The New York herald., 1875-02-13
FERRY DANGERS AND DELAYS.
People Crossing the East
River on Foot.
THE SOUND PASSAGE CLOSED
Amusing Scenes Along the Wharyes and
Piers.

This winter has been OF a fashion to make Amer
leans wonder whether our climate will be at all
habitable in The course OF time We are IN the
latitude OF Southern Europe and the Gulf Stream,
which is said to keep the British islands IN tenn
perate condition, almost washes our entire Attain
tic coast yet, year by year, more luel
is required keep our Ores alive; the
winds sweep down upon us win less respect, and
the dead heats OF summer are more enervating.
THIS change or climate has been ascribed 10 the
depletion OF the timber ana the draining OF the
swamps marshes and nat lands. The woods are
the reservoirs OF moisture and evaporation, and SO
the swamps AS the eastern portion OF the
Continent becomes densely inhabited
and the lands rise in value we ieel the extremes
of heat and cold the more. The present winter
mas been compared oniy to me winter OF 1885,
forty years ago. The Sound and the great river
which mlngle their waters on the shores OF Man.
haitian Island have botn been frozen over. There
has been more seighing during the expiring sea-
son than has ever been known in these parts.
SWEDEN AND RUSSIA
are brought to mind by the variety Gnd number OF
the sleigning equlpages which nave dashed
through our streets, through our Park and into all
contiguous sections OF the city. The character OF
the street been PREDICATE in the loss olives OF
uraugnt animals, ana last Wednesday the fronts
OF houses along whole blocks were literally cut III
Ice and glistened as If the pro6es had been
moulds to catch rne fross.
"Arrahp' saia Mrs. Muldoon, yesterday, ''New
York never was made TO be big town. 1t Is all
mp town and down town, built along the point ana
nett OF lance, with TWO three big cities across
the water which are shut Off every time there is a
great fog or a heavy FROST"
Mrs. Muldoon not at iault, for had the
average man been consulted IN the foundation OF
ofry ha npli hoy onfa md n ro->hv
where the suostratum is hard rock. difficult to be
drilled the profile hari and irregular stone ire
quenty pierced with little dried up creeks, which
make the holows, increase the grades, and the
adjacent parts separated by
FLOWING AND DIFFICULT RIVERS,
which on days ike yesterday forbade the citizens
OF Brooklyn Jersey City to quit the Island OF
Manhattan. unless prepared TO STAND hours on
the flood rammlug at the ice noes and moving
hither and thither by the tide.
In more romantic sense. the great frost was a
compliment to the sternness ana energy Of our
climate. There was the little river winch
divides us rom Brooklyn, and so narrow that
two stone piers, nearly competed, threatened
70 vanqulsh 1t. Yet while those piers surveyed
eacn other across the narrow gorge choKed up
with ice there were powerful steamers, habituated
TO encounter every obstacle N tle channel Kept
fast 70 their slips all day. After ten O'Clock no
vessel left Nal street Terry except 10 DC
entangled in the ice. lying helpless object
In the sight OF men ana gods. When
business had closed in New York, and
the mighty multitude were precipitated
upon the ferry slips, there they stood,
surveying the lew drifting towboats, tugs and
fleets in the narrow channel which ned just cut
enough OF a passage 10 keep pedestrians from
taking to the ice and making journey TO their
residences. on the North River things were even
worse unsettled by the rain OF Thursday the ice
had begun 10 crawl down the current, and at the
turn OF the tiGe was resisted by other great
patches OF ice moving upward, and although the
temperature mad fallen yesterday morning, the
Irresoluuon OF these ice 1oes made Rut
and all the mighty river was bridged over with
some thing scarcely reliable enough TO tread on but
fierce enough to stop the LARGEST notillas. 1t was
west wfnd rnat did the work. The Beecher trial
was suspended by reason OF the ice gorge Pas
sengers on trains rom the South and West waited
hours at Jersey City looking at the metropolis,
while It's spires and probe seemed to exclalm in
Bill the bells which were rung on the frosty air,
"Thoa art so near and yet so lar.r
FEBRYBuAT LIVING
On Manhattan Island is very great portion OF our
daily regimen. Nowhere in the world Is there
sucd splendid fleet OF ferryboats. The power OF
the engines, the neetness OF the vessels the lnd-
viduahty and Americanism Of the whole ferry out
1t are 10 the highest degree inspiring ana eniyen.
ing. IL was strange to see these great turtles OF
boats clnging to their piers, too umid 10 venture
out II venturing, soon entangled In the drifting
ice, helpless automatons a5 me mercy OF
the tide. Poor Old Staten Island was an aoan-
doned land In yesterdays cold weather. Word
was flashed to the people at clifton, Tompsns-
Vile and New Brighton tnat the best way to reach
the city was 20 cross over on the Ice between he
western point o! the island ana Latourette.
There all day yesterday vehicles were moving
with double horses. About midday the East
River became thronged with pedestrians.
Boys were skating; despatch boys were
speedily crossing over. women, vagrants and
ne'er-do-wells were all In motion, and the citizen
or visitor OF New York standing on the shore be.
neld in Brooklyn a foreign land to all inents, It's
tail stone bridge pier standing impotent In the
cold sky, the profile OF the holses bleak and sloof
while between, ike the host OF Pharaoh ven. uring
over uncertain or the moment when the waves
would roll up and inter them, the stless, laughing
multitude made the pilgrimage between the two
shores. There would have been iun all day ex-
cept for the obstinacy OF the iron rams and tugs
which insisted upon Keeping some open channel
in order tnat schooners ana barks might be towed
mp ana down. But this channel speedily closed
up, for there was hiatus In the passage or
steam vessels and then the multitude Kept on as
before riskng, moving undsmayed by nood and
neid In order TO have it to say that once upon q
time each Individual OF the set had crossed the
"raging canau
THESE DANGERS
OF The rivers which divide the various parts OF our
integral population only hasten the necessity for
our complete connection. To make New York an
everlasting city both tne rivers which divide it
rom the great adjacent towns must be tunnoued
and bridsed. Already We see the ieffybost an
Impalpabe and fading object IN our lands
cape. The necessities for such city as ours are
30 much greater tnan the OBSTACLES 70 the COM
piete association OF the city that we appear 70 oe
,n the eve OF quiet, steady and assured prosecu'
aon OF large series OF intercommunication.
rhe real estate arouno New YORK Will acquire ad-
nrional value BY sucn series or improvements
almost imperial Ia extent and Incompatible 10
wealth. rev great cities nave such