The New York herald., 1851-08-19
The Late Fatal Accident st the jackson
Ferry.
INVESTIGATION BY THE CORONER.


INVESTIGATION BY THE CORONER.
Doctor Ball, the Coroner of Brooklyn, havinl
determined to investigate thoroughly the circum
stances Of the collision at the Jackson ferry OF
Sunday night last, by which Sarah Scanlau and
Jeanette Monck los. their lives, entered upon the
enquiry in the Supreme Court room, City Hall,
with most respectable jury, when the following
evidence was elicited-
James Newland, Jr., sworn-Resded at II Con
cord street; was standing on the Jackson ferry
bridge, Brooklyn side, last Sunday evening, some-
where eight o'clock his attention attr act
ed by ladies in a small boat screaming; the next
thing he was small boat coming do xn the
river towards the Battery; some of them were
standing up in tho small boat; the ferry boat was
coming in towards the Brooklyn side; the tide was
taking the small boat down, towards the ferry
anything, but just letting the tide take them they
got down right in front Of the ferry boat, when the
persons in the sanall boat endeavOred to get hold
Of the ferry boat right in front, and then the boat
tipped right over, towards the wheel; witne said
to two ladies, who were with him, 81 think | ,an
save one Of them," and ran out OF the gate and
down to the end of the dock on the left hand side
an threw of his coat, hat, and boots, and jumped
OFT the dock; he swan out to the boat and saw no.
body in the water; he asked if there was any one
lost, and one Of the ladies in the boat said "Yes-
two children; witness said they must be under the
boat, as he had seen no one in the water, as he
the boat, ''For Gods sake man your oars, and 20
on shore;" a small boat then came to witness as
sistance, took him in, and put him on shore; the
screaming proceeded from the ladies, or some one
IN the small boat, for the steamb boat to stop; he
heard no remark from the steamboat in answer;
heard no bell ring for stopping the engine; but did
not think he could have heard it, il il had rung;
should think the steamboat was very nearly stop
ped when the small boat came in contact with her:
the small boat did not sink; they all got on one side
and the boat tipped up towards the Steamboat; the
boat was righted when he got out there, and they
were all in it; they were just above the steam.
was going with the tide, and the stea mboat
was coming against the tide; he did not at
any time see any efforts made from on board the
steamboat to save them, or render any assistance.
Such might have been the case, and he might not
have seent In answer to the question: whether every
effort had been made by those on board the steam.
boat to avoid the accident, all he could say was,
that the steamboat was stopped when he got out
small boat tips it was light enou gh for him to sec
there were ladies on board the small boat if the
small boat had Iowed right along, he thought she
would have escaped the steamboat; the tide was
rent was very strong; thought at the time he saw
the small boat come in contast with the steam boat
that the steamboat was not making much head.
way; did not see the steamboat back at all
John Mainick swOrn-Resides at No. Little
street; was on board the small boat last Sunday
night, when the accident )ccurred had not left the
dock at Little street five or ten minutes; they
had waited for slack water, and the tide had fallen
in shore from ten inches to foot; when they we're
going past the ferry dock, the sieamboa. was CON-
ing from the New York side; the first he knew Of
it, he heard the ladies screeching; his back to-
wards the ferry boat a. the times they had no mast
Mr.. Banks had one, and Mr.. Henry Brewer had
the other; he looked around and saw the steamboat
was coming pretty rapid, but thought they still
had time to get out Of the way, if the steamer had
stopped her headway when the women screamed
they we're then from thirty to forty yards from the
steamboat, directly in front of it; the steamboa
was coming across the river upon them; they called
out to the steamboat, "for Gods sake stops" he
could not say whether there was any answer
or not; did not recollect whether the engine
bell rang not, he was so bewildered
at the time the next thing he recollected was the
steamboat striking their boat; he got his hands on
the stem Of the steamboat to try and bear off, but
it was Of no use-their boat had passed abou. one
half that was all he recollected until their boat
was upset, and he found himself in the water she
was upset enough to fill her about half full ; he
rather thought the wheel Of the steamboat was
stopped, but she had considerable headway on her;
he could have forced the boat clear, she would
not have been upset the length Of their boat was
about % or 81 feet, capable Of carrying 30
persons she had six foot deck on the forward
part he could not say for certain, but he did not
think the weight Of nine persons who were in her,
all thrown on one side, would have upset the boat
he was certain that the boat struck her she was
not broken at all it would take n good knock to
break her; If she had been a lighter boat the
steamer woule have gone right over them he
thought il the blow of the steamer that caused
them to tip; he did not know whether any efforts
were made to assist them or not could not say
whether any efforts were made to avoid the col-
lision by the steamboat or not ; he was so much
alarmed tn at he hardly knew what did take place;
If they had not got fri shtened and had Ike pt on row
ing 1t is likely they would have passed the boat.
Henry Brewer sworn-Res ded at ii Water street,
(FxtI ID u. l.
board the small boat; he was pulling the starboard
OAR heard his brother say "There is the steamboat,
aud then he followed to them to stop the engine
AZ he looked round, the women began to screech.
he continued pulling, and thought the steamboat.
would clear them; some one on shore followed to
them to back; he pulled until he saw the steam
boat was going to strike the oar; he then threw
his oar up in the boat, jumped up, and put his
hand against the bow of the steamboat; as
he did this she came with force enough
to throw him overheard; at the sane time pas
senger on board the steamboat reached down and
caught hold Of the hand of one Of those who were
drownedj when no came up, he was on the same
side as nc went down at, which was tho side next
the shore; the boat tipped from the steamboat; the
ste am boat struck VII ere be could be;
the steamboat was about thirty feet from them
when he heard the engine bell ring once; the en-
gne stopped come seven or eight secoads after the
bell rang; there was no effort made that he to
render them assistance from the steamboat; he was
sure the steamboat struck their boat; they were
about forty yards from the steamboat when the
alarm was first given; the steamboat stopped then
ten minutes a quarter Of an hour after they got
clear; persons in the steamboat asked if they
were all safe, and he told them no there were two
in the water then; no reply was made; the steam
boat started to 60 on, and the young man in the
water sang out TO b Did on-there might be one In
the wheel or underneath; Mr. Banks was rowing
with witness he the side next the steamboat;
be was sober had drank but half a gill of wine
that evening; had no liquor on the boat with them;
they all appeared to be sober.
Edward l.. DALEY sworn-Resided at 125 Ell.
ridge street, New York; saw the accident; was
standing on the bridge Of Jackson ferry, Brooklyn
side, few minutes past eight o'clock on Sunday
evening last saw the ferry boat in the middle Of
the stream she appeared be heading, at that
time, more towards William burg than towards the
ferry her course seemed more in "a circle than In q
straight line; she had got about forty yards from
the end OF the pier, when be saw n small boat
past the end Of the pier, and Immediately heard a
screaming from the small boat; he remarked there
was bound tobe trouble unless they stopped that terry
boat he heard distinctly repeated, three or fJ1r
times. " stop that boat. will hs dawn on