New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-30
PERILS OF THE SOUND.

LII
That danger lies across the pathway Of those who
90 down to the in ships and do business in great
waters" is fact very well known to those who have
done t." There are dangers, however, often expert
enced nearer to the main land and at this Of the
year they are too frequently found that fierce body Of
sea water called Long Island Sound When the Winter
sets in in real earnest and the Mercury drops down and
threatens to 90 through Zero ice will gather and
navigation become a matter OF no little peril to the
craft that have the pluck to leave their moorings
and undertake their regular trips up and down the Sound
Sometimes the boats obliged to stop running alto
eether owing to the severity of the weather and the
abundance of ice which VIII not yield to the blows given
it by the sharp prows Of steamboats, Usually however,
Sound navtVaton is continued during the Winter with but
little Interruption the smaller propeers and the sOops
and chooners belonging to towns along the coast only
finding Il necessary to haul Off az sQQp as the small
rivers which empty Into the Sound are FROZEN over.
Old navigators who have hapded the wheels Of Sound
steamers for many years state that tie severe weather
experienced this Winter has exceeded that OF any Win
fer for 90 or 80 years past Some Of these old Finland"
say that they such masses of Ice those
they have encountered during the past fortnight In the
narrower sections the Sound the ice has been found
extending In solid from shore to shore, rendering
II almost impossible for the strongest steamers to
cut their way through and themselves from an Icy
IMPRISONMENT Up TO yesterday morning, however, the
boats succeeded In forcing their way through without
suffering any long deentions There had been Difficult
ties II true but these surmounted without much
trouble and the boats went their way and performed
their trips almost with their accustomed regularity
on Yesterday morning the steamboats, bound for this
city from Newport and NewHaven succeeded In coming
as far as Throgs Neekthe point Of land on the West
chester shore on which Fort Schuyler is uated-with
out meeting any serious obstruction At this point, how
ever they discovered that they must run gauntlet Of
make their way TO their docks in the city The Cont
mental of the NewHaven line was the first to arrive
reaching the point Of obstruction at o'clock In the morn
ing On arriving there 1t discovered that the pro-
pcllers Oceanus OF Providence Gaucus Of the Boston
Outside Line and Chesapeake of Portland locked
In by ice, and unable to move foot in any direction
Capt Bownes OF the Continental at once realized the
difficulties Of the situation and, having stauneh strong
steamer under his command, determined II possible to
force his way through the ice number OF unsuccessful
efforts TO accomplish this result however suggested the
mpossbty Of cutting through, and these were followed
by various attempts to back out Even this could not be
done and the vessel obliged for five six hours, to
remain hemmed In by the ice and await favorable OPP
pOrtunity for escaping from her imprisonment There
hundred passengers ON board and some OF
these became greatly terrified. One Of the passengers
stated TO our reporter that the noise caused by the break
ing Of the fee while the steamer struggled to free herself
from the obstruction was like cannonade, while the
shock experienced terrific whenever the immense
cakes OF ice struck her bow sides Many OF the passen
sengers afraid the vessel wond be stove in and SUNK
in spite Of the efforts which being made to get her
Of the difficulties by which she was surrounded Capt
Bownes however hopeful and assured all on board
that they'd come out all right THIS assnragce had
some calming effect upon the minds and fears OF the pass
engers for time; but when came, and the pros
pect Of cutting through seemed TO be more favorable
than 1t hours before It suggested that the gang
plank be lowered and that all board leave the vessel
and the Sound the ice 10 Whitestonea distance
OF miles and half At first this suggestion was not
upon The passengers looked down at the Ice and
the shore, and saw, they thought many pers
lying between them and the land Finally, however II
decided TO have the plank lowered TO the ice This
done--t II o'clock-and more than onehalf
the passengers marched down the plank and started for
Whitestone. There two women among the number,
one of these being elderly lady who carried two large
carpetbaes. 80 80
The Ice was not an unbroken between the boat and
the shore and "cang had to be INDUCED in quite fire.
quenty Two OF the passenger father and son-dur;
ing the Journey suddenly found themselves on large
detached cake OF fee and were obliged TO wait and be
patient for 10 or Is minutes before their "iceboa came
In contact with the main body OF Ice by which they were
enabled 20 continue their journey toward Long Islands
seagrt shore" number OF gentlemen received duck
ing while leapng from cake TO another and the old
lady with the carpet bag went down through gap"
and was saved from drowning by comrades near by
who promptly her assistance. II stated that
she would have been drowned at all events II
the carpet bag had not checked her descent into
the water and supported her until her rescuers
lifted her out and placed her upon the best
apology for frn that they had TO offer. II was
nearly three o'clock when the passengers arrived at
whestone After refreshing themselves at the hotels of
that place. they hired number Of large seishs and pro
ceeded Flushing where they took the 81 p m train for
Eunters Point and arrived in this city between five and
six O'Clock In the evening
So great was the force with which the fee attacked
the Continental that number OF the buckets Of the
steamers paddle wheels stove In and several heavy
bolts as large In circumference mans wrist, driven,
head and ALL through the sides Of the vessel When the
passengers left milestone the steamer discovered to
have moved forward about sixteenth Of a mile and
she was stiil hard at work trying to fight her way
through ,.nsar.S. II x 81. q q
The Steamboats, Empire State and Old Colony, both OF
the Old Fall River CewporD line, reached the scene OF
obstruction 81 o'clock in the morning. so that al 99s
time there were three large steamboats, and thee Ce
ers in limbo number OF the passengers OF tho Empire
State took to the Toe and accompanied those from the
Continental 20 the shore One gentleman the Empire
State said that he had TO give bride away noon and
he must get there TO do It, sure He lowered TO the
ice and last he disappeared behind the walls
OF Fort Schuyler.
The Ola Colony was tne nTst OF tne Vessels 10 o'er
master the ice. After tuggng away at the obstinate
cakes for hours she succeeded Of O'Clock IN getting
through This gave encouragement to her companions
IN trouble and the Empire State, in less than an hour
afterward being assisted by the tide managed oecure
her freedom The propeers next followed and the Con-
tinental enulated their example. The Continental
arrived at her dock, foot Of Pecsp, at o. O'Clock,
and the Old Colony and Empire State at Pier No.
2s North River the former at u o'clock and the latter
one hour later.
A R4ILROAD MURDER