The New York herald., 1870-03-13
RUNNING A FERRY FOR FUN.
L. D. Herman After Another Plum in a pud.
ding singular State Of Affairs in the
weehawken Ferry Company-Expensss
$4,000 Per Annum- Profits
$0,000-Inve,tigstion by the
Legislative Committee

After closing the investigation into the manage
ment oil The Emigration Commissioners at Castle
Garden yesterday, the Assembly coIamifee on COM
merce and Navigation proceeded ~ the wseb awKen
ferry, Fory.second street. for the purpose OF In.
quIrng into the state OF affairs there. resolution
moved by Mr.. Plunket. passed the House on the ist
inst, empowered the committee Thoroughly IN
vestiga,e the state OF the ferry ana 70 repor, what
course should be adopted TO render the Same ser.
viceable and safe.n That there WAS a necessity Tor
an investigation by this hard working committee,
the evidence Of the persons examined will show.
The ferry house shany the foot OF Fortysecond
street was found 10 be IN o most dilapidatei aud
wretched condition. the one boat which
poyet on the line small, dirty and dangerous. the
bridge rotten and insecure and the '.accommods-
tions' for passengers miseraDly Inadequate. When
the steamer which carried The committee from Cas-.
tie Garden endeavored 70 make landing az the slip
she ran aground and threw up mud which stnnk
aloud. This was the nrst experience. somo time
was spent In getting the boat OF the mud but ansy
landing was effected and the committee At once
proceeded TO examine the ferry house, the ferry.
boat and slip. The result was as above stsisL A
room was subsequently, obtained IN the GAS house
near the ferry, to which the President OF the Gas
Company, Mr.. zoliconsr. inviteo the party, aud Mr.
kernan, with characteristic energy, began the In.
vestigation. The president OF the Ferry COMPANY
sr. Nathaniel Dole, was present IN tne ROOM sn1 de-
Iehueu Ms interests Win xeM walGA MI. hiclAal
felt compelled 10 depreciaic.
The 1rst witness examined Was Henry Murrar q
coal contractor HIS testimony suDsta antlally "a
iolows:-The condition OF tho ferry elnphalicagly
bad; Its present condition IL such that human l.f-
Is unsafe; the ferry is nos nc for any decent
person 70 60 into; there n but one boat on the s
ana she Is rotten: IL takes her tnreeguaIlcfs o. aa
hour 10 make trip; there IL no accom- notation IGr
passengers; the boat gets out of repair sometimes.
and then there II no communication between tnat
part OF the cuy and Weehawken; on sunday aud
nne days the boat Is crowded VITA passengers ani
terrible disaster IL apprehendei bY the ctizens:
the dapidated condition OF tue ferry house asd sip
and the uncertainty ana insecurity of travel by "a
Doat Is Injurious to tue interests n property hoders
John l.. Green, OF ss7 West rlnIeth street depossd
that the property owners IN the nelgaDorhood would
be willing TO subscribe largely for a proper ferry
the franchise OF the present ferry given 10 hen
ne would not trust himself or family on board th@
the ferryboat Lydia; the general opinion IL s2t The
boat ID unsafe and that The condition OF the erry
outrageous. witness corroboratcd the eudencs oi
Mr.. Murray
Jonn N. Calhoun, OF 5l3 West Forty sixth street
swore that the ierrfDoat requt ny gets stack La the
mud for eight hours at q time; that on sundays as
many as 6yJ passengers so over IN her pog Trip and
tnat life Is unsafe lie also corroDoratvi the evidence
oil the previous witnesses.
Nathaniel Dole president OF the wesknRwken
Ferry Company, was tnea sworn AM txsalasd