The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-18
THE EAST RIVER BRIDGED BY ICE.


Brooklyn at One rime-Exciting scenes on
the River-Pcril OF Five Hundred Per-
sons Great Danger, but No Lives Lost, &c.
Notwithstsnoing the large of ice that sanu
ally mske Its appearance in harbor and rivers 1t s
very unusus for II to accumulate 10 such large masses as
70 admit OF passage way across either OF the great
rivers that wssh our shores. This phenomenon, now
ever, occurred once In the year 1882 when the East
river was frozen from shore to Shore and thou
fands Of people passed to the other sidet being
considered grea. feat to do SO.
The same Circumstance occurred yesterday, and II
s esu a;ed ths, 90 90 persons must have taken advan
taae OF the circumstance to walk instead Of sA from
New York TO brooklyn and back.
On tho change OF the tide yeste day morning the vast
foes OF ice in the bay were swept ~ tho East river
which being already full OF ice ICED together and
formed a homogeneous uass, extending from shore to
shore ard bounded tie north by Fulton ferry, and
the south by the South ferry The fact that the river
frozen ncross become known, and about half
past ten O'Clock the drst adventurous traveller made hy
way over to the Brooklyn side. The spread, and
room a continuous stream kept pouring across from
the loot OF Wall street. most Of whom landed ~ Thomp
son's slip on the other side. The novelty OF the exhibit
top sooa drew crowds to wtues, It, and the docks aud
shps coon became filed Sh interested spectators. For
Eve hours the travel kept up the ice TO all appear
being strong enough to support . horse
and cart on any part trsverscd by the multitude
who crossing. Not only were men and
boys taig advantage Of this state Of things but females
plao veptuTed or the oo aud over hundred ut 'As"
pssacd side crowds on the docks cheer
ed the courageous loudly and everybody seemed
10 think II oil very fine fun.
Tho sight was a ms gniGcent Below lay unbro-
ken or ice, covering Of nve square miles
the surface though Of but ono color, was variousy
tinted and relieved here and there by moving speoks for
such the and hoys the river seemed to be- The
shores either side lined with people shouting
hurahipg and having good time generally and the Ut
most hilary prevailed
This continued until O'Clock, when the tide began to
turn and the water sensiby TO lower In the slips The
more cautious left the Ice and ashore, but seemed
impossible to the boys ana men who were In the
centre OF the stream,
In little wbo the ice near the decks became assured
the New York sde and II evident that the ebb
tide would make shori work or the Ice The people
the dock this and shouted to those the ice to
come Of "sor Gods eake; but they had done much
shouting before the, they needed In little
while there great chasm near the shore this SIDE
when the alarm spread to those the ice to run to the
other side A. this time nearly Eve hundred persons
the ice ard running for the Brooklyn ssore
where few got off, but the Ice broke there also, and
matters began TO look Serious as all communication WITH
tie shore was Gu. or aad the five husdred running
Wildly from side to side, not knowing what to dothe ice
In the meantime drifting slowly down the river with
precious freight OF human lives upon II.
At this time the anxiety of the people the docks was
intente ss feared that many lives would be lost
While this fear st its height, however, as ifby magic
three tow nberless ANAL boats made their
appearance for the purpose Of taking oil the terrified
ice bridge travellers They all unsuccessful until
the tugs named the Rater dashed down the river
with the tide, and pushed into the foo bury her
bow in the thick drfl. ladder toen put out ard
soon the advenirrers ciamberng up 10 her
decks. Az thg Witnessed With breathless interest
by the excited crowd, Rud the men AMI boys were
taken of one By ono oud cheers given and much
enthusiasm betrayed.
Al last the whole Ave hundred taken or by the
different boats, and the river In an hours tine was en-
trty clear OF ice The South, Folon and Grand stree.
ferries were ell running with oct much difficulty las,
| night.
The tbps Union, from New orleans and Charles Holmes
from HSvars stuck for over an hour, and were
obliged to make the best o; their way 10 Jersey City.
Although much has been said against the management
o. The Staten Island ferry, Jet they run every boar aud
la and only fps have been los, In all this severe
weather, wnen so much ice abounds no passage has
exceeded an hour in making the mcs The boats run
regularly from A N. 10 Ak ~ Today only o9e
boat will be iup, leaving the city at O. H. J. and g. and
the sisrd II 8, 10, IL, q 4.
The Boston and Fall River aud Boston and s.onirgson
detained 0y the leo In the river and sound