The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-14

ment OF large steam tugs lifted up after the
fashion OF battering rams. to steam about and cut
through whenever bridge was formed; but such
relteis could at the best be only temporary and
the idea was abandoned as being too expensive
One plan, which appears to be feasible. Is that
proposed by Mr.. Peter Voorhis, VINO, far back as
1857 conceived the idea Of blockading the Upper
Hudson by means OF series OF rafrs Q descrlp-
ton OF which is as follOws:-
It is proposed to build the rats OF square white
pine logs. laid one foot apart In crib work, OF
dimensions OF about 80 feet in length, 40 feet IN
breadth and Is feet In height, securely bolted to-
gether and clad on the up river end with boIer
iron, and each raft secured by anchors and chains
OF sufficient strength and weight TWAS proposed
to place these obstruetons in position at the nrst
appearance Of ice and securely anchor them. As
soon as the ice gains sufficient strength to hold Its
own weight In the tideway IT VIII form across the
river completely. and so continue, constituting
complete blockade, together with the Instructors.
until the ice will have melted away to such con-
dition as its entire dissolution after the
crushing up necessary In its passage by the OBJ
structors and before 1t could reach the city.
The tide in the East River changes from ebb to
flood tide from one to two hours before the change
takes place in the Hudson River; consequently
the ice Is carried rapidly around the Battery into
the East River to the full capacity OF the channel
to receive it. At all seasons OF the year the ebb
tides in the Hudson longer and faster than the
flood tide, and more especially in the winter and
spring season, in consequence Of prevailing north
erly and westerly winds and freshets.
The ice made IN the rivers and bays OF Tappan
and Haverstraw Is carried down by the difference
IN tide and the prevailing north winds In winter,
and is the cause OF all the damage to the docks,
vessels and business OF New YORK city.
OFF THE BATTERY.
During the early morning OF yesterday the boats
of the various ferries ran irregularly. The great
ice field OF Friday which had formed so successful
aud strong an ice bridge, had been swept away
Down the Bay by The afternoon ebb tide and was
broken up in various ways. Many OF its remnants,
however, unwilling to give up the fight with the
ferry and tug boats, came up again late at night
and wagec very successful war, so successful IN
deed, that neither the South nor the Hamilton
ferry did anything OF much account during the
night. The ice remained packed ABOUT Gov
ernor's Island and Buttermtlk Channel In very
huge blocks and these the ferryboats found 1t very
dltilcut work to make way through At seven
O'Clock in the evening the passage OF these boats
had been suspended, and, fearful OF the expert.
ences OF the previous nights not trip was run
until SIX O'Clock yesterday morning, when
the river was comparatively clear OF large
ice. Tugboats rushed in where ferryboats
feared TO venture. Their sharp prOws and power
1ul action push them through where the heavy.
numbering broad errybOat could not MAKE way.
Ipe boats which ran on these two ferries mad by
no means easy work Of 1t, Tor they became In each
instance blocked up with Ice, which was coming
round from the North River In great quantities az
! the time and 1t took them on an average from
two to three hours to make each trip OF less than
half mile. The generality or the ice which I'm.
| peded them was small, but the current was now
Ing WIN gIe h a., anu os' auoed 70 ane
| ageable. They kept bravely on, however, and
while their trips were only vexation and an an
| tn hos on ri vat tha frtar
| to do It's duty.
AT this time the Ice extended, without break,
looking up the East River as far as the eye could
see, all white and gistenIng. At a distance 1t
! looked like one great Sheet but near by 1t was
less threatening and all broken up into small
! pieces, some OF which had become hummOcks, the
Ice having ped up upon the noaung PIECES SO as
beigs. The Wall street Terry, which had gwen up
business entirely on Friday, yesterday succeeded
| In making very lengthy passages. No regular
| time was consumed, but the passage generally
occupied about han an hour or So AT noon, while
the ice was coming up IN greater quantities. the
task OF crossing was still more difficult, ana two
or three trips were not made In less than lorty-
five minutes. The same causes operated at
Fulton terry, and up to noon the boats had been
running very irregularly and at intervals OF from
excesslvey long and diincnlt. the boats were
often swept out OF their way by large foes ana the
strength Of the tide when now ana then they
! could not avoid encOuntering spite OF the pre-
! cautions which the pilots took not TO become en-
| tangled IN anything OF the kind. The Mlneoa had
|
al EXTRAORDINARILY large cake was passing up the
river. Tne pilot dnoing he could in no way avoid
| 1t, went bravey TO work TO smash 1t up. After
| three Intellectual attempts, in which he went at
the Ice with lul force ana made no impression, he
| aud the noe carried the boat up the river. Tue
great mass OF Ice travelled steadily up the river
1nti' Il reached the slips Of the Fulton terry
with such force That the Ice piled up itself to the
height Of fully eight or nine leet. The noise made
| was like distant thunder, and so great that the
people arounu the spot felt AFRAID no DOUBT, that
| the whole Ierryhouse would be carried away. The
| mass after rising and remaining poised for time,
| :el back In the water. In the meantime the two
boats in the Brooklyn slips became prisoners and
! could not move out from their positions. The
Fulton lett New York in the mean wnile, Dut could
not force her way across and returned to the
place which she had LeIt, The Mineola IN the
Jerry, went up to Catharine slip with her load.
| ANOTHER BRIDGE.
The ice now presented clean, clear, unbrOken
| the Brooklyn side to the New York bridge tower.
discussing whether 1t would be sale to try trip
across. II seemed TO be the general opinion that
It. it was evidently weaker than the DAY before
and would PROBABLY not have borne much weight
| the sun mad been upon It long time and 1t looked
| somewhat porous.
| A MIssMANAeED FERRY.
| On the upper ferries the general detention was
average trips in ialr weather. The longest and
most tiresome passage was that Of the Roosevelt
street and Williamsburg route which, tedious at
any time, was made tfply so yesterday as the
trips were ABOUT three times their usual duration.
Bad as this Jerry Is during the day. however,
| during the night 1t Is simply shockingly managed
! A HERALD reporter had occasion TO cross Oh FRI
day night at about midnight. There had been no
boat since bali past ten O'Clock. IL appears the
reason oi this was tnat WINE curing the DAY tne
boats ere under the orders OF super.
iniendent during the nights the pilots are
responsible TO no one. and apparently
run wnen they feel in the humor. 1t was
evident that at the time the HERALD reporter
paid his fare the pilot was not In the hunor. The
writer wandered up ana down the deck dBconso.
lately. The water at the time was quite clear, and
over from Brooklyn the lights shone ana twinkled
In IL. The writer went ny on the plots deck 10
take better look no pilot was IN his wheel
house. He went down again. looked In The en-
Rne rooin--no engineer; In the fire room-no IRE
man ON board no deck hands; As Colonel Sellers
would Say, "no nothingn wondering what II all
meant the reporter looked Ia little forward
caDin, and was rcRled by the sight OF pilot, en-
piDeer fireman, deck hands aud Others, ali deeply
engaged IN the discussion o. game oil poker. Inc
boat stafted AZ hale past twelve and then the pilot