The New York herald., 1868-03-22
OR FERRIES AND TuElB

interesting S'"' spaents Made by, Directors,
Employees ON Ferries, Outsiders, Editors,
nspo'.els' Dig Guns and Little Guns-Every-
amins ?" 4sfactory.
ino :" A6saative Committee on Commerce and
nas's' -toa OF which Lawrence d. Kiernan IT.
ca fraan held its third and probably fnal session in
us city yesterday, at the Metropolitan Hotel isren-
ing 10 the testimony OF parties Interested in the erres
pecunarly and otherwise. The session wgs pro-
tracted until o'clock p NJ. and all the evidence
tina, was offered patiently taken. Below will be
found the material points in the statements OF the
stand was the great railroad king now at with
different witnesses. The first gentleman placed the
Daniel Drew for the control OF the stoa market and
the great railroads leading nOrthwafd from this city,
the Hudson the Harlem and Erieh ana competitor
with Robert Bonner In the matter OF owning the
fastest trotters that ever went at lightning pace
through Harlem lane.
Cornelius VanderDilt swOrn--I reside In New
York; am not interested In the aerres do not cross
the ferries; interested In notAng in the shape Of
steam vessel anoat.
Roland Johnson, Of Orange, N. j., sworn-Am
merchant In this city; not interested in any Of
the ferries; know little Of the workings OF the fer
ries except the which plies to Hoboken; the i'm
prOvements on this ferry since last year have been
| very great; now ferry houses and bridges
| with floats have been constructed; have dou-
| Uicu Ln6lE slips, Tic mOu6S Oh 6STeS9 anu lu-
gress are now admirably arranged; a new ferry
house and slip at the foot of Christopher street have
also been erected; at Barclay street new slip has
been erected additional to the one which was there;
witness considered these improvements due to the
| investigations OF tine committee of last year; the
class OF employees have improved; Captain Chase
| the new ferry superintendent, Is exceed
| ingly efficient; the residents Of Hoboken
being mostly German, were In the habit
| Of smoking on the ladies' side of the boat and
In the ladies' cabins the boats too small for the
| travel there being only two boats; there has been
much detention owing to ice the past season; there
ought to be four boats; at signal from the pilot OF
vented from risking their lives by jumping on the
boats when leaving the Slips the boats are long and
are six boats on the barclay and Christie
| pher street ferries; appear here voluntarily;
tn ann K he m s
| Morris ana Essex Railroad two, sometimes three
boats are run on the Barclay street erry they make
this winter about the irregnarty OF the boats not
much, caused by the ice obstrnctng the river and
| navigation: In lfe-savlng appliances the company
have complied with the law do not know whether, in
case OF collision, any of the boats would snk; they
are lined with tin boxes and efforts have been made
by scuttng boat to sink it, but It was found i'm
! possible; we have not boats enough; the improve
| mcnts have been mainly opposed by Mr.. Stephens;
the ferry houses are not properly ventilated; the
waiting house at Barclay street Is built directly over
sewer, and is, doubtless injurious to health; the
approaches to the Barclay street slips very bad;
the streets are muddy; the Barclay street house Is
| the HOboken Land and Improvement Company the
stock OF which is nearly all owned by Mr. stephens.
Joseph J. o'Donolue sworn-Reside In New York;
| formerly resided In Williamsburg; am q merchant;
| am interested and director in the Brooklyn and
New York Ferry Company; the bouts are in good
conditions think the boats are sufficient to meet the
wants OF the comnunty the fare Is three cents: last
year the dividend was ten per cent. have received
plus; the company land on the other side OF the
river; it is worth from $4,000 to 100000; the river
frontage is about 1000 feet; have seen az many as
800 passengers on board boat: in the event OF an
accident the boat could run into slip: In the event
Of boat being bemmed in by the ice the passengers
would have to depend on the buoyancy of the boat;
the reason why we charge but two cents on the
Bridge street ferry Is because have to compete
with the Catharine street ferry; found the cabins of
the boats in good conditions have not examined the
seats; never heard of complaints in regard to the
seats: have heard OF no complaints of late; ladies'
waiting rooms are now exclusive to ladies'; no smok-
Of II the the rey sese we are nave
superintenien,s: the dnties OF these officers
discharge the pilots, deck hands, &c.; there are
women empoyed TO keep the boats clean; do not
proof; dc uo think It would be an Improvement to
| build boats oi iron: con,d not say whether boats
could be built with watcrtight compartments; one
year the dividend exceeded ten per cents II might
have been twelve per cents 1t has been greater than
twelve per cent; cannot say how large its greatest
| dividend has been; cannot say how much the COM
pany has made or Is making this year; have only
been director one year; do not know where Mr.
| Hunt, treasurer OF the Brooklyn and New York
Ferry Company, can be seen; we charge more for
| light wagon than for business vehicle
| q. q. Baxter, sw0rn-Rcsides In Williamsburg;
engaged on Frenfng Post; looks upon the Williams
burg ferries as nuisances and not safc the boats
| most OF ihem are Old; the cabins have cane seats
| without cane in them the boats are cleaned about
week. one boat, the Idaho is Kept clean; have
waited 10 line weather for boat twenty five minutes:
the waiting houses are dirty and broken down: the
waiting rooms are not safe from fire in the winter
time the approaches are ,air the IRE preservers are
| get III them; the lifeboats are large enough to
hold two not more with safety; the life preservers
i ku,cn nnrIIn npn aus . hnt ttI vrtt
: ron son 70 ooo passengers; each boat carries be-
! tween 100 and 100 preservers; in case Of sudden
SWIM the tratiic on the ferry ~ good the company Is
| dnancally eood the real estate OF the company is
worth $500 ne running foot; the hands are civil; we
never get into the slip straight: generally get in
| sideways by squeezing; don't know about the
company ought 10 have Ave good boats run
| nlng; they now have from three TO nve run
| ming; have heard or accidents; have heard Of
slearners sinking and being picked up again; there
| ought To be new houses and IA means adopted by
| which passengers would be prevented from getting
] INTO danger by Keeping the crowds from jumpinsY
after boats; IN oI ire on board any Of these boats
the only means OF saving lie would he to Jump over
board; e-savne apparatus could be put on board
each boa, that would save every soul; such one
was onered the company and declined. although
| exceedingly hlthy: the bridges on the Roosevelt
street ferry are good on the Grand street ferry they
| frequently been complained of through the press
the Idaho has been reitted and Is the only boat that
Richard Poillon sworn:-Reside in New York; am
director and stockholder N the Brooklyn and New
York Ferry Company consider the boats OF the COM
pauy in good condition.; tile company contemplate
improvements; 1t is proposed TO ret the icrryhouses
on the New York side; tue boats are kept clean; the
directors desire to accommodate the ira, cling pub
lie; Messrs Chapel and Cole are the supcrintendents
am a director In the company; own about $4,000
worth Of stock; the capital stock s S0o0,00o; can't
remember the dividends OF last year; for four years
the dividends have averaged eight and one-la per
cent; one year we declared twelve per cent;
| the assets last year were greater than ever
before; could not tell how much was paid for my
vi, ok; land has been purchased since became
| q stockholder; the boats cannot SINK below the
guards; the Nebraska did not sink below the guards;
cannot say how much OF the stock IL owned In Kings
county, the interest, however, Is large.
Thomas Buland sworn-Am IA pilot on the Green.
point ferry; reside at Greenp0lnt; not interested