New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-03-14
OUR FERRIES.
THEM PROVISIONS FOR SAVING LIFE AND Ex-
TINGUISHING FIRE.

well being of Passengers and praised for their practical
and speedy solution OF the question OF transit between
the metropolis and its suburbs The workings Of this
system of water carriage have been exolled by
Travellers exalted by interested individuals, cursed by
nconvenienced passengers and questioned by dspasso
ate observers and all with only to the ease and
to live on Manhattan Island NV Very few people
eSsrce oo o themselves as 70 the probable
boat sinking the law IT is supposed enforces the keep
ing OF adequate lie Seseryng apparatus and OF course
erroneous scarcely boat plying between New York and
its surrounding Is sufficiently provided with means for
tendent is 10 be credited there evasion Of
a s at IN some the liza sP
by the statute made TO do double duty on different
will be the proper number Of life preservers which will
be shifted to another boat preparatory iRspec
boat should have two certificates inspection posted up
In conspicuous place; but this requirement Is not
frequently neglected, as are also other minor provisions
looking TO the safety and interests Of the public In
gard TO facilities for extingushng fire II is probable that
furnished Though having in mind the recent total destruc
ton Huntington at Hunters Point would seem that
for ferry boat to burn and cause great loss OF life Is an
event quite possible i not probable Had tnat vessel
midway in the river filed with floating Ice, many of them
must have penshed, Notwithstanding the hrepumps and
East River or North River feryboa should be run into
during the period OF morning or evening transit when
hundred fepreseryers and two small boats But eay.
ing further speculation on disastrous m IL may
which the various ferries provided with fesaving
Sppor portion Of the sand the st ferry on the eastern
side that from the foot OF Ninety secondst to Astoria
on this line two boats the wamsburgh and sunswick,
but the former is the best fitted up inasmuch every
thing bottom is new, having been built last sum
The sunswick is quite dirty and old Each Is pro
vided with about 30 eorlaekets ana TWO boats 10y
in the water until picked mp, uncss 1t should happen TO
DC at aGh time as yeT S so T' Tang into Consideration
the fact that these boats are never crowded. III appears
that they sufficiently provided against loss OF me
They also have frcpumps OF onr inches In diameter 20
buckets, and an adequate quantity OF nose; %. =.
On the ferry from tho foot OF Thirty.f0ultlst 10
Hunters Point boats, the RayenswoOd and Queens
County are employed The former new boat. has a
buckets one metal ife-boat and of wood. and 100
corkackes. The latter are hung up in the cabins and
older aud not 50 neatly finished and fitted but IN other
20 buckets two bOas and 20 fepreservng Jackets part
of which In the cabins and part on the upper deck
These boats like all belonging to the company are kept
ON the ferry from the foot Of Twentythrst to Green
point but one boat Is now running This the Martha. is
= small old and none ooccan affair. The ferryhouse
also makes preension 10 beauty or neatness But
l. Knapp and is run for convenience only no fault Tan
Martha carries 100 cork Jackets kept in boxes on the up
per deck. metallic life boat. aud ono wooden boat,
Ing This Is believed competent to safety any require
ncns Of the kind which ever arise The boat Is also
20 buckets and i50 feet OF hose The ferry the foot
Of Tcntst Groenpont isowned by she same party as
the one above mentioned. Two boats the Osprey and
the Southsdc, now employed They are Doth quiie
now ana are 5laI ~ & one nTiptaii tehoS one
boat Of wood. one fire pump OF Gnch strokS ana 4leh
diameter 80 feet OF hose and 20 buckets Inc epic-
kept in racks in the cabins and IN boxes on e
The Scw.York and Brooklyn Ferry Company have IN
use on the from the foot OF Grands to SOuthsev.
cnthst. Nilsmsburgh, two boatsIthe Cayuga, an ol9
vessel which has seen IS much service as any ierfyDose
on river. aud the Canada which was butt some 10
years ago There not much difference M size or httgs
Of these boats both are kcpt toeiSpy c'ea a tS1
respectively furnished with one boat OF metal anu
cabins and ON deck, repump four inches In diam
eter, $50 feet Of hose and 20 buckets on Tue 6n1s
from eight to ten years Old and uppheu Nun the sane
apparatus for the preservation Of life ana the extngsD
Ing of fire. the two others above mentioned Al The
boats OF this company kept t0eraby clean ana there
What they can for the of the passengers; although
the gentiemen's cabins are nconyehently aTransed IN
aud cleansed az those Of the ladies. -,
The Navy-Yard Ferry Company run hut one boat the
Seneca their line from the foot OF aksonst to Hud
son-ave. Brooklyn. The Seneca II venerable craft
and has much service About week since sne COZ
iided with steamer but suffered comparatively little
damage. This boat Is small hnd NOT over clean nut Is
Jackets 90 swimming cors, and boat each OF metal
and woodsucIent In all to support number of pas
scngcrs likely 90 be board nj one time In case
~ fire breaking out pump OF four inches diameter $50
into use
The Union Ferry Company have in use on the catha
rn,t Ferry the anhaset and Rosyn both constructed
about eight years since. Each Is provided wuh large
fire pumpo nine inches stroke ana seven inches Diameter
200 feet OF hose 20 buckets ahd tNo pols, ono VI Vtai
and Of wood they carry what IL claimed 70 DC equa
life I'VE COfkdckes ana ~
largo floats The Rooseyetst Ferry, owned by the New
York and Brooklyn Ferry Company, has hve boats the
Arizona Commodore Barney, Superior Commodore Perry
and Idaho all similar IN fittings ana NOT Naiyhs muca III
size OF course those boats or any others belonging 10
20 he confined 90 the line under which they are
noticed. but may be changed and SHIFTED rs necessity
pump 20 buckets and from 100 10 200 feet OF hose one
iifeboat Of metal wooden boat and about 100 cork
Jackets kent racks in the cabins none OF them Ola,
" The ferry from Tamcssp 10 Hunters Point consists
tXCnh ODfg q
County Both alike IN regard To appointments and
oSe hSs nd and y feet Of hose twenty buckets
metallic boats, and about eighty cOrkaC kets when are
hung up OUT OF reach in the cabins. These boats were
The Bridge-st Brooklyn Ferry has three boats me
Warren. George Washington aud George Law The first
mentioned usually runs 10 South seventhsl Williams
bursh but the boats Of the dh ana BI00SSn
have been changed from one line TO another frequently
tanned by the wheels in the ice. The Warren has four
inch hrepump, 200 feet OF hose; 20 Duck
rs cork jackets which kept in racks IN the cab
ms The Washington and Law are furnished similarly,
except that the latter has 20 feet less OF hose ana only
on the Fulton Ferry. the America has fre-pump
inches i'm diameter feet OF hose 20 buckets, one boat
each, of metal and wood and what is sad to equal ss
Union has the same excepting that the equivalent in
lfepreservcrs five less In amount The Clinton FUR
fire pump Of four inches diameter, and 100 cork jackets
instead OF floats buoys. The Columbia is provided IN
similar Ipanner 70 tho others All these boats are geiI
built and none Of them are very old. The Columbia mas
no iuspccors certificate posted up IN conspicuous place
az required by law and that in the Clinton expired more
than o month since. . -
The Wallst ferry has two boats running-the Peconc
and the Somerset Each OF these is provided with
stean.pump OF inches diameter 200 feet OF hose
20 buckets one e-boat of metal one boat OF wood, ana
what il stated tO equal lS epreseryers TINS is haue
up of five cork jackets, 10 large floats ana two
on the South ferry two boatsthe Pacific ana the Mon
ccllo-a in use The former built in 1851 and the
latter in 1906 otherwise they alike They are FUR
nished the manner as the boats on the Wailst
ferry with the exception OF having each five corkaeket
and 40 large floats, buOys The Monticello has two
cnrk rings In addition These boats, like all belonging to
the Ferry Company, are kept deeenty ceah auu