The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-09
THE EAST RIVER PILOTS.
uIDDEy CURRENTS THAT PUZZLE
TILE FERRI PAsSENG ERS.

the FERRY PASSENG ERS.
. c,u,,r,mnr'. First Trip Misbnps that
sLuI Cannot Avoid-Freaks Of the Tide
.po,uts" About n PiIot-Ihe Pcriis Of
rIooJs, Foes. and Ice-A Veteran Pilots
"Reminiscences of tiny Years Service.
Nothing 10 more pulling TO the uuiu-
tiated than the apparently wandering move |
men,s OF the heavily freighted ferry boats that |
cross that narrow strait OF water between New
YORK and Iruoklyn which, regardless OF all gee
sraphical definitions, Is called the Il ct river A
stranger starting from the foot OF Fulton street,
brooklyn. sees beyond the 1900 feet Of water
that separates him from Manhattan Island the
ferry house on the New York side OF the stream,
and naturally expects to he carried straight
scros, In about three minutes. Hardly has the
boat left the slip, however, before her head is
pointed northward, and by the time she Is In
mdstream the huge gray towers OF the great
bridge seem to have shifted their places and
gone several hundred rods south.
BEFORE the puzzled stranger has comurehended
the situation, and while he Is looking In vain
Tor the New York ferry house. which few mo-
ments before was in plain sight dead ahead, the
boat swings almost squarely around, as though
the pilot had made up his mind to go back to
get a new start, and few minutes later she has
passed within q few yards OF the BROOKLYN slip
from which she started, and IL steering down
along the wharves within n stones throw OF
the big warehouse under the brow OF Brook-
lyn Heights. The boat seems now to be headed
direct for Governors Island. and the stranger
thinks the pilot must be either al IDIOT or avery
guod-naturei man. who wants 10 give bis uas-
eengcrs sum Of the sun salt breeze that comes
whistling up from the direction of the Narrows.
But in few seconds there Is another change OF
direction, and the boat again works over toward
the New YorS shore. anu the ferry house on
that II e Is once more In slgnt. Iae empty slip
setms to open ITS arms to receive tue DO It, and
the unsnphisticated stranger seeing plainly, g
he thinks. that she Is gong in without Tub,
concludes that the excursion Is over, and leans
carelessy on his cane. hut irdly mas the not
puked her blunt nose between the rough sides
Of the slip before sue Springs to one side almost
a. suddenly as II she had received blow, aud
strikes with crash against the wooden pier.
Tue too trustiul strai ger stumOles over Il small
boy, doubles an old gentleman up with blow
under the RIBS aud narrowly csc apes tumbling
over the chains into the water. Then as ne
picks himself up and lmps ashore ne vehe.
mcuty cxprt sses his opinion that a drunken
pilot deserves to be liza ged
An hour or two AZ erward he crosses in the
same boat sgin, nd Is carried from snore to
shore ia almost bee line, anu landed without
bump. His natural conclusion IL that the
drunken pilot has been superseded by n sober
one.
THE MYSTERIES OF THE CURRENTS.
Hundreds OF persons who cross from New
York to BROOKLYN eve day seem to be as far
wrong ~ their ideas ABOUT the erratic move
Beuts 81 the ferry boats as the eteenest coun-
trynsn who ever WAS Knocked on IN. feet toy
them. They PERHAPS understand that allowance
reut, but they cant see why boat should go
both up AMI down stream on the same trip. or
turtle. head nrst. tail first. or sideways. hs 1t
happens. Hence na,diy dav passes that one
some impatient passenger, the exclamation,
We'll, tnat pilots drank. or mes fool"
It IL because the East river Is no river" but
arm Of the Atlautic ocean, every tarob OF
woicb 10 minor degree II feels, that ferr,tng
neuce ana Sail IA navi. aion that years of study
snd practice alone can give. 1t Is 30 fun OF
currents. caused by tho nlx aud rrflux VI the
tides. and 80 subject al certain seasons, to o.
.our.t'"n bI foes and obstruction by ice, that
tue passengers In tho ferry boats which ply
aorers its u lrrow cbanuel are almost as com
plet-iy the wards OF tue nayigators skill us they
would be IN al iron steamship.
Yet of the hund eds who stand on a crowded
bow of a Fulton ferry boat. anu perhaps II a
provoking Tow sets IN The way glance augrily
up at the pilot and wonder why he cont kaow
enough to 40 around tue obstruction. uroOably
Dot oue ever dreams hat the inpertura ole,
broDxed faced nian lcooly turning the wheel up
taere 10 ms queer. psgods like house, cheris hes
IL MS ne.rt feeling vi awful re-ponsi sility for
tue thoust lives entrusted TO his care IN t
on, tue strongest man could bear waile every
sAIlI anu knowledge acquired By years OF appli-
he pilot Of ferry boat Is captain Of his ship.
and tnf ambitious deck hand WHO aslires 10
succeed hun ~ the mastery OF the wheel nd
tenal Del must wait auo study Ia M nv cases
hall a lifetime. before las ambition is eratihed.
Before man can become fefry pilot on The
at riv.r he mus serve long avprentlceshio,
eje OF ~ experienced pliOt, nd ne must tie AT
ie bt tweutN -oue y-ats old. Tue pilot house Is
his college where under tue svverest OF masters
ne leAt"- que Use ol ne comp tss ana trains ms
tcucn 10 feel the " set" OF IA tide by th- tiemor
Of he wheel and his eye o disc m tue outlines
VI a steamer OF tue gltmmer OF signai Ight
through tur biacArst. might or the dtnsesl Z.
Then II after long practice lie gets all tue tides
as ihniIlar 10 his N ma h 4, ami learns 10
dc 'hstlnetlvely he trOper tang IN every iofm
OF danger and difficulty that can Deset a Terry
boat, his tutor recommends him as competent
pllOt al the FISK ~ us own reputation ana IT he
passes the examination before the Plot Com.
missiOners ana receives theil license. be can al
last taks the wheel into ms own hands aud
reign the despot OF the piiOt house. Aud tins Is
no fancy term, for there is no man whose power
Il more ABSOLUTE tnan that Of a piot at tue
wheel.
The nav OF the East river ferry pilot varies
from Sll5 TO SIS Der month. He WORKS nine or
tel hours a d y, ana his occupation Is consider
% 10 be very healtniul one. The he-ts OF
summer trouble nim very little IN the cool
wbe-lhOuse, where every ore - Is visitor.
THE Pilots WORST FOES.
The pilots chief enc mics are counter cure nts.
fogs. ice, tows. aud Hing vessels. he counter
currents TURK IN inly aong the wharves, and
tue, arr very treacherous ana 1angerous. some
Of Item result nom tue ueculi form lion OF
die others are cau-ed by tue projection OF
wheryes aud piers INTO the stream. They
are St onTer IN tue ,n s9nnS S ana fan NJ
tie East river. are governed M tIeii
sctivlt, by tie movement Of tue tides. An *
perenced uilot declares his belief that thelI
presence 10 the lSt river Is q lie ~ "a great de-
gree 10 the opeu Struc ure of the whtyes. Ii
tie WI rves were built q solid blocks, 4
thilhs re unexoscted currents tnat some mes
sel- a ferry yuat as sne - anout u eutef tue
alp md sn her az llnst tue side, whTl Ter
out OF her course, would seldom Or never ne
met with.
lAese currents are worse in the narrower
pTs u the rlver where tue tide Iusnes wItn
a. -leEA ed speeH, and Consequently " all ful-
soh' ana hatlne are SAID to DO tue " hardest
teIIiss On the = 81 NV r. Tue pilot has to be
LiuIl,ar v, Z a thee currents, knowing theiI
Ht'--on, force, aud under what circunstan e-
Lacy are 70 be eI ected. He must learn 10 tell
tbe set OF a CurreDt al a glance, 50 that tue
sun ce OF he wa er, which to an inexperienced
observer looks Oniy Ike d glittcrlng plain, tC
the plots eye shows motions snd features that
he Gu lways recognize and Interpret. 1t Is
ssId that The currents are various that
piiot who Is erfsctly familiar with the Fulton
Terri NAV not 10 safely enirIsted with a boat
on CathdIiue or Wall street ferry until b,
pr cuce he has Termed the psculiarties VI
SHEER currents
1nere TWO kinds OF fogs-and fogs and
water fogs- on the Last river. ney generally
occur In the spring or fail, whichever tner,
bss Ueen anN sudden great ca. nge OF tempera
ture IA eair or water deh royiuI the equiiiOrl
um between them. Land fuRs are usually u.
more dense, being often accompanied wal
dTZzling rain, and they sometimes last TWO VI