New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-21
CITY ITEMS.


BRIDoEs-NARRow EscArEs-In consequence Of
the extreme cold On Monday nighttime ther'
mometer ranging from zero 10 s. or To- below
the Rivers and the Bay became bhdged with ice Of
about four or FIVE inches thickness. Ferry boats
were until the turn of the tide, almost useless ana
when they succeeded in getting into the stream 1t
was matter OF uncertainty. where they would
land. the Fulton ferry. boat from Brooklyn, at
one time landed her passengers at Olver'ss.,
al another, on a ship at the end OF pier
near Maiden-lane while the Staten Island
boat was forced to put in at Jersey City The hrm-
mes, of the ice however, in some degree compen-
stated the Long islanders for the lack OF ferryboaS
as hundreds OF the young and venturous rlsked
cold bath and trusted their lives on the ice bridge.
About sunrise the scene was exceedingly plctur-
esque Long files Of men were seen, like pgmles
winding carefully across the treacherous bridge,
feeling cautiously for air holes" and making
wide detours 10 avoid suspicious looking places.
From dozen points in Brooklyn, these
streams set forth and before 10 o'clock thousands Of
persons had achieved a feat OF which they VIII
heroane boast to their gaping grand chicren-
they had actually walked across The East river
On the ice. At 10 O'Clock the tide turned, aRd
= s,rong current set toward Sandy Hook, by
the force Of which the ice soon besan 70 break
M In a short time the whole body Of ice III
the East River was in motion. except a mar
row strip at either shore which was too
firmly wedged in with the piers to be started
The moving mass was heayed up and broken IN
every direction by the force Of the water, and as the
cakes Of ice were tossed up and again sank down
crushing each other in irdescribable confusion the
SPECTATOR might almost have fancied himself Ia Wei
lng.0n Channel IN search OF Sir John Franklin
But attention was now chiefly diverted to the coz
clifton Of persons who were crossing near the
South Ferry. There were perhaps forty or
fifty on the ice when the mass began to move most
Of them made immediate tracks for New OK, and
reached the piers before the shore and sream ice
separated. One old cOlored woman, old enough to
remember the time when Washington dragged can
con from the City to Staten Island on similar but
frmer bridge, fell into an air hole, bu! was soon
hauled out as good new, except the batning
Several men who got ashore at Pier No. !, f. r.
were obliged to jump as much as they knew to clear
the rapidly widening chasm between them and terra
frma, and three or four Of them got dncked in the
attempt There were SIX persons, however, who
were quite too late and carried down the Bay,
three on one field of ice and three another. Their
situation became every moment more critical, as It
was highly probable that the action of the water
would soon break up their raft, when escape from
brewing would be impossible I'm this dilemma, some
Whitehall boatmen, whose courage and humanity
are proyerbial, went 10 their rescue BY patiently
following the tortuous channels between fields of ice,
the boats after long and persistent effort reached the
ice where the men were far off in the Bay, near Bed
lows Island and when left the Battery the last o.
the voyagers safely under the stern sheets OF one
of the boats. Hundreds Of people had gathered at
the Revenue Office and on the Battery watching
the doings in the ice, and when the men were safe
in the boats paper was circulated 70 raise purse
for the daring boatmen who had thus rsked their
own lives to save those Of strangers
At the South ferry the.e was rot much delay in
crossing until o'clock Monday afternoon. The
New-Yoik, one Of the Oldest boats the ferry, and
not so able 70 contend with the ice some Of the
others, lief! Whitehall at about that hour and after
floating up and down the river returned to NewYork
about7 o'clock, being unable to reach Brooklyn The
pilot Of the Transit, which boat left Brooklyn be-
tween three and four, saw barge from Governors
Island fast the ice in such position that those in
II must il evtaby perish if something not done
for their relief The Transit went to their assistance
and succeeded in taking FIVE persons on board. One
of them was nearly exhausted. An attempt was
made TO save the boat but the attempt had finally to
be bardoncd, and the boat carried of in the
ice. This trrand Of mercy caused much delay, and
some damage was done to the buckets OF the wheel
by the ice, thait past four o'clock when she
reached Whitehall. She left there few minutes
afteraard and did not reach Brooklyn until
o'clock From that hour until after o'clock, there
was little or no crossing. The river then cleared
somewhat, and the boats piled until twelve o'clock
without much difficulty, when business was once
more suspended.
At daylight yesterday morning an attempt was
made TO resume work One of the boats went as far
as the end Of the dock but obliged to return the
ice being completely solid beyond the pier head.
number of persons yentured on the ice, and several
by picking their way from loe 70 foe, succeeded in
reaching New-Yo1k in safety. Some few crossed
from New-York TO Governors Island, and thence 10
the Atlantic Dock.
Al South Ferry there was some danger IN crossing
the ice. Mos. of those who vsntured met with some
tr'fing mishaps. One who crossed from Brooklynto
Whitehall and back again, said that occasionally he
had to jump from one foe 10 another. We saw two
who broke through, but who fortunately managed to
scramble back on the ice, after being thoroughly i'm
mersed and nearly frozen. ~ the Fulton Ferry
however, there was complete Ice bridge, upon
which thousands crossed without farther mconve.
nience than cold walk. This was commenced a,
about day light, a iew making the experiment frss
and the numbers gradually augmenting until there
was continuous column extending from shore.
As seen from an elevated position, the river pre-
scented an animated and beautiful spectacle. As far
as the sight could extend the water was entirely hid
from view BY its icy covering, sparkling and shining
in The rays of the morning sun. In all directions
were little knots of the venturous few, struggling
along snd picking their way. the exception being at
the Fulton Ferry, where an animated line extended
from one shore to the other, including ladies' not
few. 1t is estimated that at least fifteen thousand
persons crossed there during the morning.
The Wllliamsburgh boat came down about
O'Clock, but could not force her way into her dock
She landed her passengers higher up the TiVer The
Sylph came up from the Quaratine, and the Hugue'