New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-07
LIFE AND DEATH At THE FERRIES.


The drowning of james Gleason on the late
intensely cold Sunday night, while trying TO
get on board ferry boat of the Union Com
pany, ought to be the means of bringing about
q radical reform in the manner of taking and
landing passengers. Long ago we urged first
the ferry companies, then the Common Coun-
ell, and finally the Legislature, to prevent this
gross carelessness of the lives Of ferry passcn-
gers. Nothing has been done, nor ever will
be done, except under heavier pressure OF
public opinion. Possibly We shall have to go
to Congress after ALL and have hearing
where local interests will not be able to stltie
the public cry.
That men and women should be drowned
in OF fall into the ferry-slips, is a criminal
disgrace to the ferry owners, but until some
severe penalty that can be collected is enacted,
they will stand the disgrace. If the needful
improvements to secure safety were expensive
or difficult to manage, we could readily see
that the great Union Company would con-
slider such improvements gTievOus burden.
But they are not expensive all that is needed
is Just the same care to be taken of human
life after the owner has paid his two cents,
az the company take to keep him off until
that financial liquidation shall admit him to
the ferryhOuse; no more care OF mans Life
is desired than that guaranteed to horses and
COWS. We want gates. 1t is necessary to put
I'D a stOckade twelve feet high to be sure that
a horse does not get into the river, because a
horse must be paid for If the passengers
crossing our rivers were plantation slaves,
worth $4,000 head, there would be precious
good care taken that they should keep out of
the water. But freemen are counted as worth
nothing, so let them take care of their own
lives. The extent of effort of the Union Com
pany is to provide single float-One timber
Only-at the foot of the bridge, and boat
hooks to haul a man out il he is not beyond
reach. This is the pound of cure. Now for
the ounce Of prevention.
Place at the end of each bridge a gate that
will rise by pulleys high enough to admit
large loads; place at each end Of the
boats corresponding gates, like those on
some Of the Hoboken bOats--0r of moro cOnve-
nient form. These gates, properly attended,
would be a complete preventive against drown
ing or ducking OF crushing while going to and
from the boats. Suppose boat departing
The gate at the bow is already shut down
the bell rings; the gate on the bridge is then
shut down, and the gate on the stern of the
boat comes down at the same time, the lines
are cast off and the boat moves. The gate on
the bridge stops the rash people who would
jump after the boat, while the gates on the
boat would prevent any careless donkey
FROM falling overheard on the voyage At
the landing, the gates would be equally efiica-
cious, and the hurry to get ashore first to
secure seats in the cars would he ended.
These simple precautions are all that are
necessary to render crossing the rivers even
safer than riding in street cars. Another i'm
proyement should also be made; 1t is in Ope-
ration on some of the North River ferries.
That is, to have separate alleys of ingress and
egress for passengers, 80 az to prevent the
collision of large crowds frantically struggling
in opposite directions at the same time, greatly
to the wear and tear of clothes, time and tenn
per. Will the ferry companies heed the voice
OF the people, or must they go to COngressf
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