The New York herald., 1877-01-21
THE NEW YORK PILOTS.

ARE THEIR LIVES ENDANGERED NEEDLEssLY?-
PRESENT SYSTEM
There is probably class OF men who daily en-
counter danger and hardship than the pilots of
New York. The peculiar nature OF their work and the
hundreds OF lives OF fellow beings dependent upon
their skill and frmness, render their comings and
gongs Of no small to the public at large Pas
sensers on an incoming steamer, 200 800 miles out,
as they greet the pilot coming over the side, sell
dom think of the weary days and nights of
watching that he has endured In his bright eye they
do not the that has tossed the little schooner
about nothing for days. storm that even the great
steamer groaned under and bowed her head before
The pcris OF pilots life are seldom brought before
the public. Many the hardships are they seem to
be constantly increasing The system now prevailing
is that every pilot boat must look out for itself The
effect is competition that carries pilots very
far to sea- The pilots themselves complain OF this,
and Of them, man twenty-five years III the SER
vice. interview with the writer, gives below the
situation affairs and plan tor relief, which he
thinks would DO ndorsed by all pilots, as 1t would
protect them and make the service more elective.
PLOTS OPINION
''How pilots rcmunerated for their services?"
asked the reporter.
.'They are paid wel,' replied the pilot; shut
owing TO excess OF expenditures the pilots who arc
not boat owners can barely support their families
The pilots very badly handled for instance there
are twenty boaIs to do the work OF ten There s
so much com that the boats iLstead Of beng
outside Sandy Hook are over all creation Vessels
frequently come and cannot find a pilot. be-
cause the boats are 200 or 800 miles off,
Ii the pilot that boarded the Amerique had
bcen stationed off Fire Island Light and boarded her
there there would have been no accident The pilot
would nave been sure oil his position AS It was, the
ship, accord ng the Captains statement, Overran
fifteen miles, and the first thing any OF them knew
they on the beach. The steamer Acupuco Of
the Pacific Mail line, came IN about Two weeks ago,
and alter waiting outside some time was obliged to
come up without pilot gale was blowing up and
the captain obliged either to come up or put to
If he had the latter he might have becn out
three or four days longer SO he chose 10 come up.
"Why were there none theref'
.wel. 1t wasn't their fault; 1t is the fault OF the
management II boat does not run out another
WILL and the first will lose the job. The pilots
enough OF the system but, OF course are obliged TO
conform 10 it, There Is not pot in the service but
would gladly hail reform in this matter, But they
afraid 10 speak out-not AFRAID exactly, but, like
sailor men generally, they don't understand bus
matters. The greater number would be glad enough
to have a REFORM"
''wnat is your plan ?''
"Io have stations of the coast One off Barnegat and
one of Fire Island Light They would be forty miles
distant, and Others at intermediate stations OF
miles A ship or steamer coming IN would be OF
sighting one station or the other and would also be
sure OF getting plot. AS II is now they are never
of getting 1t may be urged by some that the
Jersey pilots will object TO this but reasonable
will believe that any pilot W III object to plan that will
make his life easier and Will serve The pubic interests
better
.'gave you known many cases where ships have
come In and have been delayed Tor potsY'
''Oh, yes, nave known many, very many. have
also read Of many reported in the HERALD The
plan establish stations would save In the expense Of
the superfuous boats over 100000 year. There
about ITO pilots IN this port; they could easily be ac
coinmodated In ten boats. There are 800 pilots In
Liverpool and they only twelve boats IT. Is absurd
to have three men IN boat as we frequently do, and
when they wanted tbis port TO have them my
around off the capes OF Virginia or oil the Nova Scotia
coast Under our system the men are needlessly ex.
posed and their lives endangered There Is
why tho system should not DO remeded except that It
is n pet theory OF Blunt's, which Is - Here the
ancient mariner hcaped objurgati0ns upon the
able comm ssioner and his pet theory until the air
was so that the reporter found considerable dii
nculty In seeing his way out)