The New York herald., 1875-02-13
Average temperature yesterday. II
Average temperature lOr corresponding date


iasS year......".... ............ Zo/s
OFF BLACXwELL's ISLAND.
The fire burned brightly last evening In the little
wooden shanty at Sixty first street ana East
River when lt was entered by HERALD reporter
in quest T, oI Information respecting the alleged
Island over the Ice lew NOUS previous. The Old
6oatman IN charge OF the place was laying on his
beu with his clothes on and MS legs crossed. A
window, opening on the East River contained
lamp, used as signal tor boats plying at night
IRON the tight little island" opposite. This lamp
threw misty and rejected light Iuto the snanGy.
The mao on the bed, whose lace could no; be seen
in the gloom. tnen made the following statement.
The old ielow might have been taken lor lIneal
descendant OF Cnaron, so "uncanny" did lie ap-
pearl
WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS &C.
SAID he, 'l don't know nothing about no escapes
to-day from over the way. | havn't got any word
the Island and tnought IL would oe very easy Tor
any prisoner tnat was not watcnea 10 get across.
Ihe Ice was not solid up here, but lower DOWN.
Sorry can't tell you anything about ir, but II 1
don't know any Inlng about It there's no good in
trying Is thereT' With this reasoning the le-
porter went on his way lower down the river, in
search o other sources OF information. The
lining the SIDE OF the East RIVER was
German brewery at Flty-second street, and the
II they mad seen any Of the prisoners escaping
over the ice. TO this they replied:-"Ach netn
dere, but we no see 'em-Uone Jfpund ron mir.
Tell me all about. Mooch peoples ON de ice nit
Schiitschuen (sKates)." Knowing that this lnlur-
nation Was not definite enough lor the readers Of
the HERALD, toe reporter continued his way along
the "beach," as IL Is technically called 10 Muir
rays boathouse.
MurIay's is a well known institution to the boat.
Ing fraternity, ana is situated at Fiy-arst street.
and IS perched on a rocky elevation, and from
here the disciples oil Esculaplus take boat to go
over to the various institutions in the river.
Patrick Murray the brother OF the proprietor, was
found at home, engaged in conversation with sew
eral pilots and other sea ana river iaring men.
PATRICK MuRRAY'S STATEMENT.
"Me and Jim here (Jim Benson, hospital
orderly was the first to cross over me ice. When
we were slushing through 1t we saw a man spring
run as II she devi was aI;er him Tor the New YORK
shore Before be started he was pushinga cart,
which, think, either contained coal or ice. AS
soon rs the ice Geld came aongsIde the Island ne
rushed for IT, and nad almost arrived at New
Warden TO have an alarm teegraphed over TO
New York. AS ne passed. US at some distance he
shouted out, apparently IN very nappy mood,
"rnIs Is BETTER THAN FIVE MoNrHsn
"By five months he meant, THINK, that that
ashore at Fnty.tnlrd street, and have no donDt
managed TO escape, as ms oress Is very little con.
consist Of q darx gray Jacket ana trousers; ne
wore his own cap. He appeared to me 20 be
man man weighing sasdC about lao pounds: have
Mc0uade. have heard it reported that
nothing about it. Hundreds OF boys ana men
were on the Ice skating, but alter the escape, the
Keepers STOOD on he side OF the Island ana told
the people that they should not approach within
ny eet OF the Island. think taIs distance Is lald
down by law. The ice was strongest between hall
past two and lour O'CLOCK 1t EXTENDED from Forty
sixth street In one cake to Fifty -tnlrd and Fifty
fourth s,reets-a break existed at ynrst street.
think some people walsed over TO Greenpoint,
1t was wopoerlul scene. A number OF women
ventured on the ice, boys were skating and slid.
ing. anu number hao brought selans with them.
Some paris OF the ice were very wet, and several
times went over my ankle. The Ice DridRe did not
60 further north than Aliens Point. 1 nave never
heard OF people crossing from New YORK
to Backweli's Island before. The Ice came
up on the last OF the flood tide
and the ebb had half run out before IL broke up
into smaller cakes. and several people had
narrow escapes OF their lives In jumping from
cake to cake TO get ashore. Police Captain Mount
sent ward detectives dowa here and mad q patrol
OF police put on 10 prevent escapes OF prisoners.
Tue ice was broken through by the steamer Mar.
raQansett before tour O'CLOCK, and the steamer
Elm City followed In her wake.n
DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIc CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
NEW YORK, Feb. IL, 1875.
Telegram received at Central once from Peni.
tentl2ry at ten minutes aitef iour O'CLOCK p. NJ
To Commissioner BREySAs-
Have oosei out for that's no escapea Ice bridge been
broken by steamers Narragansett and 0alatea
J. NJ FOX, Warden.
WHAT THE POLICE HAVE TO say
A HERALD reporter caleu &C TIE FIFTY ninth
street Ponce station ast evening ana learned tnat
no alarm had been received up 70 that time
OF any escape from biacxweu,s lsland.
wires have been LAID COMMUNICATING VITA AL zoe