The New York herald., 1868-03-22


divideld; they have run boats eleven years; know
nothing of the financial condition OF the company;
thu boats run every ifteen minutes, from four In
tie morning until midnight ut Thirty-rourth street,
the James street boats run every half hour; these
boats run In connection with the Flushing
taain 1t stops at hafpast Blk at night;
iron boats would not be comfortable for
passengers; boats could be built with water-tight
bridges are good-safe; intend to put up new ones
this spring. the passenger from the carriage way Is
divided by an rail; gates are useless; men win 90
as they please; the boats have not watertght bulk
heads-do not see the utility of them; there Is no
provision In the lease regulating the charge OF fares.
l. Knapp ann s1ees! ne
are not companies; one boat runs on Twenty-third
street ferry every dteen minutes; ceases to run at
nine O'Clock; In the morning. in winter, It COM
O'Clock; the boat Is in good condition; the
Martha Is the principal boat; It was built In 1853
think; bought the ferry from Archbishop Hughes,
In 1853; have lease; the original lease obtained
from the Archbishop; ! paid 5000 for the present
lease; the accounts OF the two ferries are Kept
together; the Martha has never been permanently
disabled; has never been damaged materially; her
machinery has never been pronounced nnilt Tor ser,
condition Of the boats, that is OF special characters
the cabins of the Martha are in comfortable condi.
ton cross the Twenty street ferry as often as
once every day; have never received any prots have
the boats at serious loss, loss OF thousands OF
dollars the present lease dates from December 1865;
up to that time had the lease from the late Arch
bishop; have held it since 1858; there has not been
cent OF profit; think the ferries one OF these days
interest; cannot give the number OF persons that
my ferries daily; we roughly guess at these
fare for foot passengers is four cents It is discretion
ary with me as to charges; when irst obtained the
lease the charge % on Twenty,third street street was Vas
boats are good and sound they are not
fine looking some the ferry is kept in good con-
are life preservers on each boat; think about one
hundred on each; l could run q greater number
OF boats, but 1t would not be convenient for my
rnpk knfs fhnrn q tn,v hold nf inf
against the ferry but never knew what 1t was all
about it Is not necessary to put OH another boat we
with our present boats: sometimes when funeral
cortege, with one hundred carriages or so comes
along they have to wait little; boat can be
are thirty and funeral carriages twenty five
two or three nom deck hands; the prices
have been made as near right as possible; we Keep
woman on each boat; they are usually clean; can't
bought an immense quantity OF spittOons but 1t was
not week before they were thrown out at the wln-
would be Of any use do not think ferry boats they
constructed would sink; have never lost life
besn as o near All a. e ca erres a H o es
bridges are new and In superior condition.
A. p. Sandien, sworn--Am connected with the Fast
river ferry; am pilot; am not licensed; the ferry
boats are In good order; the boats are reasonably
large: large enough Tor the ferry; could pack two
thousand people ON one of the boats II necessary
every fifteen minutes; run regularly; never heard OF
complaints; occasionally have had accidents; pilots
never collect fare; have no pilots under me; know
nothing Of the financial condition OF the company;
can't give the dimensions OF the cabins: the boats
are not old have been q pilot eight
the lease; there was time when it
necessary for pilots to take cut licenses they
required at one time to have a national license;
pilots are not Responsible; have met with accdents
accidents often happen when 1t is not possible to
George o. Bennett sworn-Am the editor and pro
pretor of the Brooklyn Daily Times; am not inter-
estcd in ferries cross usually on the Roosevelt street
streat sDe ferry are are 'S in good coadltioa ;Setf 'ns
OF fare and slowness OF speed the latter arises from
excessive and unwse economy; another complaint
Is that while residents in Williamsburg pay three
cents the company run the Bridge street ferry for
two cents; this is at the expense Of the Williamsburg
peOpe; the adies' cabins clean; people are
times reckless; the great cause OF complaint Is the
high rates of fare foot and other passengers and
vehicles, being nearly double that OF the Union
minutes often for boat; the boats are all supplied
with life preserving apparatus; In the evening the
tSe eaes very the 1se 1se rea
the company's land on the Williamsburg
side Is worth about $l,ooOo00 The extent OF front
age Is considerable, as the land is the most valuable
In the Eastern District of Brooklyn have heard that
fourteen per cent had been declared as the dividend
run their capital stock up from 500 900;
next to the Union the Brooklyn IL the hest ferry on
Williamsburg who is stockholder; the ferries are
subject ut my offce OF constant complaint, mainly
for excess of fare for rregnlarty OF time and speed
condition Of the boats, &c; 1t would he dif.
fcult to find person who had not
complaint to make; my impression Is that the capi-
tai stock has all been paid inthat It has been
watered; the stock OF the Brooklyn and New York
company has been sold ut public auction at $3.50 per
share, originally costing 500; the people Of Williams
burg are Unanimously opposed to the high charges,
&C., Of the company; have seen the boats ded
time and again fron stem to stern with people the
the slips are In poor conditions; the owners
do not care for the interests OF Williamsburg;
there has been little loss Of life at these
ferries: gates are unimpOrtant; the Houston Street
ferry Is not connected with the Brooklyn company;
do not think George Law Is interested In the lous
ton street fcrry the scale OF prices should be re-
duced one.thir and Eve boats run on the Roosevelt
street ferry; the owners hearty all non-rcsdcnts
e ae na pa aoa 70 se e,ry Is ana
are good, experienced men; the ferry houses are in
poor condition.
TO the proprety ofhaving the Law OF lS45 reenacted,
board OF ferry commissioners
efSae eae as na1sa 1srres % tns eyeS
OF an accident, to prevent fearful sac.
r6ce OF life; he was in favor OF iron boats;
there times when II an accident happened |
assistance could not be rendered by other bos; all
would lie over with the majority OF passengers |
before the boat in danger could te approached; there
was originally a Board OF Ma iageinent that con. |
Quoted the Brooklyn ferries up 10 ls5O; but most |
OF the members OF this bard retired and
lne UNION FeTrV COtnpdny ETduuhlly grew l
up In ts place; forty million passengers, |
at two cents each, would give $so0,OO0; the in
come Of the Union Company certainly amounts
t. tnat sum; the Fulton ferry nere should be two
able boats to carry passengers ale; there ought TO
be watertight compartments butt In all the boats;
~ 10 cleanliness the boats OF the Union Ferry Com
pany kept In order; the ferric would pay at one
cent per passenger In gold; they Wuld be maintained
In perfect order at that price. Tie gentleman here
made suggestions as to the best means OF increasing
the facilities for and raptdity Of tnvel within the
porate limits OF Brooklyn
Vtp nj am a
ferry master on the Tenth and wenty-tnird street
ferries; lour cents for passenyeB s the fare on our
boats; we have, from time to time, altered the
prices to vehicles; our fares we're altered by the
combination of other ferries on rate for foot pas
sengers was increased In consequence Of the IN
crease of wages, fom three to fur ceDts the boats
of our ferry are In good cnditon; they are
sun lcienty large to meet te wants OF the
population; are kept clean as possible; are
cleaned every day. the ferr houses are in |
good order; single horse busirss wagon is fifteen
cents; driver extra; have chrged for loaded