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                          CAPTAIN JOHN VAN ALSTYNE
                          
              Captain John Van Alsytne, who left the schooner
              W. I. Preston at Buffalo a few weeks ago, died
              at Oswego on the 26th of October, aged sixty-
              five years.  He was suffering from kidney trouble,
              and rapidly grew worse after reaching home.  
              Buffalo papers have the story of his sailor life
              about as follows:  It began in 1836 when he shipped
              at Oswego as a cook on the schooner Eagle.  In 1838
              he was a sailor on the Robert Burns.  In the fall 
              of 1839 he went to New York and shipped on the brig
              Excelsior for Savannah.  Remaining on the ocean till
              1842, he returned to Oswego and went on the propeller
              Vandalla, the first screw steamer on fresh water.
              In 1844 he was mate of the schooner Josephine, and
              in 1845 he took command of his first vessel, the
              Morselle.  After that he successively sailed the
              Moses and Elias, Josephine, Odd Fellow, Hungarian,
              Monitor, Emau, G. C. Finney, and in 1872 the W. I.
              Preston, on which he remained till a few days ago.
              In 1854 he lost the only vessel in his long career,
              the Odd Fellow, being driven on the North Manitou
              in a snow storm and totally destroyed.  In 1855 he
              handled a tug at Oswego, and was customs inspector
              for three years from 1858.  From 1860 to 1872 he
              commanded a variety store in Oswego.  It is stated
              that Captain Van Alstyne never used a barometer, a
              spirit compass or patent log.  He always relied on
              his judgment and seldom made a mistake.  He held
              the office of justice of the peace at Oswego when
              he died.


SOURCE: The Marine Record, Cleveland, OH, 3 Nov 1887, page 4