was surely sinking, and the steward realized that no power on earth could keep her afloat.
Realizing that he could do nothing to help the other persons aboard, Stanridge jumped overboard just before the Venitzia was submerged. He is a good swimmer and struck out for a rope which he saw dangling from the mainsail, which by this time was partly under water. With a few swift strokes he neared the spot where he had seen the rope. As he reached his objective point he nearly lost heart when he saw the sail disappear under the waves. He groped blindly, trying to seize the rope, but could not find it.
As he turned he saw Mrs. Sprankle, who after a desperate struggle had forced her way out of the flooded cabin, strike out for the stern of the small boat, which was floating bottom up. At the same moment Stanbridge [sic] realized that the boat was his only hope. Mrs. Sprankle reached the boat first and seized the rudder. She was cool and answered, when Stanbridge told her to hang on for her life, "I am all right now."
The squall lasted for over half an hour. The overturned boat with Mrs. Sprankle and the steward clinging to it was tossed from wave to wave, but the heavy iron davits kept it from turning over. Had it overturned it would surely have filled with water and gone down.
Help came an hour later, and Mrs. Sprankle and Stanridge were taken aboard the Gertrude and cared for.
The Gertrude brought the two to this city, where Mrs. Sprankle communicated with her husband, Walter J. Sprankle of 519 York Street, Philadelphia, and was then taken to a hotel. It was necessary to call medical attendance on account of her exhausted condition. She remained in her apartments, seeing no one, until the arrival of her husband, and she declines to discuss her experience. Mr. Sprankle stated to-night that he had made arrangements with a New York wrecking company to raise the yacht, but that divers would first be sent down to explore the cabin in the hope of locating the bodies.
The Venitzia was a yawl-rigged yacht, 54 feet water line, and 63 feet over all. She was built in 1880 and was elaborately furnished. She was on her way to Newport to join the fleet of the Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia there.
While the committee tug Raymond, belonging to the Larchmont Yacht Club, was removing the eastern mark yesterday Capt. Wray saw the topmast of the sunken yacht Venitzia close by. The Philadelphia Corinthian Yacht Club flag was flying from the truck.
The yacht lies in about 60 feet of water. These bearings were taken to assist in locating her: Stamford Light, northeast by east about four miles; Captain’s Island Light, north-northwest about two and one-half miles. The Venitzia lies almost in the course of the New York and New Haven passenger steamers.
Colburn Court — 1906 Sanborn Map
Colburn Court, 1906 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. By 1906 the original two-story building had been divided into two separate homes.
Colburn Court — Addresses
City directory records, 1947–1950.
220-1/3 Colburn Court (aka 220 Main Street Rear)
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947–1950 | Mrs. Mary Collins |
222-1/4 Colburn Court (aka 220 Main Street Rear)
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Mrs. Anna M. Mulholland |
Five Drowned in Yacht
New York Times —
New Haven, July 19.—The tug Gertrude brought into New Haven Harbor this morning the two survivors of a yachting party of seven and news of the worst yachting fatality that Long Island Sound has known in years. On board the Gertrude were Mrs. Walter J. Sprankle of Philadelphia and James Stanridge, while caught in the sunken wreck of the yacht Venitzia, off Captain’s Island, there are the bodies of Arthur T. Colburn, a wealthy Philadelphia spice manufacturer and owner of the yacht; his two daughters, Annette and Ida Elizabeth; Capt. Flint of Brooklyn, the skipper of the Venitzia, and an unknown sailor.
The party of seven left Delaware City last Monday morning. In Long Island Sound with all sails set a squall struck. Capt. Flint was at the wheel; Mr. Colburn and the sailor were near him. The starboard side was buried deep in water rushing into the cabin through the open doors, the vessel settling fast.
As Mrs. Sprankle forced her way out of the flooded cabin, she struck out for the stern of the small boat, which was floating bottom up, and reached it first, seizing the rudder. Stanbridge, realizing the boat was his only hope, told her to hang on for her life; she answered, “I am all right now.” The overturned boat, with Mrs. Sprankle and the steward clinging to it, was tossed from wave to wave for over half an hour, but the heavy iron davits kept it from turning over. Help came an hour later and both were taken aboard the Gertrude and cared for.
The Gertrude brought the two survivors to New Haven, where Mrs. Sprankle communicated with her husband, Walter J. Sprankle of Philadelphia, and was taken to a hotel to recover from her exhausted condition. Mr. Sprankle stated that he had made arrangements with a New York wrecking company to raise the yacht, with divers to first explore the cabin in the hope of locating the bodies.
The Venitzia was a yawl-rigged yacht, 54 feet on the water line, 63 feet overall, built 1880, and lies in about 60 feet of water off Captain’s Island, almost in the course of the New York and New Haven passenger steamers.
The Late Arthur T. Colburn
New York Times —
Philadelphia, July 19.—Arthur T. Colburn, who was sixty-seven years old, was President of one of the largest tea and spice firms in the United States, and was reputed to be worth about $1,000,000. He was born in Ansonia, Conn., and early in life learned the trade of machinist and established an agricultural implements manufactory at Delaware City, Del. This plant was destroyed by fire in 1856, and Mr. Colburn then engaged in the tea business at 223 and 225 Arch Street, Philadelphia. In 1882 he moved to 110 North Second Street. In 1884 the business was incorporated, and Mr. Colburn became head of the company. He was an active member of the Trades League, the Union League, and the Corinthian Yacht Club.
Mr. Colburn had been an enthusiastic yachtsman for thirty years. In 1871 he was much broken in health, and was advised to take a voyage on a sailing vessel, which he did. The trip so benefited him that he resolved to own his own craft. He owned several vessels before the Venitzia. This is the second casualty to occur in the course of the present cruise of the Corinthian Yacht Club. The first was the drowning of Francis Fisher, who was on the yacht Spalpeen owned by his uncle, Herbert Riddle. The Spalpeen came into collision with the yacht Benefactor. Mr. Fisher, who was on deck at the time, leaped into the rigging to escape danger. After the Benefactor had backed off, he attempted to jump to the deck, but fell into the sea and was accidentally run down by the Benefactor.