TAURUS, New York, NY – 1915 The "TAURUS" triple-decker party fishing boat circa 1915. Built in 1881 at Philadelphia, PA, the "TAURUS" started her career as a party fishing boat in 1904. Her 234-foot iron hull had a beam of 32 feet and a displacement of 916 gross tons. The sidewheels were 31 feet in diameter. She steamed (literally) from "The Battery" at the southern tip of Manhattan. It paid to arrive early and get a spot on the lower deck. Otherwise, you would have to settle for the top deck and the anglers on the lower decks would occasionally cut off your catch as you tried to reel it aboard (and snitch it.) As many as 600 anglers crowded aboard the "TAURUS" to go fishing on a busy day. In 1913, the "TAURUS" grossed $40,000. (The fare on weekdays was 75¢ for adults and 25¢ for children. All fares were $1 on Sundays and holidays.)