New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-16

Valentine
before the accident to slack the speed OF the po"' anu
that the speed was not slackened any. A., rroi,,o,
Another passenger who was ON board one hnSrd tSe
describes the disaster az follows: went va p'itonst
feuy6Oat Hamilton, lying at me i3 % orrng The
Brooklyn, AT 20 minutes past % h in the sin for
some time No other boat came into the other sp Du.
in two or three minutes the Hah Wh yc lad nearly
remained longer than usual ,,d tom The after part
reached the New-YOrk side walked lIVln ''e ',nense
of the boat 10 the forward duo bnnt midway of the
crowd was pressing forward gol aDo frri"T as the
forward ladies' cabin, but eond get 10 irving
front part OF the DoaI WE ~ ord crash of breaking
fimbers accompanied by loud screams anu E,n. tbc
crowd endeayoTed TO rush e cabin were crushed as
if the wood work had been paseboaru % NO. lvinC
knocked about in every direction, Ono man conId hear
down lnsensbe in the cabin near me- Co.lu nyai
groanng on all sides Many boys ana glls were suivI
t tom contnsjons and many children, coming over 10
tIe civ IN work were frantic with fright saw ina
and woman each with foot crushed aud also saw oUy
bronCht from the forward part OF the DOat ueau'
soon ms the accident occurred the police TOOK ciso
The boat and restored order as soon as possible many vi
t befoe thew could be quoted. The entire sue OF Tue
forward ladies' cabin was broken into spISrs ior ~ W
Is feet from the front, ana inc rd'lInbs anu S''NO
Another passenger thus detailed what he saw was
passenger board the Hamilton WIch lJlt INC DIHoh
fyu side about u o'clock, When we reached the new
York side the Union was in one OF the slips Inc hrst IN
tmation had of any unusual occurrence was te must
of crashing tmbers. and going forward found mat e
Hamilton had cOllded with the Union completely carry
ing away the forward cabin OF the Hamilton GEAR 10 tno
guards and leaving exposed TO view heartrendlug
sight All that could take in at glance was Two men
and q boy living amid the ruin quite dead, WINE Two
other men severely injured in the legs as 70 DC
unable to them One OF these assisted N placing il
a carriage. woman also had both legs mutateu III u
horrible manner. There were several others WHO ap-
pearcd more or less internally injured. -. a. o.,
j. w AlbertsOn. pilot OF the Hamilton makes the loI'
lowing statements our boat, the Hamilton runs on me
with the Clinton. This boat had the same trouble on '
New.York side the trip before, and so we got oau OF
over thousand people, and were weighed down III inc
water pretty low before we started just now us Hoou
tide al this time i'm the morning, and beside thte is
pretty heavy feshe in the North RIVER SO that te uu
runs very strong from Governors Island 10 e oot VI
VfpF % Ett
strong from Becman-s close in by the piers just as
49, ro,c6 and came M near the ferry houses Southern
propeller Uhs was the Gulf City, two piers below, tha
they were hauling into her Slip let 20 her stern ropes
ami slowed round on her bow close by pier as 10
emf OF our sight OF IT, had to sheer of AS TO keep
out hitting the propeller ana TINS TOOK the haon
right straight into the slip where the Union was lying
chained To- the ferry bridge; just went by the pro
peller the down stream eddy caught our DOW
and took us right into the Union smashing up
i'm the wheelhouse. and White had the wheel he =
been let do this by the company for two years back ana
has often had the wheel before; don't blame lin any
nor the engineers ne did the best he could the trouble
was the propeller threw of the course and when the
eddy struck us we were so low in the water that
couldn't manage to keep clear; have been employed by
Union Ferry Company Is years, ana have been steer
ing ferryboas for lGi years have had or two acct
dents before but none resulting IN loss OF lie or serious
bodily injury; the accidents which nave occurred 10
boats under my charge were simply the breaking OF
sanchcOIs &C the report that signaled the engineer
to reverse the engine but that he was unable 70 90 So s
the engine the center IS incouect the propelled
the Of which do not know was alone 10 blame ior
the aEcdenti as Tar as the Wheeman was eo-cgIheu
was lnavodabe the propeller let 20 her stcrunc and
swung around with the hooG'ude, covering NY tlpi
White pursued the usuaI course VIII tIt' iue, toI.
between the propeller and the bulkhead the rate at
which going and the small space carried US INTO
the Unions per before We were aDle 10 reverse lue e
glne aud'baCk.
VIM White pilot Of the Union, states: My boat was
lying in the lower slip NcW-NOIk SIDE ready 10 20 out
when the Hamilton came iu and ran under the bow Inc
Union was not particularly hurt. iunnG aatcly Wrh'
Gown nom the plot Nuuso 10 sNS T. V''''
aud found the deck hands already there giving help
Tho Union Ferry Company Saturday afternoon pub
UNIox FERRY orF1cE, Nov. i. 1868.
An accident occurred this morning about u o'clock NJ
the Fulton Ferry Slip, New-4uk SIDE by the boat Halnli
running under tine guard Of the UuO carrying away
the knighthead rail and hood Of the Hamilton scrsous
were injured by the falling Of the WOOD aud materials OF
the hood; injury 10 the Union but breaking iCddcr
chain. boy by the name OF Brewer living lr liecnth-
ST., Gowauus, was killed. George DcVOe was badly hurt
and IA ken TO the City Hospital.
Julia Darby, Frankliiave, had hip dlslocatcd; about
others injured more less most OF them slightly
The pilot Of the Hamilton was Alberson, an old and
experienced pilot All those injured have been sent 10
their homes by the company except those who went Of
themselves, and DIS johnson ana Farley have Deeh III
ala.
Information has been given to the reporters OF the pa
pers far as ascertained by the company When the
correct and facts be ascertaed they shall DO
EXEcUuvE COMMITTEE or THE COMPANY.
THE CORONER's INQUEST.
The COrOners inquest over the body OF
George Brewer, the lad who killed by the collision
M the Fulton Ferry on Saturday morning held yes
ferday morning al the Second Precinct sauonHou-c. IN
BeekIuan.st, Coroner Keenan, presiding Int four wit
ncsscs were examined and from these little norma
tion was elected beyond the fact that the boy was killed
The first witness called was john Brewer, VINO, being
sworn testified that he was the father OF George Brewer
who was killed Saturday morning; he resided 40 the
corner Of Ftcenthst and Ienth-aVe BrO0kyH the boy
worked for George MonrO at No IL Wuamst; ne left
home Ou saturday morning % o'clock. one OF tho
city cars; Saturday morning was Informed 10y mes
seIger mat INV bow vas living dead IN the fcITyhouse
foot OF Futonst went there aud recognized the BODY
Edward NJ Dnaendorf testified that he resided ia Bed
ford-ave Brooklyn, between Putnam ana Jcfclson-sts
Vas the forward part Of the ferry boat Hamilton on sat
ard AZ morning clock comm from Brook New
across when the boat started was sitting IN the gentle
mems cabin but came outside when tho boat midway
I'm the river. There an unusually strong flood tide
supposed because the boat 80 long crossing saw
nothing ont OF the way until tho boats COdcd. the
Hamilton strike the other boat which was IN the slip
supposed she would clear her Did not whether the
hosi wa, Uoup fast She seemed 10 strike very suddenly
heard the crashing Of the tmbcfs 40 the time of the col
lsion. was engaged looking out for myest Cant say
whether any signal bells rurg before the collision;
no distractions in the way Of the boat
William h. McGtew testified That he lives IN Iuon-st,
Brooklyn, a short distance from the ferry about 2!
o'clock started for Ncw-York Oh the fcuy-boat llam
ton; the boat crowded with ipassenges aud vehicles
AT the start stood on the forward main deck. and had
NY attention attracted particularly To the objects IN the
and the ferryslp the NewyOrk SIDE; We were
detained Al the Brook side few minutes beyond the
usual time AZ least 1t appeared 10 we came across
without meeting with any ODstructiOns, except That
thought the boat made an unusual dotour toward the
Battery; shortly after leaving Brooklyn my attention
fixed particularly on black propeller tugbOdt u ap
peared 10 me 10 be lying partly across the NewY0rk
fcrrysp. with her bow heading down stream; she
backing at the time. apparently endeavong 10 get clear
OF the entrance the Slip long before arrived az tho
entrance she was entirely clear her bow being several
feet above the north side of the Slip the Hamilton
tered the slip she pointing directly for the Unon
which was lying in the slip toward the Battery; the Ham
iltOn was under considerable Roadway; could not cay
that the Union was moving the time Of collision; OBJ
served before the struck that the signals 10 stop and
back were gwen in rapid succession; was In position
where could look tho boats side and the water,
and from It's nOnagitatiOn impressed with the idea
that engine not backed, and that there was no
backing until after the collision; in fact, am positive on
that point the motion Of the boat was not checked
and not feeling the sudden jar which always accompanies
tho backing OF engine, 1t seemed TO me, from the
rapid succession OF the signals that the engineer might
have mOmentariy frightened from his posi- or nave
beWlldered quite positive That the DOW OF thc
boat had entered the slip before tho signals
were gwen 10 stop and reverse; the passengers
were panc.strcken after the signal had been
nven thnse the AfleI parl OF the boat cIOMded ON