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Sawing-off of Manhattan Island

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359: 73:(although the press supposedly did not report on such pranks in that era) and no records have been found to confirm the existence of the individuals involved. This has led to speculation that the incident never occurred and the original report of the hoax was itself a hoax, which is the conclusion 58:. It was believed that by cutting the island, towing it out, rotating it 180 degrees, and putting it back in place that Manhattan would be stabilized, and that the thin part of the island could be condemned. The main concern was not the futility of the idea but of 49:
allegedly perpetrated in 1824, by a retired ship carpenter named Lozier. According to the story, in the 1820s a rumor began circulating among city merchants that the weight of the urban district was causing the southern section of
62:'s being in the way. Lozier finally assembled a large workforce and logistical support. At a massive groundbreaking ceremony, Lozier did not show up, but hid in 400: 424: 419: 298: 177: 334: 273:(reviewing literature and concluding that original claimed event likely did not occur, and the story of the hoax is a hoax itself) 318: 148: 434: 393: 124: 110: 211: 439: 429: 386: 153: 290: 82: 105: 294: 238: 194: 173: 17: 89:(1862), as conveyed by his uncle who was Lozier's supposed associate, and was told again in 51: 33: 235:
Scoundrels and Scallawags: 51 Stories of the Most Fascinating Characters of Hoax and Fraud
342: 370: 326: 144: 95: 90: 46: 413: 42: 256: 55: 38: 284: 59: 358: 74: 70: 366: 63: 242: 113:: 51 Stories of the Most Fascinating Characters of Hoax and Fraud 335:"Just a little spin of the land and our problem will be solved" 374: 104:). Another condensed retelling occurs in the 1960s 98:: Murder, Scandal, Riot and Mayhem in Old New York 394: 199:(full text online ed.). pp. 462–64. 8: 286:New York Sawed in Half: An Urban Historical 170:New York Sawed in Half: An Urban Historical 79:New York Sawed in Half: An Urban Historical 45:that is largely unverified. It describes a 401: 387: 81:(2001). The hoax was first documented in 319:"The Day They Almost Sawed Off Manhattan" 237:. The Reader's Digest Association. 1968. 136: 69:The story did not appear in any known 7: 355: 353: 25: 193:De Voe, Thomas F. De Voe (1862). 357: 100:(1934, reissued as a Sequel to 66:and did not return for months. 18:Sawing off of Manhattan Island 1: 373:. You can help Knowledge by 425:Hoaxes in the United States 210:De Voe, Thomas Farrington. 27:Purported 19th century hoax 456: 352: 168:Rose, Joel (May 4, 2001). 149:"Sawing Off Of Manhattan" 125:Lower Manhattan expansion 111:Scoundrels and Scallywags 420:History of New York City 85:'s (1811–1892) volume 369:-related article is a 77:suggests in his book, 291:Bloomsbury Publishing 435:19th-century hoaxes 283:Rose, Joel (2001). 263:. February 10, 2006 96:All Around The Town 172:. Bloomsbury USA. 54:to sink, near the 382: 381: 147:(April 3, 1956). 102:Gangs of New York 16:(Redirected from 447: 403: 396: 389: 361: 354: 346: 341:. Archived from 330: 325:. Archived from 305: 304: 280: 274: 272: 270: 268: 257:"I Saw New York" 253: 247: 246: 231: 225: 224: 222: 220: 207: 201: 200: 190: 184: 183: 165: 159: 158: 141: 83:Thomas F. De Voe 52:Manhattan Island 34:Manhattan Island 21: 455: 454: 450: 449: 448: 446: 445: 444: 410: 409: 408: 407: 350: 333: 317: 314: 312:Further reading 309: 308: 301: 282: 281: 277: 266: 264: 255: 254: 250: 233: 232: 228: 218: 216: 213:Feeding America 209: 208: 204: 196:The Market Book 192: 191: 187: 180: 167: 166: 162: 145:Asbury, Herbert 143: 142: 138: 133: 121: 106:Reader's Digest 87:The Market Book 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 453: 451: 443: 442: 440:Folklore stubs 437: 432: 427: 422: 412: 411: 406: 405: 398: 391: 383: 380: 379: 362: 348: 347: 345:on 2007-10-12. 331: 329:on 2007-09-27. 313: 310: 307: 306: 299: 275: 248: 226: 202: 185: 178: 160: 135: 134: 132: 129: 128: 127: 120: 117: 91:Herbert Asbury 47:practical joke 32:sawing-off of 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 452: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 430:Urban legends 428: 426: 423: 421: 418: 417: 415: 404: 399: 397: 392: 390: 385: 384: 378: 376: 372: 368: 363: 360: 356: 351: 344: 340: 336: 332: 328: 324: 320: 316: 315: 311: 302: 300:1-58234-098-6 296: 292: 288: 287: 279: 276: 262: 258: 252: 249: 244: 240: 236: 230: 227: 215: 214: 206: 203: 198: 197: 189: 186: 181: 179:9781582340982 175: 171: 164: 161: 156: 155: 150: 146: 140: 137: 130: 126: 123: 122: 118: 116: 114: 112: 107: 103: 99: 97: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 67: 65: 61: 57: 53: 48: 44: 43:New York City 40: 36: 35: 19: 375:expanding it 364: 349: 343:the original 339:nycap.rr.com 338: 327:the original 323:History Buff 322: 285: 278: 265:. Retrieved 260: 251: 234: 229: 217:. Retrieved 212: 205: 195: 188: 169: 163: 152: 139: 109: 101: 94: 86: 78: 68: 39:urban legend 31: 29: 219:October 14, 157:. Montreal. 154:The Gazette 60:Long Island 414:Categories 243:B000H35TCY 131:References 71:newspapers 267:April 30, 75:Joel Rose 367:folklore 119:See also 115:(1968). 93:'s work 64:Brooklyn 56:Battery 297:  261:Snopes 241:  176:  108:book, 41:about 37:is an 365:This 371:stub 295:ISBN 269:2009 239:ASIN 221:2010 174:ISBN 30:The 416:: 337:. 321:. 293:. 289:. 259:. 151:. 402:e 395:t 388:v 377:. 303:. 271:. 245:. 223:. 182:. 20:)

Index

Sawing off of Manhattan Island
Manhattan Island
urban legend
New York City
practical joke
Manhattan Island
Battery
Long Island
Brooklyn
newspapers
Joel Rose
Thomas F. De Voe
Herbert Asbury
All Around The Town
Reader's Digest
Scoundrels and Scallywags
Lower Manhattan expansion
Asbury, Herbert
"Sawing Off Of Manhattan"
The Gazette
ISBN
9781582340982
The Market Book
Feeding America
ASIN
B000H35TCY
"I Saw New York"
New York Sawed in Half: An Urban Historical
Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN

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