The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-09
The Staten leland Ferry.

IOC operation.
The Staten leland Ferry.
The reports we give elsewhere, on the condi
ton Of the Staten Island ferry and the boats
employed on that route, abundantly Justify the
structures published some days ago in the
HERALD. Indeed, the facts stated by Mr..
Lowe, the Inspector, and by the committee, war
rant any severity of language in speaking Of
the Ferry Company. No language can be too
strong to reprobate the conduct Of those who,
. for the sake Of few hundred dollars daily
yecpardise as many hundred lives.
There is nothing left now for the partners
in the Staten Island Ferry Company but de-
Gently to cover their faces and withdraw, 50
that other and better purveyors for the public
wants may take their place. The time for nc
gotiation and compromise has past. The oom-
pany may Deg and promise, and talk of new
boats, and decent ferry houses, and regular
trips: but no one will pay the least attention
to these symptoms Of agony; for who could
trust concern which refuses either to be
bound by its contracts or to relinquish the
rights they conveyed? A new ferry must
be established. There need be no diff
Guilty about boats, or landings, or ferry
rights. The former may be built before
spring. Landings can be obtained for the
asking. The Comptroller is about to sell at
auction the lease of the slip occupied by the
present company. 1t is stated in the report OF
the committee, published elsewhere, that the
profits of $he ferry are from sixty to seventy per
cent on the capital actually invested; and this
statement rests on the very best authority
Even were they one-half less, the enterprise
would be one OF the best Offering. Indeed,
there is reason to believe that arrange
ments have already been made for the forma-
ton Of new ferry corporation. However
this may be, whenever the company is formed
it will be the business Of the Comptroller to
lay upon it such restrictions as will wholly pre-
clude the possibility Of recurrence Of the
present difficulties. 1t must be bound, firstly,
to furnish safe boats. Secondly to run at
least hourly trips during the day, aud say
two-hourly trips up to midnight, all the
year round; there is no physical objection to
night boats and the comfort of the islanders,
and proper sense Of relief to the city require
them: the want Of them has, in fact, kept
away from the island the very people who
would 60 there in greatest number, men
Of small incomes. Thirdly, to provide the
boats with proper life saving apparatus in
case of accident Fourthly, to build conve-
nient ferry houses at all the landings, so that
women and children need not stand in the
rain when waiting for the boats
Meanwhile, now that the facts are known, a
heavy responsibility is thrown upon those
whose business it is to watch over the public
safety. There is no questioning the calm
business like reasoning by which Mr. Low
proves the boats now running to be unsafe.
Mr.. Charles Ii. Haswell, another marine in
spector, reports in the same sense. He says
These boats unprovidsd with independent steam
bige pumps, and their boilers not very securely s
tened in their beds In the efent, therefore, of COLI
sion Of one Of them with another with a vessel or
their experiencing any Of the conclusions peparabe
from running In togs and obsoured atmosphere &c,
they apoutd DC much opposed TO striking from insufficient
means to free them from water and their boilers
TO &c started they wo ud be BY the rupture Of the steam
pipe, deprived OF the steam necessary to free them by
their bge Injections and to work them INTO shoa water
There may or may not be sruth in the state
rnent Of Judge Cropsey in the letter we pub.
lished yesterday, Hthat a much stronger boat
than the Columbus would have shared her fate
under the same circumstances" But what
ever might have become Of stronger boats
about which, uphappily, there is yet
no question--it is plain that weaker boats
would have gone down where the Columbus
sunk; and as tho Hunchback, Staten Islander
and Huguenot are understood to be weaker
boats and Trailer in build, the learned Judges
letter will net console people much.
The danger is indeed imminent. If boat
should go down, and q hundred people be
drowned in the bay, we at an events shall
have done our duty.