The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-03-12
O u R II A r B O h .

o u Il II A T. o b.
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The Ice In the Harbor-rhe Ferry Question
The Ferry to Staten leland.
From the New York Herald Of Feb. 8, 1881
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
sIR-n converting few days ago. with Mr.. r. L Ste
vens, upon the many dangers and delays eon,~nay
ring from the ity Of Ice the hsrbor he
uegested remedy that seemed 10 siiec.uai and
lmple in ts execution, that begged he would pat 1t
in writing permit publish It, enclose to you
lis views the subject Our hXrbor wants ous TO be
freed from the imense feds of drifting ice which every
hard winter is bring to render II accessible ana
safe in winter convenient and unsurpassed In
There is presume. scarcely q vessel Of any sizs
or rig whose skipper would prefer to the
dangers Of voyage ftca CALIFORNIA; Canton than risk
the peris Of the navigation from Sandy Hook to the Bat
terry in such . season this II ths immense amount
ofpropery put at eay hazard by the insurance
nesths heavy losses suss cd BY merchants and trad
ere-the vexaiocs detenons And runous delays export
enced BY mt this OF occurring OF
difficulty and daDger- these, aud uany other unenam-
evils arising from the source c,ui be hva
ed by the expenditure OF ten tunes TIE amount mis-
imprUven would cost the nuuiy would DO caeaply
pun chased The greater portion OF the ice fields come
frcm me fats and exsenIve bays VI the Hudson r,vsf
The ice that obstrucs the East river that CONES fr
He'll Gate s,d vicinity Is gencray in smaller masses,
fines i,s way by Bustermilk Channel aud thss
por CT the East river ha, Joins the Hnson opposite
Caste william. This ice il o,strncted by the a,nenss
felos drse Into the river and bay from the HUDSON,
would rarely return it should partiay do 80 tho
quantity would be too small affect seriously By
and harbor. Hkd the Hoboken and Jersey Hty ferry
boats cessed to run and the Pierrnon ba been
for tew days the Hudson would have been edeo,ualy
bric9ed, either at Fort Washington point or between
Cassie point and the projecting wharfs at Tnirteen.a
street. leaving, IL did men, water beOV the OBJ
stru:ton compai lively free for the navigation OF the
and harbor This has happened Ia times past and
but for the beats. would probably have happened now
Neihe commerce OF the dwelsrs tbs river banks
would suffer much from the change In such season rs
but melancholy waste OF Ice ana water, whose drsary
solitude is rndisturted and upbroken for weeks and
save o Ions
her weary way to that bsas aud cheerlss OF
unIequitsd ,nergyIPe,mons. with what different
hail the lights Of Sandy Hock when they learned chat in
stead Of massive fields Ct lee sometimes impenersbie,
IL but twenty miles If unobstruced water. With
the hoIe that the remedy suggested may commend i8e
to The notice Of The many Interested 10 1ts
| TO GEORGE W. BLUNT, ESQ.
/ NV YORK, Feb s, 1852.
DEAR SIRn answer to your inquiries .. to the posi-
close 10 you otion Of the mode you'll adopt TO
accom- prish the ohjtc'.
IaviIg observed, for many year, from the bill at Ho-
bol effect and operation Of the leo Ia the Hudson
ard tina: portion Of The East river that lies between Co
ve,por's IsaIo and the Battery aod rom experiment.
made years ago ON he Delaware and Newark bay,
feel confident ,bas both rivers, cgeth-r wi .he bay
and harbor be far freed hon Ice o. to be easily
vigatec the cocest winters This could BIO done by
stopping The ice r above fcu coming d. tse Norh
river. The mede propose to effect ths object rs 70 an
river from each shore leaving quar,e or IN eighth Of
mile peaiet size Of the tor lhs nav
eatien # steam and CHER vessels ia mid winters The
eject Of this would he to the ice above from coming
down thus nderirg tie hareor navgaole at all times
tie ice made below the oas would slia se oa'y
and psss eff With The next ebb tie IN S. floats woul1
placed 1T part Of The river between For
Wssbingtn point and Heb ken, where did excee
three quarters If mile With wherever the poo
Fer au hoiities should deem it advisable The ic,
amin Gown would strike the first feat with westerly
vino, and would be arrested and form such cole ;oo
above the long whsrves in the Nor tn river AMI
at Hobsktn, And which is held there by the obstrucoo
donn would strike the arrested ice and frs. aoo and
stepped by that and the e:0nd aoat below placed at
argyle 20 or 40 degrees FROM the shore towards the
tire OF the 80 60 yards from tse FIRST
| float. The ttme collection would form above this
above the fret float AMI to the LAST aost e.cs
side The osts to re anchored against the food vsli
sgsiDst the ebs Tire. Large white pine lrgs chou
fastened cy chains 70 the floats, to stop small pieces
sese obuc the ice from above, some sa
be formed Of the ssrerg necessary - hold the os to
break through thick ice by the force Of large
boat (Which, WHEN properly arranged sill break
passage through heavy ice sixty fest 10 the size
of chain that will resist her for when steadily applied
Now, it will require five large steamers break
. cham whose links and ha in ;hss diameter,
that the strength Of one chsin above, would break
$40 SEQ feet in width if broken to the advantage
WI ich easily be done BY regulating the srge Of the
front Of the feat and shoeing 1T with bars Of iron to
pr vent Should the Ice down in large feds
with great frce it would require time and
stop It, TIE ice bi would have the eec.
many steam all started at and eAk the ice
from shore TO shore in cakes small enough to pass be
tween the floats In this case and until the
rested and brought to BY the chais and oss logs
would be RAISED up and pass over the heavy ice When
the river breaks up the large fields o, Ice sbve would be
broken ip such email pieces paaing floats not
riously TO Interrupt, navigation presume anchors and
chain cables could be borrow from The Navy Yard t,
weight of anchors and Strength Of chains The Uai'e,
States greatly inte esed In the txperaen thei-
vessels of would be enable at al times to
nd TlryH wit mt nj
tons from ice The anchors could be oacke, II necss
sary shcugh the holding ground is good being of sh
mud clay.
The great advantages freeing the harbor from i,e
such winter as this, too apparent TO reed dison
the nconvence TO the public has been great from the
mmene fields flee in the haroor aud b'sh rivers de-
is greatly wanted, and feel confident tina. the above
pan, properly executed would remedy the evil.
Your obedent servant,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Your article the ferries Of New York and its I
brrbs in Mondays HERALD opens up this impor sat 81
ject in the true ,prit 1t has BEEN apparently the
tsd policy Of the newspaper press Of the city TO
slider The terry communications Identified with int
rests adverse to the prosperity of New York. The resi-
d'nts OF Brooklyn, Jertey Staten and, &c. have been
held up to public reprooation persons seeking avail
themselves Of tie bupiness advantages OF New York
while at the time avoicng doe share of taxation
making their taxable residences in other counties
States.
1t is to be regretted that any impefecons In our sys
tenn Of taxation should prove to be beyond the reach
Constitutional legislation and it is particularly lsmenta
bic that such evil should uperadd an influence
Partial and iioera that Of the ns ura
growth and expansion Of population called for by
he unb3unded commercial faci lies Of the locality
The Of up town lots may imagine that the improve
ment Of the territories surrounding the hArbor and
bordering the rivers contiguous to the city tend Il
depeciate the value 81 their property but it, while they
seek TO discourage colonization opp site Shores thay
eyinced proporoDsble zeal ia promoting facilities o.
ascess to the extremes Of New York island in order to
reno their out Of town lots accessible thev you pur
policy, more In consonsnce with their own ia
rests and give evidence Of consistent opposition
| m ~ stp hey dislfke