Zophar Mills was a fireboat operated by the Fire Department of New York City from 1883 to 1958.[1][2] She was the department's first iron-hulled vessel and had a pumping capacity of 6,000 US gal (23,000 L; 5,000 imp gal) per minute.[1][2]
According to some accounts, she was the first fireboat called to the burning of General Slocum, where over a thousand people died.[4] Other accounts say Abram S. Hewitt was the first fireboat to be dispatched.[1][2]
^ abc"SHIP GRAVEYARD, ROSSVILLE, Staten Island". Forgotten NY. Retrieved 2015-06-28. One of the rusting hulks, er, retired vessels is the fireboat Abram S. Hewitt, which was in active service from 1903-1958. The fireboat, named for NYC mayor Abram Stevens Hewitt (1822-1903) was built by New York Shipbuilding in Camden, NJ and launched the year the mayor died; she served in the NYC fireboat fleet until 1958. It was the last coal-burning fireboat in operation.