COLUMN
Looking back at the great summer of 1888
The Greater Astoria
Historical Society presents
pages from the Long Island
Star Journal.
Welcome to August
1888!
It was a sweltering
August day, the gentle
breezes and cool Atlantic
waves providing scant relief
to the crowds gathered at
Brosnahan’s Seaside House
on Rockaway Beach. Their
gazes were fixed skyward,
a small speck over a mile
above their heads the
focus of all eyes. A nervous
anticipation settled over
onlookers as they awaited
what happened next: a
small, barely discernible
human form emerged
from a hot air balloon
and leapt from the basket,
plummeting toward the
ocean depths as young and
old, man and woman alike
gasped in horror. Professor
Hogan, who came all the
way from Michigan for the
stunt, pulled the ripcord on
his parachute and coasted
safely earthward, much
to the relief of spectators.
The summer of 1888 was
in full swing in Queens. It
was a time of innocent fun,
spectacular stunts and
serendipitous discovery.
Professor Hogan made
his daring leaps twice
weekly that summer, on
Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Long Island Weekly
Star touted his deathdefying
plunges as “The
most thrilling leaps ever
made!!!” New Yorkers
f locked to the beaches,
yacht clubs and beer halls
of Queens seeking escape
from the August heat and
the monotony of a six day
work week. Young men
strolled with ladies on their
arms, hoping for summer
romance. The laughter of
children filled the never
ending days.
The timeless call of
the outdoors lured many
not content with mere
picnicking and beach going.
Sport filled the summer
days of many youngsters in
Queens. A four-oared crew
from the Astoria Athletic
club proudly represented
the borough in the Long
Island Regatta, while the
Williamsburg Yacht Club
renovated its clubhouse
for its members, who spent
their summer days sailing
in the waters near College
Point. In baseball, the
Comets of Queens bested
Harlem’s Lafayette squad
by a score of 11-7, breaking
a 14 game win streak for
the Harlem nine.
In the days before movies,
residents of Astoria were
treated to Hollywood-style
suspense and intrigue,
complete with white collar
crime and police pursuit
through the streets.
On August 23rd, Secret
Service detectives staked
out the house of Joseph
Raffono on Crescent Street.
Raffono, along with an
accomplice named Bettini,
were suspected of printing
counterfeit money to sell
or spend in local stores.
When officers Sullivan
and Higgins of the First
Precinct happened upon
the scene, they arrested
the undercover detectives
thinking they were about
to break into the house.
After sorting out the case
of mistaken identity at the
Precinct, the police and
Secret Service returned to
the scene in full force and
arrested Raffono. Bettini
f led the scene only to be
captured at the 92nd Street
Ferry, about to board a
boat for Manhattan. He
was found armed with a .44
caliber Bulldog revolver,
the same type of weapon
used to shoot President
James Garfield seven years
earlier.That’s the way it
was in August 1888!
For further info, call the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society at 718-278-0700 or
www.astorialic.org.
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