The New York herald., 1871-08-09
A DISINTERESTED CORPORATION.
Visit to the Astoria Ferry and
the Result.
Strange Revelations Running Ferry for Fun
A Man for the Times-A Steamboat Inspector
and the Boiler He Inspected Some
thing About Profit and LOSS

out by simple citizens, and 1t seldom happens that
their strange doings get full ventilation. An indi-
vtdua sinner. In devious ways is liable to bear the
terrible inniction OF general notice. being as
1t were, a solitary saDling exposed to view
on an open plain; but who can make a
distinction, and mark out fruitIess fig
tree In close forestS Responsibility is the por-
ton Of individuals; rresponsibility is the LIE Of
corporations. Thus rejecting. while an East River
steamer bore him quickly up TO Hell Gate yesterday,
HERALD reporter prepared himself for an eXami-
nation OF the wondrous WORKS known as
THE ASTORIA FERRY COMPANY.
Thec0mpany Is corporate body OF course (every
respectable semi-demi W ard chOwder club now has
Its franchise), and Is OF ancient origin. When the
vor p0poH OF that smiling region OF rising land and
sinister morass which now bears the lengthy name
Of Long Island City heard OF the wonders of steam
1t camored for u boat with wheels, and eventually
got It, Prev ous to the introduction this irrepres
sibe innOvaor the residents of Astoria had to rely
upOn
THE HORSE FERRY.
species Of equine treadmi that would have har-
rowed the soul of the benevolent Bergn had he
witnessed it. horse, fastened on board a Nat.
bottomed boat, ''walked the waters like thing OF
liIe." rOping in barge and passengers from
Astoria to NInety-secOnd street and back again.
The company owning the ferry managed to put two
boats on the route In ls52-the Sunswlck
and the Williamsburg No boats could be
constructed by man better calculated to
stlne passengers In summer or freeze them
In winter. But, stated by Of the mployes of
this company, they were good enough for their work.
Astoria passengers 1t would seem, have no objec
tion to beings suined during the heated term or
frozen up in midwnter Perhaps long familiarity
with the horse ferry made them calous and hard a
encd; at all events they made no violent demon
stration against the corporation.
When the reporter visited
THE ASTORIA SIDE OF THE FERRY
yesterday he was seized with melancholy. more
wO-DegOne sight presented itself to his view.
crumbling ferry house, gnawed out of shape by
hungry water rats and blown awry by violent winds,
was partially shaded by dropping willow trees. The
slip groaned In an agony OF apprehension. ana ruff
fanly planks rose with resounding shout IN
tumult against invading footsteps, while relics OF
departed owboats split their sides with laughter In
the sun. Boilers rusty ana 1Orhldding IN aspect
gaped out rom side yard, and The noise OF ham,
mering and tinkerng was neard from the direction
OF iOrlorn hulk lald up in ordinary. The latter was
the Sunswick, noble craft OF twenty years ago.
IN answer TO a halo (vulgus hOllerL a gentleman.
up to his eyes In rust. ana who looked as II he had
been
SCRATCHING IN THE BOWELS OF A BOILER
for half q century, crawled out to view and adj
vanced with CHEEKY sinlle He said he the
superintendent of the company and that the COM
u
lie said, with a dubious look, a good
boat and the Williamsburg was newer
and 1 better Would the gentleman look at
look Blackwell's lslaud shOne resplendent III the
river through her gaping SIDES. The wind whistled
derisively through her upper works and sighed In
her bows. Never did an lnanmate thing wear u
more decided aspect of desolatlon within and with
out.
'This line doesn't pay,' said the genial, though
rusty, superintendent. "No, not tor iorty years.
The company loses al! the time"
Keep the boats runnings'' was asked.
'0h" said MIR. Booth "the president is Mr..
Mr.. Wet, OF Flushing. l suppose they keep the
thing running In hopes OF better times"
'.When were the boilers OF these boats last
EXAMINED BY THE UNITED STATES INSPECTORS
MIR. Boothr'
spector Joseph Coree me lives In Hareml, and he
gave certificates, OF course, that they were all
right"
sWell, we took the boiler out of the Williamsburg
shortly after 1t vas inspected and we got the certli
cate and repaired It."
"What for, Mr.. Booth ?"
"what iors Humph We knew darned well 1t
I'D bust and play hell el we didn't; that's what twas
Here Mr.. Booth smiled mysteriousIy at an Old
patched boiler lying awkwardy on an iron elbow on
at was as tad as that" he said. as he Kicked at
the COrrOded iron.
"What as bad as that, after being inspected by
the United States o6icersy
jess so; bad As that, or nearly so when 1t was
taken out.
IT WAS FIXED UP,
though 7,
'Boiler patcheda'
"No, the boiler warn't patched; but 1: was fixed,
tell YOU"
"Don't you think, Mr.. Boothe, that fixing up dam
aged boilers Is pretty bad business Human lives
ought TO be of more value than old Iron."
swell, ye see, there warn't an accident on this
line for twenty years. We very careful. The
engineer on this here boat pointing to the Williams
burg boat just come I'M was fireman first and then
an engineer. He was fireman IN the navy, too.
and or course he knows all about engines and
boilers"
''Of course ~
"Yes, and the men on board know their business
well, too. You looked queer when SAID that the
ferry didn't pay See now:-We make thirty four
trips day, averaging 81 IS trip. The ferriage Is
THAT DOESN'T PAY DOES TIP
The boats run from five IN the morning to Ten at
night Where will you get the Goa! and oil and
wagesY why sometimes, IN winter, the boats don't
earn four dollars"
After this explanation the reporter went on board
the Williamsburg and crawled into the hold. He
was SHOWN the boiler but not liking It's general ap
pearance. he got out again fast as he could.
visit TO the New York side of the ferry disclosed
the fact that the two ferryhouses and slips there
were IN worse condition tnan those at Astoria
being dllapdated and mean IN appearance ana, by
reason OF the rottenness OF the planking,
DANGEROUS TO LIFE AND LIMB.
The reporter returned from his inspection wonder.
corrupt there could flourish corporation SO disin.
terested and mindful OF the public interests at the
sacrifice OF their own, as the Astoria Steam Ferry
Company.
The President OF the Union Ferry Company
on Public Safety.
Mr.. Cyrus p. Smith, President OF the Union Ferry
Company, stated In an interview with a scribe yes
terday that he considered the number OF buoys
generally carried on the ferryboats quite sufficient
In case OF accident. The accidents have been very
few. A boy lost hls life In 1868, and that accident
occurred through his own careIessness. This Mr..
Smith considers wonderful, view OF the fact that
they transport 100000 OF people annually. On
the mineola lerryboat there twenty buoys, each
capable OF supporting eight persons. There
are enough each boat to save two or
three hundred people. The buoys are not
lashed, but are simply hooked, ana could
be removed instantly. The boats frequently