The British steamship London sailed from Gravesend in England for Australia with a full cargo, 163 passengers and 89 crew on December 13, 1865.  After several delays due to bad weather, she reached the Bay of Biscay on January 10, 1866 and encountered violent seas. The overloaded ship foundered and sank the following day with the loss of all but nineteen of those aboard. (By John Osborne)

A new railway bridge across the Hudson at Albany had been chartered in 1856 and begun in 1864. It opened for regular passenger service this day, having taken its first locomotive four days earlier.  The span was 2020 feet long and operated with a swing bridge to allow river traffic to pass through.  The Livingston Avenue Bridge, as it is called, was refurbished in the early twentieth century and is still used, carefully, today. (By John Osborne)  

A new railway bridge across the Hudson at Albany had been chartered in 1856 and begun in 1864.  It took its first locomotive on this day and four days later opened for regular rail service.  It was 2020 feet long and operated with a swing bridge to allow river traffic to pass unobstructed.  The Livingston Avenue Bridge, as it was called, was refurbished in the early twentieth century and is still used, sparingly, today. (By John Osborne)  

The United States Revenue cutter Cuyahoga participated in in a trial in New York Harbor Bay of a new invention designed to more safely launch ship's boats from davits in heavy seas.  Swamping of boats during maritime disasters was a leading cause of loss of life at the time and the demonstration of "Brown and Level's Safety Boat Tackle" showed that boats could be safely lowered even when the Cuyahoga was at full speed.  (By John Osborne)