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


REPORT OF THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF THE
BoArS-PResPEcr or AN AWFUL Dis AsrBR-IN-
JURY TO TIE ISLAND AND TIRE CrrY.
The committee 10 whom referred the matter Of the
Staten IsAnd ferry TO s safety and condition report
a. follows:-
The committee engaged the services Of competent
to examine the steamboas-the SyIph, the HunchbAck
the Hugusnot and the Staten Islsnder-now plying al
ternAtely on thu ferry in question.
Mr. James NJ Low, one Of the gentlemen thus engaged
and whose intelligence and experience the committee
rely has given them in the form Of report elAboraely
and carefully prepared the result Of his investigation
He finds the four boats In question improperly
structed for ferry purposes, and unsafe copy Of his
report Is annexed hereto
The four boats in question are constructed on the
plan adopted BY Mr.. Low, and which q regard for the
public safety would seem to require.
The committee fee! great reluctance Ia creating en-
alarm OF this nature in the public mind injurious to
the interests of tho island but OF public duty
calls upon them TO lay open the result OF their inves
cations.
The beats employed upon the ferry not only
safe but the committee find that precautionary
means been furnished by the propristors Of the
ferry the escape protection Of in Of
accident to which the best regulated ferry may DO some
The laws OF the United States which very strin-
gent and exacpg, make provisions TO quart against ac
Clients occurring board Of steamboats,; and, among
other th gs require that they should provided with
suitable small boas for the protection OF passengers
but ferry boats exempt from the operation of those
laws sufficient protection, it is supposed, viii be
given by the authorities granting the ferry license to
regulate the ferries public convenience AID saety may
require But in the Of the Staten Island ferry the
propristcrs ef the boats now plying between Staten
Island ard the city of New YORK have license from
the city authorities ana the consequence IS that the
travelling community betvee those points is unpro-
tece either by the LAYS of the Omitted States by The
terms ard conditions upon which ferry licenses leases
The committee also report that the at
the landings on both sides Of the ferry are mos;
provided that large majority the passengers incud
irg women and children, are oflentnes left exposed
any % he ~
vted by the pf0rretors Of the Staten Island ferry the
city side with tn furnished BY the South Ferry Com
papy the side, snd which invi CON parison
frcm the. proximity, Is better comment this branch
o! their report than al, which this committee can make
There is another matter connected with the ferry
question which this committee find it their duly to re-
port upon.
ais who transact business in the city Of new York and
who reside Ia its suburbs OF these Staten Island has
its fair proportion Among VIII some OF the m ,st
prominent business men Of the city Possessing erry
passage less ebsuc,ed by cs than that between Brook
Ign City and the city Of New York there exists
no reason, IN the opinion Oh The count %, Why me
the public 1T ali bours that Il msy serve ths purposes
Of The man Of moderate, as well as the
great ,elisf 70 The payers of the city Hoooken
Jersey City ana Williamsburg have however, ceased o
uus1 rents, OF ut least cheap as can be lar
nishsd Staten Lland the ferry there should be
guiated With regard 70 the making OF early and late
ips cccssorsly o. making trips through the night.
Ii to this suggestion that the night trips
net o,abe to the pro etors Of the ferry They
not plt G'sbe 70 the Brooklyn to the jersey City ferry
companies but The public COINCIDENCE req Tres it, and
their Profits derived from there 'erie generally enable
them TO make small sacrifice to the tubi Interest.
The offs Ct the Staten Island ferry will yield net
gain of so 10 Go per cent annually, upon The apal tn
VESTED in tie te propertha. Is to say upon the ca W
a in boats and the necessary appsuaages TO the
fetiy-which viii enable them TO make the sacri-
fes to the pubic convenience.
After careful examir Of the sutsct the
ni;tee have the cisiJn tnat the dsdoiercas
of he pIest mt ferry ase from two causes. Frst is
matter Ia which the public have deep interest but over
which they have controlit being subj sct TO the
Of few men, has been made subservient
to private rather thsn to publ; ends Secondly, the
ferry is lot rescte and regulated By any of the forms
end conditions which usually attached to ferry
licenses and which necessary well for the public
ssieiy as for their accommodation.
Let there BE- organized ferry company, OF which the
stock shall te generally DIST buted subject to the control
OF the usual terry ceI SCI and the committee feel
that the communication between the city and the sand
Will become suitable and adequate, whist the under
taking itself would yield lnge profit the invest
ment. n. DANE EILINGWOOD,
Chairman of the Commit to0