The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-27
RIVER TRAVEL.
NAVIGATION AGAIN INTERRUPTED YESTERDAY
HOW THE CROSSINGS ON THE NORTH AND EAST
pTvEps WFpF MADE

/ Tne Solo masses OF Ice WHICH CnOkeQ up tue Las
River on the nood tide Monday night, seriousl!
interrupting navigation and for several hours
checking 1t altogether. did not wholly pass out Il
sea on the returning tide, but stuck where odg
ments had been maze. to cause more trouoe yes
terday morning. 1t was found upon trial that thi
new ice was exceedingly tough. capable OF resist
Ing the stoutest assaults oil the heavily timoeret
ferryboats, and the work OF opening channels tha
the river might be crossed was very tedious and
only partially successful until the neet OF tugs
which are ever darling up and down the stream
began to make their appearance. These stanch
craft manfuy began the business OF lighting the
ice field and IN q short time there was channel
on the New York side that allowed fair sea room
for the boats to pass and repass. But
on THE BROOKLYN SHORE
the westerly wind had damned the larger cakes
into such q formidable mass that 1t would not
easily yield 10 pressure. The consequence was
that the early travellers were compelled TO wait
in the ferry houses much longer than usual Many
OF these were workingmen seeking TO reach their
places Of business oy seven O'Clock, bu. IN THIS
they were, IN the most cases. sadly disappointed.
In this respect the Fulton ferry was the more for
tunate, the officers at the gates reporting only
slight embarrassment in the early morning.
THE WALL STREET AND LOWER FERRIES,
however. had peculiarly tough JOB In battling for
h
the trouble commenced with the first trip. and in
epdeayoring to reach the Brooklyn slip the boat
became wedged between the cakes. For time 1t
could not move either way At last, AFTER nearly
the middle OF the river, and opening tie throttle
to the fullest extent, fierce dash against the OBJ.
struction was made. 1t yielded and parted and
the beat reached the bridge, nut with such force
TO knock all the waiting passengers, benumbed
disguised than ever with the situation. The
bridge lamps were broken In the conclusion
and the jingle and rattle OF chains caused ior
moment some little excitement. The channel thus
mace lled up almost Immediately alter the boat
had left The slip; and III the subsequent Trips
there was the same delay and trou bic xnerenced
The Somerset, OF this ferry, alter bunettng wi1h
the ice Tor nearly an hour IN endeavorins 20 reach
Montague street, landed her passengers at the
south Jerry; ana the Cunton, IN making the same
trip, took ner weary load OF delayed men and
women to the 100, OF Fulton street. BY nine
O'Clock the boats were running more regularly,
the strong 1ood tide carrying the field up the
river, where. coming in contact with many ves-
time during the day there was little delay in cross
Ing the river tho Igh the boats were not fully on
time in many instances.
Though not 50 serious, the boats or
THE soCTH AND HAMILTON AVENUE FERRIES
had much trouble III making their trips in the
early morning. In consequence OF lae forced
lri egularlty OF their movements large crowds
gathered IN the ferry houses, and were Ill at ease
In peing compelled to wait lor their ARRIVAL About
eleven O'Clock Immense cake hoatsd up the
BAY and became wedged between the Battery and
Governors island. IL extended complete y across
the channel, and, wniie the BROOKLYN erryboats
were enab ed to give 1t q wide berth by gong up
the river and then around II. the Staten Island
boats were seriously Inconvenience ny It's pres
cnce. lad TINS cake OF ice foated upon the young
Hood II would have possibly been the nucleus OF
another Oridge but 1t was near high water, and
the detention. under the circumstances, was COM
paratlvey trIflng.
TIE same delays In the morning were expert
enced Dy the DOats on
THE NORTH RIVER.
On the Corlandt, Liberty and Barclay street fer
rles Eeavy Ice was encountered along the New
York shore between seven and nine O'CLOCK, caus-
ing the trips TO lie at longer intervals than usual.
Instead of ten minutes they were at times twenty.
1--WE ana more; but with these boats being SO
much larger than those on the East RIVER,
can safely crush through larger felds oil ice. Free
quenty, with iull head OF steam, tue pilots
plunged their boats into the mass ana entered the
slips amid tue cneers OF the passengers. Durlng
the afternoon. on the ebb tide, the boats on these
ferries made their trips Oh schedule time.
THE HARLEM BOATS
had their usual trouble yesterday, the most Sc
rlous emoarrassuent BENG III the earlier runs.
Tne uptown residents who rely upon the boats Tor
TRANSPORTATION nnd much Gilculty In getting to
business. AS Tor running on time tnat is OF
expected. The harlem ana New YORK Navigation
Company's line refuse to make their Astoria land
Ing during tne prevalence ol the ice IN The
Though The inconvenience resulting from the
presence OF Ice IN our rivers ana bay is very Sc
nous, the damage done to the Jerry boats aud
Shipping is OF a irlnlng character. the ice mas
displaced and carried to sea, however, ali the
CAN AND SPAR BUoYS
marxlng the channel IN ana out OF the harbOr, and
the pilots are compelled to direct ne courses or
vessels IN their charge by objects Oh the shores.
tue district is at work with his ana stea n
boats dong all tnat can be done IN replacing the
buOys, ana IN snort time Will have them ali ba OK
IN position. While great care Is no DOUBT taken
in anchorng these Important marks III The bay
1t is reaiiy ineApilcabie tnat they cannot be made
10 stay wten put down. OBJECTS SO small
should have weight enough to resist
tne action OF the ice. by using the
proper KIND OF anchors this can be accom- piisheo.
Putting o0an buoys VITA stone weight 10 an IN
different method, always resulting IN heir bcin,.
carried away wnen coming In contact VIII ice or
al Substance.
OIL the buOys Is serious matter 1t Is onif neccs-
sary TO instance the !oiiowlng narrow escape OF a
snip and steamer on Sa uiday last, though IN
charge oil first class pilots :-Ihe snip HeEetla IN
Z gong Gown tue oay struck ON the upper middle,
ana the cOpsignees mad no complaint to make
agalnst the pilot. The steamer Nevada touched
on The souinn nrsd SPIT In e1vDg port co out
and tne recent SHOWS mad obscured
the landmarks, under winch combination Oh cir.
cumstances the plots OF the port are conducting
their business under great disadvantages and sub.
ject TO much FISK.
DURING THE NIGHT
the rivers were sui INSTRUCTED with the broken
Ice cakes and though the IerryooaI, ran on
reasonable time san travel was not without IN
convenience and discomfort. The iroSJ however,
fortunately did not set In TO 10 IA new functions
OF The broken masses and trere therefore no
very long delays either on the MYERS or at the
Jerry houses
The following solution Oi the dIiiiculty as to how
the river might be kept Iree rom Is given by
Mr.. George W. blunt:-
"Inls ID prOolem very easy OF SOLUTION. Tie
barDOr can be Kept free o. ice tor very smail
amount or money in this way tine ieios OF Ice
wulch now aud then oDstruct our lpryOr are
formed Ia tie Nortn River, some tbrfy miles
ABOVE the Battery, and are brought Nvn by the
eDD tide. 10 break them up Nouid iDe very
easy task with u couple Of steamers properly
fitted Tor the work. The fittings s.OuidGe framed
work, fitted with saws 10 So aud ntmiiers to
break tie Ice into small Iieces ana all TO be
worked oy steam. his apparatus bnould be
built at tue expense o! aud owncp by the
city. and kept IN the corporation yard ior imme-
date use. When we ind That the ce is Coming
down To obstruct the har0oT let the cIu autnorl-
ties De authorized TO employ two tugooa ats, winch
can DC had at IL cost not 70 exceed SlD ler day.
eacn to Degin and break the ice up tie river Us
last as 1t uisengages tseli rom the nam BODY.
THIS would Keep ne harDOr comparatively clear
The duration OF the ice wncn eudaHgers navl-
CATION IN the harbor may be sdld never TO exceed
tlirti days, and that only once IN tn years.
There was none IN the harDor last wiutdr.
philadelphia appIoprlates $4,000 annually to
keep the Delaware Tree from &C.; New YORK, Tor
her rivers, nothing. NY friend John u stevens,
OF HOOOken, some years ago proposed IA plan to
me. through the newspapers. 10 stop thu ice above