The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-12

Ferry boat In tho lce-Engine ssOn the Centre
Excitement Among Passengers.
Considerable confusion was created among some i've
six hundred passengers board OF the Peck slip
ferry boats last Wednesday evening The vessel left the
New York side about O'Clock and after forwarding
backing dodgng stopping thamping ard twisting among
the ice, succeeded in reaching the Williamsburg sp a.
the of South Here ire and the
drift, ice suddenly whled her around and drove her
with tremendous crash sdewise against the dock "Get
your line cried the pilot. Cant do it," answered
tte deck hand "She's of the CENTRE" calculated the
engineer THAT r,pe's heavy to throw" caimed in
somebody else By this time the boat began TO drift up
with the tide and most Of the passengers becoming
greatly excited One gentleman. who appeared exceed
pgy anxious TO reach terra frma, yelled to the pilot
'Look here, don't want to go to Grand street" On
investigation It ascertained that the sho.k pro-
duced by striking the deck bso caused the engine
what il Icay known '.he centre, that is
the shaft was caught IN perpendicular position thus
preventing the steam from cVerang-the machinery
completely mmovable Some Of the passengers thought
il very stsnge thai line could got and the
beat made fast particularly she not more than
sixteen eight feet from the dock but IL Jeared
there small inc On board the only rope to be
Ofany description being sie1ly several il
ches ciameeJ which it would equ the strength Of
Hercules TO handle The boat gradually drifsed along
side the Williamsburg whafves a. times being not more
than fourteeo feet them. As she ed the Grand
street ferry dock voice yelled 'Some gentleman
by to jump ashore ard take the line" but gentle
man" being disposed TO exhibit his agility, notwhstand
ing the vey polite request the vessel struck the dock
w-atberec it, anc proceeded inward amid few screams
from the lacies and boisterous yelling from the
The whistle was sept constantly blowing ignal of
diatress, but without avail Speculstions in
duged 10 70 where she would bring up and to add to
the apprehepsioDs Of the fem se and the tmd Of
the men, it surHised that the boat might possibly
drift among and be dahed to pieces upon the rosks at
Hur has lately been the case with larger and
substantial steamers For unately, she came TO
siandstill among the Gre npoint The cabins
vety cold, the siea having been cus of from
the pipes with which they heated; Consequently in
dance, whistle and sirg and the Older TO stamp
their feet making miar TO thst created ~ good
bumorec juvenile patriots at some OF he theatres
Fourth Of July night. Aver good deal Of exertton
rope fastened to Of the Wheels which then
turn ed, the engine of he ceutre, and the
boat proceeded TO her dock-this time
pilot, the engineer, and the hands generally
Az this trouble, annoy ance detention and perhaps
danger, (it is neither pleasant to be ing
sncpg the ice, especially In the nlght) would have
light throw ashore, that The hawser could have
been pulled apo made fast By the way there ms
to be uncommon scarcity OF these small ropes about
most The ferries, particularly the Peck slip line Not
only the boats bug the docks should be well sup
piled with item, that persons 'al over
bca,6-accicents Of very frequent occur ence-they
coulc have a line TO take hold Of instead OF being
speaIed and fisher up oy boa hooks is the
general prac ice. nunber Of cork floats,
hing IF the Kind should also be placed each boat
and dock. Suppose a terry boat should be down
SUDDENLY sok means have the passengers to
drowDngS Under the existing arrapgenen II person
gets into the river though he escapes watery
grave he the risk OF being killed by having
boat hook plunged through him. few more
floats and small ropes essential 10 the safety Of
The thousands Of passengers who daily the river
he Ieck slip and other ferries.