New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-19
MARINE AFFAIRS.
THE ICErNTHEYAsT RlyxR.

The ICE N TIE East RIVER.
Dsr ng yesterday forenoon the East River VS. a.
most en- rely blockaded with ice, and the feJ>bcss
were oo'l able TO make occasional trips In the sfec
Noon the norheaStery wind started Of tie ics
down the river and allowed frequent rassar Of
The boats on some of the upper ferries. About co.
clock the beam Of q The Houston street ferry-
boats stopped on the centre and she was drifted to
deck some distance below the Navy Yard. The Peck
Sip boats inside occasional trps during the day -me
and were withdrawn at dark. On Saturday evesiag
the trips on this ferry discontinued about dsrk,
and hundreds of persons compelled to cross the
Fulton ferry go by the way Of Grand street. Al .
O'Clock the morning Grand-street boat leA the
New-lork side and did not return sgsiu until o.
clock, a.
On Saturday afternoon the river at Wall street ferry
blocked up and hundreds Of people were crossing
upon the ice. The ships Union from New-0r,eans,
ard Charles Homes from Havana, were stuck ia the
ice for some time, and finally obliged TO make tho
best of their way to Jersey City
The Staten Island boats up TO Saturday evening
have made their trips with considerable regularity.
Yesterday but one trp was made. The Hugucnot
came up TO the city from Port Richmond in the NON.
ing and left again at II a. m. on her return There
were no boats from Quarantine in consequence Of the
northeast wind forcing immense masses Of ice upca
that shore also preventing the arrival and departure
of vessels.
The Hamilton avenue, South and Wall street ferries
laid up yesterday.
The Herald gives the following account Of the ice
crossing on Saturday:
f." Notwithstanding the large quantities Of Ice that
usually makes ts appearance in our hafbor and ryas
il is very unusual oi 10 accumulate in such large
masses 10 admit of & passsge-way across either d
the great rivers that wash shores This pheoon ne
non. however, occurred once In the year 1892. when
the East River frozen across from shore to Shore
and thousands of people passed To the other side
II being considered great feat TO do 90.
The same circumstance occurred yesterday, and u
10 estimated that 200 persons must have taken al
vantage Of the circumstance to walk instead Of sail,
from New. York 10 Brooklyn and back.
Z" On the change of the tide yesterday morning the
vast foes Of ice in the bay were swept up the Esss
together and formed homogeneous mass, extending
from shore to shore and bounded on the north by tho
Fulton Ferry and on the sosih by tho south FERRY.
The fact that the river frozen across soon became
known end about l0l o'clock the first adventurous
traveller made his way TO the Brooklyn side The
news spread and continuous stream kept pour
ire across from the foot Of Nall street, mos OF whom
landed at Thompsons slip on the other eide. The now
city of the exhibition drew rosds 10 witness IT,
and the docks and ships soon became filed with inter-
ested spectators For five hours the travel was kept
up the ice 20 all appearance being strong enough 10
support borre and cart any part raversed by the
multitude who crossing. Not only were men and
boys taking advantage Of this state Of thing, hut
tmaes also venturd on the ice, and over huntrM
of them passed 10 Ire other side. The crowds the
docks cheered the courageous women loudly, sud
every BODY seemed to think il all very fine fun
THE sight was magnificent one. Below lay an
pnbrokep mass OF ice covering an area OF ave square
mles. The surface, though of bat one color WA va
riousy tinted snd relieved here and there by moving
speckSfor such the men and boys on the river seemed
TO be The shores either side we're lined with people
shouting huuahiBg and having good time generally,
e,A tIau ktiarit vallp oil
"Ths continued until 4 o'clock, when the tide began
TO turn and the water sensbly TO lower In the slips.
The more cautious left the Joe and came ashore, but
seemed impossible 20 warn the boys and men who were
in the center of the stream.
In little while the ice the docks became fs-
suTtd on the New-Yerk eide aud il evident that
The ebb tide would soen make short work OF the ics.
The people on the dock this, and shouted 10 those
on the ice 10 come of for Gods sake but they hae
done much shouting before that they were not heed
ID. In q little while there was great chasm near the
shore this side when the alarm spread TO those on the
Ice 10 run TO the other side At this time nearly i've
huLdrtd persOns were the ICE and Running Tor the
Brooklyn shore where few got on but the Ice broke
there also, and matters began TO look serious ~ AZ
con munic alton with the shore cut on and the nye
hundred were running wildly from side to side, not
knowing what TO dOthe ice, in the mean time, Drift.
ing slowly down the river with precious freight Of
human lives upon IL
"At this time the anxiety Of the people the docks
was intense as il was feared that many lives would be
lost While this fear was at TIA height, however, as II
by magic three tow boats and numberless small boats
made their appearance for the purpose OF taking of the
COW terrified ice bridge travellers They were all I'M
successful until Of the tugs named the Rstlsr eash-
ed down the river with the tide, and psshed nso the
Zoe 30 as to bury her bow In the thick drift. ladder
WA then put out and the adventures sesn
csmberiDg up TO her decks. All this wa witnessed
with breaibless interest by the excited crowd, and "
the men ard boys were taken on one py one oun
cheers were given and much enthusiasm betrayed.
AT ast the whole five hundred were taken tf by tho
different bosts aud the river in hours time was en-
trey Of ice The South Fulton and Grand street
Fcrrie. were all running without much difficulty last
night