[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 8 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E99-E100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         IN HONOR OF THE FIREFIGHTING VESSEL ``JOHN J. HARVEY''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 6, 2002

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special 
tribute to John J. Harvey, the oldest and, now, most famous 
firefighting vessel on the Hudson River. On September 11, 2001, the 
crew of John J. Harvey demonstrated exceeding valor in aiding the 
rescue efforts of the New York City Fire Department.
  John J. Harvey was build seventy years ago in order to update and 
improve the New York City Fire Department's aging fleet of steam-
powered fireboats. The boat was the first vessel of its kind with 
internal combustion engines, a feature that gave John J. Harvey the 
capacity to pump 18,000 gallons of water a minute--twenty fire engines' 
worth--in streams up to twenty-five stories high.
  John J. Harvey served in New York Harbor until 1995, when it was 
taken out of service for budgetary reasons. During her years of 
outstanding service, she participated in some of the most memorable 
fire rescue missions in New York Harbor. She fought the inferno that 
destroyed the ocean liner Normandie and doused the flames on a sinking 
munitions boat. As part of the annual Fourth of July celebration, John 
J. Harvey shoots gushing streams of water high into the sky, forming an 
are through which passing ships can speed. As a result of her past 
deeds, she was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 
2000.
  Prior to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, John 
J. Harvey had been operated by her owners as a working fireboat museum 
giving free trips and educational tours up and down the Hudson River 
and at Pier 63 Maritime. As news of the disaster at the World Trade 
Center spread, the crew of John J. Harvey began racing towards Pier 63 
Maritime from all parts of New York. They recognized that the fireboat 
was uniquely suited to provide invaluable help to the FDNY and NYPD at 
this time of crisis.
  Once it arrived at the scene of the attack, John J. Harvey 
immediately began ferrying ash-caked survivors away from the collapsed 
buildings. A member of the crew later recalled how roughly 150 people 
hurled themselves over the gunwales, some leaving their shoes behind, 
in order to escape. As John J. Harvey was rescuing these people, a call 
came in from the Fire Department: They desperately needed water 
pressure.
  Upon hearing this request, the crew dropped off the survivors in 
safety at pier 40 and rushed John J. Harvey to the sea wall at the 
World Financial Center. As they started to rev up the water pumps on 
the boat, the crew recognized that they had a serious problem. Harvey's 
3-inch manifold valves, designed for providing water of a different 
diameter to the modern 2\1/2\ inch hose being used by FDNY. Nobody had 
any adapters. Tim Ivory, the boat's chief engineer, was under intense 
pressure knowing that many lives were dependant on Harvey to provide 
water quickly. He remembered that some of the water guns, designed for 
shooting water into the air, had nozzles that were 2\1/2\ inches in 
diameter. He cleverly improvised by taking a sledgehammer and jamming 
soda bottles and wood into the nozzles, so as to redirect the water 
into the hoses from the guns.
  John J. Harvey spend the next 80 hours pumping water to firefighters 
working in the wreckage. Since all of the fire hydrants west of the 
disaster site were not operational, John J. Harvey, along with the 
city's two remaining large fireboats, Fire-Fighter and McKean, provided 
much of the necessary water to fight the fires that continued to burn 
at the site of the World Trade Center.
  I particularly want to recognize the brave crew members of John J. 
Harvey. On the day of the attack, the following people rushed to the 
rescue: Chase B. Welles (who quickly recognized the need to be of 
service), Huntley Gill (who piloted the boat on 9/11), Tim Ivory (whose 
ingenuity saved the day), Tomas J. Cavallaro (who worked tirelessly to 
supply the crew) and Andrew Furber (Assistant Engineer, who helped 
rescue workers extract bodies and clear debris as a welder). Later that 
day they were joined by John Doswell, Jean Preece and Pamela Hepburn 
who helped rescue workers. The following morning Captain Robert Lenney 
(who spent 16 years as pilot of

[[Page E100]]

John J. Harvey when it served the FDNY and returned to service to help 
fight the fires at the World Trade Center for days on end) and Jessica 
DuLong (Assistant Engineer, who ensured constant smooth running of the 
engines) lent their valuable assistance to the effort. Throughout the 4 
days, they were supported by Darren Vigilant of tugboat Bertha, (who 
ferried supplies from Pier 63 Maritime) and by John Krevey and his team 
at Pier 63 Maritime (who provided an unending supply of provisions).
  John J. Harvey is once again docked at Pier 63 Maritime where 
visitors to New York can learn more about his heroic tale of a once 
scrap yard-destined firefighting vessel that came back to help save New 
York City.
  Mr. Speaker, I proudly salute the firefighting vessel John J. Harvey 
and her crew. May they be forever remembered for their courageous 
efforts on September 11, 2001.

                          ____________________