The New York herald., 1874-12-29
cabin ana deck ana repested in In Q moment
after tine collision took place.

s~S~-~-N
after tine collision took place.
srATsMENT OF THE sNaNEER.
James McNeal, the engineer OF the Alaska, states
that he got q bell to start from Roosevelt slip;
started the engines and hooked her on, with the
valves wide open. He ran about two minutes %
slow slow her. her he IS slowed hef Very close and c3fn5ued
running very close for SIX or eight minutes, when
had made three turns or three turns and . hall
back the collision took place. He kept on back
Ing sill he got bell to stop.
STATEMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
mi Mr. e. = D: Chappel, the e. superintendent Of the
tSe ana all pshe u
the line have orders from him not 10 run when
the weather was thick, and therefore as soon as
running Of a boat Il circumstances Justify
IL and pilot VIII not take the re-
Roosevelt street on the Idaho but slight raise in
the wind seemed to hit the fog, so that he deemed
running, and he could plainly see Williamsburg
from the Roosevelt street slip. me Alaska en-
tered the slip as he was going out and followed
he reached the slip at the foot of Broadway, Will
namsburg, he saw the Golden going down with
the tide, seeming to be running at the top OF her
speed. The Alaska not coming up on time he
inquired OF the next boat the superior, where she
took the Superior and went to her assistance, and
fastening the Coden to the dock At the foot OF Rut
gers street, ne took the Alaska in tow. and thus
separated the two boats taking the Alaska to
Williamsburg while the Golden steamed on down
the river. The Alaska makes, open about ten
was she was running little over one-third OF her
speed, making about four knots against the tide
or about mile an hour by the land, the "trip at
the rate she was going, completed, would have
taken her from twenty to twenty five minutes.
@ the Golden should have taken mors aas
to the middle or the river or the Brooklyn side on
an ebb tide.
IN THE STREETS AND AT THE FERRIES.
A drizzling rain fell in the forenoon and made
pedestrians miserable on their Journeys through.
out the city. This, added to the sush In the
streets and the pools Of snow water-irom which
the splasnings caused by passing wagons dis
oushly out of sorts the pavements were w wet t and
slippery, ana not q few tumbles added to the gen.
eral scene Of discomfort The SKY overhead was
dark and gloomy, the atmosphere was lukewarm
and there was general dreariness everywhere
around. But OF course, upon the rivers the hazi-
was that the boats were able to succeed in their
passages at all, even with all the stoppages which
stan5iy kept up. At noon the fog cleared little,
put still the greatest precautions were needed in
orde: 70 ayo,d coiislons. Toward evening the FOG
tour o'clock h It grew thicker and thicker until at
rivers was almost insuperabe, and ferryboats
lay to In the middle OF the stream, fearing
screamed their shrill warnings, the ferryboats
blew their mOnotonOus ana melancholy whistles,
s People aSnx
'front.' went hurrylng BY, anxiousy bent on secur-
ing themselves IN the blurred hight along the
streets This was the first heavy fOR oil the sea-
son, and was. OF course, attended with the count.
less annoyances which are always inseparable
travel. The scenes at the ferries at about six
O'Clock, when the stream OF people were returning
to New York. Fully 5000 persops were blocked up
outside the Fulton ferry gates, all struggling for
admission. Inside there were Just as many people
packed together on the ierryboat, with scarcely
enough room to stand. There was . rush within
and without everybody roughly elbowing hts
bruised IN the general H excitement. Meantime the the
thick, heavy Iog prevented the CROWDS from seeing
dtngiDg their alarms and the engine whistles Kept
blowing those frtghtful sounds which at any time
maze maze one dee tnat aanger IS imminent A. me
rush and crush were not quite 30 bad. Fear was
depicted IN the faces OF the majority OF the people
about to travel on the boats. An accident would
have been terrible, and everybody Ielt so. The
boats however, moved cautiously and slowly
and, with one exception, as VIII be seen
below the thousands who crossed over the ferries
last evening escaped with no more serious hurt
ferry no wagons were allowed to travel during the
EVENING" precaution, though needed. still Of
very serious inconvenience In Itself. Later In the
evening the fog lifted little, bur drizzlng rain
again set in which gave everybody the "Dues"
ana made the streets to wear melancholy ap-
York has had this season. The people were think
Ing OF tne strange change in the the temperature
ns we snonia ever nave again the Se1 pIeasant.
crisp and Dracing weather OF old time Christmases.
AT MIDNIGHT.
At midnight, the log having lifted. there was no
incon nvenience felt at any OF the ferries and no
danger OF further collision existed. the Jerry
houses were deserted and passengers were lew
and lar between. The employees at the different
ferries CONGRATULATED themselves excepting at
Roosevelt street) over their escape from the many
dangers OF collision which they sald were so lmmi-
nent In the afternoon and evening.
TRAIN TRAFFIC DELAYED IN JERSEY.
On all the railroad running through New Jersey
trains were delayed more or less by the dense log
yesterday. ln the early morning and during the
lore part OF the evening not only were the time
tables IN terfered seriously with, bat the number
Of trains suffered curtallment, all to rhe annoy
public On the Newark and New York Railroad
the haltpast six train from New York, and the
twenty-five minutes before eight IRON Newark
were drawn OF altouether So far as reported up
to last evening, no accidents to trains happened.
In Newark In the forenoon heavy was the log
that objects could not be distinguished twenty
yards on.
AT STATEN ISLAND
The fog about Staten Island yesterday morning
was the most dense Of the season thus Tar, 1t
being almost impossible to distinguish objects
across the streets OF StapleJon. The boats OF the
Railway Ferry Company kept up their hourly
trips, but the pilots found 1t very dimcut to land
at Tompknsville and StapletOn, In consequence of
the new docks being constructed adjoining each
omitted on most OF the trips down. 1t is now
stated that the North shore Ferry Company are
nego tiatng Tor another landing at clifton and
propose to build another dock there. which would
be an obstruction to that landing also, and IL Is
further stated that the North Shore Company,
who occupy the slip adjoining that OF the railway
company at whitehall, Will take possession OF
landing.