The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-18

had been left unstirred for two days during
the late cold term, the ice-bridge would have
taken and would be holding STILL II ia the re-
gular passage Of ferry boats which breaks up
the ice and prevents the formation of bridge
II the ice were kept broken up, every ebb tide
would carry it out to sea; it is only because,
at certain periods, the terry boats slacken, and
time is left for the formation Of large sheets
and cakes of ice, that any difficulty is caused.
II, for instance, the ferry boats to Williams
burg, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Jersey City and
Hoboken were forced to run all night at regu
lar intervals during cold weather-tne boats
being strong and solid well fitted to encoun
ter the ice, and built like the present New Jer-
sey ferry boats-there would never be enough
ice in the harbor to cause the least incouvs-
nience to ships As fast as it formed, these
ferry boats would plough through it, smash
it up, and prepare it to drift to sea- II is
not possible to estimate the advantage which
the commerce of the port would derive from
an arrangement of this kind. Cap .ains of ships
and underwriters know the damage done to
vessels by the ice; the melancholy case of the
w. Fl. Stafford is only one out of a hundred
How many ships. too, sail to Southern ports,
for lower freights, during winter, for fear of
the ice!
It would be the business of the city, of
course, to impose upon all the ferries the duty
Of running at night, for the special purpose of
breaking up the ice. 1t could be easily ma
nsged: all the ferry companies could afford
the extra expense: the surplus of the Brooklyn
company could not be better laid out. The
new lease for the Staten Island. Ferry Company
which is now anxiously expected by persons
interested-will afford the Comptroller coz
venient opportunity of introducing the new re-
gulation for such permanent night trips.
LIABILITY OF RAILROAD CoMPANIEs.-A YER
dict of five thousand dollars damages was rem
dered in the Superior Court of this city, few
days ago, in the case of Sarah S. Smith against
the Harlem Railroad Company. It appeared
from the evidence ELECTED on the trial, that
her husband, an engineer in the employment
of the company, was killed by collision on
the road while engaged in running train to
New Haven, on the 9th of February, 1854. The
principal ground Of defence was that the stu
alton of engineer had been taken with all its
attendant risks, and the plaintiff could not re-
cover damages under such circumstances. This,
however, proved insufficient, and damages to
the amount stated were awarded. A verdict
Of $4,000 was also rendered in one of the
Courts Of Louisiana, some months ago, to the
widow of Dr. Landrews, who was killed on the
New Orleans and Carrolton Railroad, but was,
on appeal, reversed by the Supreme Court of
that State, on the ground that such actions
were not warranted by law"
Here We fiId the laws of Louisiana and New
York, in regard to the liability of railroad COM
panies, in direct conflict. In one of these cases
heavy damages we're awarded to the widow OF
a man who was killed in the performance of
his daily labors, and while in the employment
Of the company; while in the other they were
denied to the plaintiff, whose husband was
passenger, and under circumstances that en-
tirely precluded 30 strong a ground Of defence.
The Judgment of the Court in the latter case
was based on the alleged illegally of the claim
presented. Now there is but one way of re-
medying this apparent defect in the laws re-
gulating the liability of railroad companies,
and that is by making them more definite and
distinct in their provisions, and more stringent
in their application. The number of accidents
on railroads, under such legal restrictions,
would be of far less frequent occurrence than
they are now. 1t has been truly said that cor
porations have no souls, but they have peck
ct, and the only way by which their feelings
can be reached is through that Let us have
laws, then, clear, direct, and stringent,
not only in this but in all the States of the
Union, making the railroad companies liable
in heavy damages for all injuries to persons
and property from accidents on their roads
SPECIAL NATIONAL AMERICAN CoUYCu.--A
special National Council of the American party
meets in Philadelphia to day. 1t is altogether
q different affair from the National Convention
appointed by the Grand National Council of
June last, to open on Friday next at the same
place. That convention was appointed for
the sole purpose of nominating q Presidential
ticket-the gathering of to-day is an after
thought. 1t was discovered, q few months ego,
that the 22d of February was too early for the
South and the Southwest. They were opposed
to taking the field SO soon with a candidate.